Best California Car Insurance (2024)

 

Despite most things being expensive in the Golden State, California car insurance rates tend to be affordable. In fact, they usually match the national average for both minimum insurance and full coverage policies.

However, not all areas in California share such low rates. For example, Los Angeles residents pay closer to $200 for full coverage, while drivers in San Francisco pay an average of $166.

To find the best California car insurance prices no matter where you live, you’ll need to research your options and compare quotes. Explore everything you need to know about car insurance in California below, then compare quotes from multiple companies to find the right policy for you.

Best California Car Insurance Coverage and Rates

California requires that everyone is financially responsible for injuries and damage they might have caused in a car accident. Most car insurance policies meet this requirement, but also offer drivers a lot of other coverage options.

This is when things get confusing. Do you need comprehensive or liability? What if your car gets stolen? What if you’re at fault? These questions are tough to ask, and sometimes, the answer can be hard to find.

This section will show the majority of coverage and the best options for you. It will also assure you know what you legally have to have, and how to customize policies to fit your needs.

Unfortunately, California is on the high end for uninsured drivers.

Now, this could be a simple case of the sheer number of people in the state, but you need to be careful and choose your insurance correctly.

California Minimum Coverage

Californians are legally required to carry, at minimum, liability insurance that covers:

• $15,000 for injury/death to one person
• $30,000 for injury/death to more than one person
• $5,000 for damage to property

California is an “at fault” state. This means that drivers are responsible for anything that incurs from an accident they caused. Because of the strict financial responsibility laws, most Californians end up choosing liability coverage.

Minimum coverage costs vary from state to state.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

The California Financial Responsibility Law requires that every driver or owner of a vehicle must maintain financial responsibility (liability coverage) at all times. There are four different forms of financial obligation:

• A motor vehicle liability insurance policy
• A deposit of $35,000 with DMV
• A surety bond for $35,000 obtained from a company licensed to do business in California
• A DMV-issued self-insurance certificate.

You must possess evidence of financial responsibility whenever you drive. California is also a state where you must show your proof of insurance if you are pulled over. If you do not find one, you may have to pay a fine or have your vehicle impounded if you do not comply with this law.

California also has a weird rule when just moving to or visiting the state. Some out of state companies don’t cover anything in the state of California, so be careful if you’re visiting.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

California car insurance is most certainly on the high end, but so is their cost of living, and annual income. Which means that your insurance policy is only around 2.16 percent of your yearly salary.

That is about the middle of the pack for the nation.

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in CA (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

Core coverage is simply the basics of the type of policy you get. There are three different kinds of core coverage; liability, comprehensive, and collision. As stated before, Californians must have at least liability insurance. Here’s what you need to know.

In comparison, California’s averages are about average compared to the rest of the nation. Knowing the prices can now help you figure out which is the best fit.

Additional Liability

California has a few different additional liability pieces that you can add to your coverage. They aren’t required or needed, but they certainly protect you in case of something happening. The add-ons for your coverage are uninsured motorist protection, medical payments, and personal injury protection.

All the additional liability you can purchase are important, but especially uninsured motorist protection.

Ranking 12th in the nation for uninsured motorists, California can be a dangerous place to be a driver. If you get in a wreck with someone that is uninsured, and you don’t have protection; there could be hazardous medical bills.

Add-ons, Endorsements, and Riders

Here’s a list of the many available add-ons. Not all insurance companies will offer this entire list to you. This is so that they can make more money off you in the long run. Car insurance is a delicate business; knowing everything you can have is very important.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

Most major insurance companies offer some form of usage-based insurance program.  These allow you to earn a discount based on your driving habits. Even a ten-dollar break is always nice on car insurance, so know what you need and drive safely so you can get those discounts.

Average Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in CA

That old stereotype that men are better drivers than women is quickly retrieving into the past. The coverage rates for women are actually lower in almost every case.

As you can see, no matter what age, female insurance rates are a few hundred dollars lower a year on average.

While gender doesn’t seem to matter at all, age certainly does to insurance companies. Teens and older people are always charged the most.

This is genuinely based off of statistics, though. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, teens pay more simply because they are inexperienced and 15-20 percent more likely to get in an accident, receive a ticket, and speed.

Ass you can see if you’re a 17-year-old female you are going to be paying a lot of money when you first get insurance. Be careful who you choose to go with.

Read more: Average Car Insurance Cost by Age 

Cheapest Rates By Zip Code

California is a huge area. Bigger than all countries but 34 in the entire world. With that big of a range of zip codes and counties, the insurance ranges in prices.

If you live in the hills of Beverly, you might pay more than if you live in the Northern mountain ranges. If you’re thinking of moving to the California Republic, you may want to revisit where correctly in California you’re moving.

Here is every zip code in the state broken down by the average annual rate.

In the beautiful 90210, the most expensive average annual rate, the cost is $6324.83. A huge four thousand dollar difference. Be careful where you want to live.

Cheapest Rates by City

With San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Beverly Hills are in the same state, They will certainly have some expensive cities for car insurance.

Obviously, the higher your city income is, the higher your insurance rates will be. In the table below, the average annual rates are broken down by city.

Find yours by searching in the filter box.

Read more: Mendota Insurance Company Review & Complaints: Auto Insurance

Best California Car Insurance

Everyone knows the big companies; State Farm, Allstate, GEICO, etc. But there are a lot of companies other than the ones seen in commercials. Sometimes the most significant companies aren’t always the best. Then again, sometimes they are.

There are loads of choices, so choosing can be very tricky. This section will help you figure out which ones are the most reliable and will meet the wants and needs of drivers in California.

You always want to pay less for your car insurance, but you also want to make sure you’re getting the right things for the amount of money you’re spending. Sometimes cheap isn’t everything. Take a look at how the top companies’ rates compare to the state average.

We’re going to help you figure out which company is best for you, and which may be the most cost-effective.

The Largest Companies’ Financial Rating

Financial ratings may seem to be pretty extravagant when it comes to your life, but they can be critical to what you’re spending and the reliability of that company.

If a company has a solid financial rating, that means they will be able to take care of all of your claims. The better the score, the better the company is at complying with their obligations to their customers.

AM Best is a company that helps you find the financial rating of insurance companies.

Companies With The Best Ratings

California is a big state, so there are loads of companies that all want your money but will give you different insurance for each one.

JD Power & Associates ranks the best insurance companies each year. They do it in every state, region, and the entire nation. The awards they give out are sought after, so if your company has one, you may be doing the right thing.

Based on the table, Esurance had the best ratings in every different category in California. Learn more about Esurance in our Esurance insurance review.

The categories range from customer service to pricing. Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group followed closely behind.

Read more: Wawanesa Insurance Review & Complaints: Life, Home & Auto Insurance

Companies With the Most Complaints in California

Complaints are always going to be a part of life, especially for insurance companies. But knowing what companies have the most complaints can help pick which is the best company for you. If tons of people are complaining, that means something isn’t being done right.

This table shows that GEICO has the least percentage of complaints of the major companies and that Progressive comes in with a whopping 12.3 percent. Learn more about Progressive in our Progressive insurance review.

Don’t forget that these companies are the largest in the state, so they have the most amount of people that use their insurance. This accounts for part of the reason they may have a high number of complaints. But percentages usually don’t lie.

Cheapest Companies in California

The total average annual cost for the state of California is $3689.62, a cost that is on the higher end of most states. Finding the cheapest company is not always your best bet, but saving money never hurts. Here are the cheapest companies in the top 10 major companies used in California.

GEICO and USAA come racing in way under the state average. Both are great insurance companies and have excellent rates. Finding cheap rates and having a good company may not be as hard as you thought.

Commute Rates By Company

Based on your average commute, insurance companies will jack their prices up. This is simply because you’re on the road a lot more if you have a long commute.

On average, if you have a commute of only 10 miles, you will be charged hundreds of dollars less annually than if you have a commute of over 25 miles.

Based on the statistics, Nationwide gives a fairly hefty discount if you drive 10 miles or fewer on your daily commute.

Californians may be charged more for their commute times, but they are spared from their rate changing due to bad credit.

Coverage Level Rates By Company

The level of coverage people choose is most often based on how much money they wish to spend. This is consistent in every state. But, as you can see by the table below, sometimes better coverage isn’t what makes your rates cheaper. There are countless other reasons your insurance may be high.

California is one of the more expensive states for car insurance in general. State Farm, California’s biggest insurer is $3689.62 higher on average than the rest of the nation whether you have low, medium or high coverage. Read more about State Farm in our State Farm insurance review.

Credit History Rates By Company

Credit history haunts or helps everyone. Insurance rates are no different.

Companies look into your credit history, and if yours is poor, this could be one of the main reasons your rates are higher than most. You should always keep up with your credit report, especially if you want to save a buck on insurance.

California’s drivers that have bad credit history pay upwards of $3000 more annually on their rates than those drivers with good credit history.

According to the data, USAA gives a great break even if you have bad credit. But Farmers and Nationwide will make you pay for it.

Driving Record Rates By Company

Possibly the most significant factor for paying higher prices for your insurance is your driving record. In nearly every situation, those with clean driving records pay significantly less annually than those who do not have a clean record.

The smallest thing from a point on your license or a fender bender in the past four years can dramatically alter your rate.

Big issues in your driving record like a DUI or an at-fault accident can seriously break your pocketbook. Be careful which company fits best for you.

In almost every case the most expensive rate will come if you have a DUI on your record. This table shows the top 5 highest average annual rates and the driving record they accompany. Every single one has a DUI on the driver’s record.

More often than not, your rate will be higher with a poor driving record. However, sometimes if you find the right company, you can catch a break. This is why shopping around extensively always helps.

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Largest Car Insurance Companies in California

There is an infinite number of insurance companies in the nation and especially in California. The top ones are the ones you see on commercials in most cases. State Farm, GEICO, Nationwide, Allstate, to name a few. Based on statistics, Nationwide is the biggest insurer in California.

This table shows the top ten largest companies in the state and how much money the companies spent on premiums.

Number of Insurers in California

In every country, there are domestic and foreign insurers. Internal means that they have their headquarters in California, while Foreign means it is out of state.

Domestic insurers will sometimes treat you better if you live in their home state. For example, there may be a resident discount each year you live in California.

In California there 99 domestic insurers, and 671 foreign insurers. This is a significant number only due to the size of California. That totals out to be 770 different insurance companies that offer property and casualty policies.

California State Laws

Laws can be confusing and sometimes very weird. Different requirements can hinder or help your insurance rates. Here are some of the essential California laws that you need to know.

Introduction to State Laws

We all know the basic rules of the road and life, but there are some tricky ones that you didn’t realize may keep your insurance rates from being better. It’s good to know some of the facts that you had no idea we’re affecting your rates. Some laws won’t apply to you, but knowing them is always a good weapon to have.

In this section, we’ll help to understand the laws of everyday life, and the road, that may be raising those insurance rates right under your nose.

Car Insurance Laws

To begin, we’ll cover some of the insurance laws that you may not know or need to be reminded of.

How State Laws for Car Insurance Are Determined

California state laws have a significant influence on auto insurance. Each different state decides the type and amount of liability insurance required (See Minimum Coverage section) and the system in which people are approved for insurance rates.

In the Golden State, the law requires prior approval. Which means that no form for insurance shall be issued before the commissioner approval. This is a reasonably simple DMV task, but as always be ready to stand in line. Once approved, your car insurance rate will be determined.

Windshield Coverage

In California and most states in the nation, Windshield laws are not very strict. You are free to choose a repair company of any kind. There is a restriction in your insurance on using foreign parts. This refers to black market products or parts you may have gotten from a junkyard, for example.

As for coverage in your policy, no law requires you have windshield coverage. Most insurance companies will have additional coverage you can use to protect yourself from extra costs when your windshield breaks.

High-Risk Insurance

High-risk insurance is especially important in California. There is a law called SR22 law. This law is a form from your respective car insurance company that verifies you have met California’s state requirement concerning auto liability insurance.

This form is most often used after a DUI charge. Insurance companies are taking a high risk (hence the name) when insuring a driver with a DUI on their record.

This law protects insurance companies.

An SR-22 must be obtained anytime you wish to reinstate your license following a suspension or revocation. Once this is done, you can then get insurance.

The biggest problem with high-risk drivers is not only paying extremely high rates, but also getting turned down completely by companies. In most occasions, the top insurance companies have their pick of the litter, which means they don’t need your money or the risk.

Find out the best insurance companies for high-risk drivers.

Low-Cost Insurance

In the State of California, it is estimated that over 4 million drivers are uninsured, which puts everyone in the state at an elevated risk of having an accident with someone who has no car insurance coverage. Many of these drivers are unaware that California offers an affordable insurance coverage plan for those who qualify.

A low cost, no-frills auto policy is available from the state, but very few people who qualify take advantage of it. Many experts believe that most of these people do not even know it is in existence, so California is launching a new ad campaign targeted at these uninsured motorists.

In order to qualify for the low-cost auto insurance you must be at least 19 years of age and have 3 years or more driving experience under your belt. Your car must be valued under $20k and you and your family must be below a certain income level.

A typical family making under $50,000 would be an example of one that may qualify. The policies are issued by the CDI and there hope is to reduce the number of uninsured on the road.

The problem lies in car accidents that involve an uninsured motorist because the other party will be responsible for their own repairs if they cannot get the money from the at-fault party.

Since many uninsured do not have insurance because of the cost, it can be very difficult to get reimbursed for a loss. The liability will then often be placed with the insured person’s insurance, which then drives up the cost of auto coverage for everyone.

An individual can purchase the insurance from many participating agents, and currently, there are only about 10,000 people enrolled in the coverage. Estimates put the numbers at 100’s of thousands of California residents that either qualify and do not have insurance or are paying more for a normal insurance policy.

The plan costs $400 a year and carries 10/20/3 coverage, which many believe is very low liability maximums.

However, compared to the alternative of having no insurance, this plan is clearly better for all involved. It is important to review your particular situation when deciding what and how to buy car insurance.

The California Department of Insurance is planning to launch a statewide campaign to educate those who may be eligible but are either not taking advantage of it or are unaware the program exists. The plan is to cover billboards statewide in addition to other traditional forms of advertising like TV and radio.

For more information or to download an application, you can visit the California Department of Insurance website.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in California

Fraud is becoming a bigger problem in every asset of life. Car insurance is no different. According to California DOT, about 10 percent of property and casualty losses come from fraud.

Fraud is a federal crime in California, and depending on the severity could land you a stint in prison. In most cases, the punishments are based on how much money was stolen in the process of auto insurance fraud.

In California, the penalties are as follows:

• Class B Misdemeanor — Fraudulent documents only (90 Days in prison)
• Class A Misdemeanor — Under $500 stolen (One year of imprisonment)
• Class B Felony — Up to $10,000 stolen (Five years in jail)
• Class A Felony — Over $10,000 stolen (Ten years plus in prison)

As you can see, fraud is being cracked down on in California and the entire nation.

Statute of Limitations

A statute of limitation is a rule that there is a  period of limitation for the bringing of certain kinds of legal action. This means that people affected have a certain amount of time to pursue legal action.

For example, if a driver gets in an accident and five years later decides they were hurt in that accident; the statute of limitations prohibits that person from pursuing legal action because it’s been too long since the date of the crash.

In California, the laws are two years for personal injury, and three years for property damage.

State Specific Laws

Every state has some weird rules that others do not. Some laws that help insurers and some laws that benefit consumers.

Here are a few odd ones specific to California.

• California Automobile Mediation Program
  • This law helps consumers who are having difficulty getting their automobile insurance physical damage claims resolved
• Fair Claims Settlement Practices
  • This law states that claims settlement practices that, when either knowingly committed on a single occasion or performed frequently as to indicate a general business practice, are considered to be unfair claims settlement practices and are prohibited by the California Insurance Code.

It is nice to know as a consumer that some laws are protecting you from being taken advantage of. There are also companies that will help you with your small claims court lawsuit if you are not getting help from your insurer or a lawyer.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

As in most states, vehicle licensing laws are handled in California by the DMV. There are a lot of different rules and regulation to know about, but these are the most important ones to keep in mind. Knowing these could help you out in your shopping for insurance.

Real ID

There is a big problem with how loosely the standards for getting an identification are. This Act established minimum security standards for issuing a license and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for specific purpose’s driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards.

This problem is being resolved and is continuing to be less and less of an issue.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

In California, there are laws set forth to punish those driving without insurance. This narrows the number down of those uninsured drivers.

The penalties for driving without insurance are as follows:

•  First Offense
  • Up to $200 fine and a court may decide to impound the car
• Second Offense
  • Up to $500 fine

Though this may seem like not much to some people, if the main reason for going uninsured is the expense, these fines are probably hefty to uninsured drivers.

There are different ways California accepts proof on insurance. Most cases, they want paper evidence, but they do take electronic evidence now as well. As long as it contains the following:

• Make
• Model
• Year
• Safety Rating
• Value
• Your name and the name of any other drivers under that policy
• Expiration date

If you can provide this, you are set to go and have nothing to worry about.

Teen Driver Laws

Teens are delicate drivers. Some are reckless and speed everywhere, while others are too scared to get behind the wheel. California eases them, into the process by starting them at 15.5 years old with a permit to drive with a person over 21. Then a year later letting them have a full license.

In most high schools drivers education can be taken, which earns the driver a permit upon completion and also eases the process even further.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

A highly debated topic among all drivers is how often older persons should have to renew their license. Some believe it should be a bit stricter.

California’s law states that after the age of 70, every time you renew your license, you must take a vision test. Just like everyone else in the population, they have to renew their license every five years.

New Residents

Like every state, some actions need to be taken to register your car, receive a new license plate, and change your address. These are the main things you must complete when moving to California as well.

The driver must also get the minimum liability coverage for insurance in California.

License Renewal Procedures

In California, all licenses expire five years after the initial license is received. Every five years a license is to be renewed.

License renewal may be done by mail if a person is not on probation and does not have a prior driving record. In those cases, the renewal is specific to what kind of history the person has.

At age 70, mail renewal is prohibited. One must personally walk into the DMV or a government building and take a vision and clarity test.

Rules of the Road

Here’s a comprehensive look at some must-know regulations of the road for drivers in California. Some are straight forward and act a reminder while others are things drivers often forget and need be repeated. For most road laws, the IIHS website is a convenient place to visit.

Adhering to all these laws will keep your insurance rates dropping and keep you safe.

Fault Vs. No-Fault

California is an at-fault state, which means a driver is responsible for damages in an accident where they are found at fault.

If you are found at fault in the accident, your car insurance will pay out for injuries and property damage up to the limits you’ve chosen on your policy.

Depending on your system, that is very important. This is when having more than just minimal coverage comes in handy.

If you have minimal coverage and total someone’s car, you will be paying out of pocket the rest of the cost.

Seat Belts and Car Seat Laws

Seat belt and car seat laws are being cracked down in every state. We’ve all heard the “click it or ticket” phrase being used often. This is for a good reason. Fatalities due to no seat belt being worn are on the rise.

In California, it is a minimum $20 fine if found with no seat belt on. It is a $100 fine if your child under 40 pounds is detected without a proper car seat safety system.

These laws were put into place to limit deaths and keep the roads safer.

Keep Right And Move Over Laws

The keep right law states that slower traffic must keep right in all instances. This is not only for safety for all drivers but also to keep the flow of traffic moving and limit commutes.

The move over law states that if you are in the left lane and a car comes up behind you going faster than you are, that you must switch lanes. Just like the keep right law, this keeps traffic moving at a much faster pace.

If a police officer finds you disobeying these laws, the fine can be up to $200.

Of course, if someone comes up behind you going at ridiculous speeds, this is an entirely different matter.

Speed Limits

In California, speed limits are 30 mph in residential areas and on most interstates are 65 or 70 mph for all vehicles. All other roads are posted speed limit areas.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing is becoming a massive part of everyday life in the nation. Uber and Lyft revolutionized transportation. The insurance laws behind ridesharing in an Uber or Lyft are very delicate.

Most drivers are offered insurance and are covered, but are having your insurance policy on you when ridesharing is always a good idea.

If you are driving for a ridesharing service, some companies will not insure you when you are doing so. Be careful what company covers what if you plan on being a rideshare driver.

In California, most major insurers cover ridesharing. Here is a list of the ones who do:

• Allstate
• Farmers
• Liberty Mutual
• Mercury
• MetLife
• Metromile
• State Farm
• USAA

Recently, California passed a law (AB 5) that will change rideshare driving in the state. The law will result in most rideshare drivers being classified as employees rather than contractors.

This means rideshare driving in California could turn into a job rather than a way for residents to make extra cash.

Read more: Metromile Insurance Review & Complaints: Car Insurance

Automation On The Road

With technology becoming more and more a part of life, cars that drive themselves are now a thing of the present. According to IIHS, automated vehicles are allowed to be on the road in California but must have an insurance policy of $5,000,000.

Safety Laws

Safety laws in California are a big part of the goal of the California DOT. As one of the worst states in the nation for traffic, safety is a big concern.

DUI Laws

The legal limit is 0.08 BAC as in almost every state, although some are even handing out fines for “buzzed” driving at 0.05. In California, if you are found above 0.15 BAC, you are subject to stricter punishments and penalties.

For each offense, the fine raises higher each time. Jail time also heightens each crime.

Driving under the influence is a severe crime and cannot be taken lightly. Responsibilty.org help people to realize the devastating statistics behind it.

Marijuana Impaired Driving Laws

In California, marijuana is entirely legal. They have made no legislative laws against driving impaired on marijuana since there are no statistics to back it up.

Distracted Driving Laws

Texting and driving are nearly as prominent as driving under the influence in the U.S. Laws are being advanced daily to help stop the problem.

In California, there is a zero-tolerance rule. All drivers are subject to enforcement if seen texting, holding, or calling.

According to the National Safety Council every day, at least 9 Americans die and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes.

Driving in California

Driving in California is arguably more dangerous than any other state in the nation. Statistics are rising in DUI’s, distracted driving, and deadly accidents.

So, how do you stay safe? How do you keep your insurance rates falling and out of trouble? Knowing the statistics is always the answer. But it can be hard to make sense of all of them.

In this section, we’ll break down the stats, facts, and how to keep yourself in the know, so you have the facts for your insurance shopping.

Vehicle Theft in California

Theft is more prevalent in certain cities, so state data can sometimes be a bit skewed. However, the amount of thefts is always telling. In California, there are several thefts in many cities.

In the table below, you will find the top ten stolen cars by make, model and year; and how many thefts there were for each car.

Road Fatalities in California

According to IIHS, there were 34,237 fatal accidents in the United States in 2017 in which 37,133 deaths occurred. This is an eye-opening number, and the reasons for them are all different.

In California there are 39,536,653 people. Out of those people, there were 3,404 fatal accidents and 3,602 deaths. That is the second-most of any state in the nation. This has to do with the population, but the amount of DUI’s, distracted driving incidents and dangerous driving incidents also drastically affect these numbers.

Fatalities By Road Conditions

Due to the almost always fair conditions in California, the statistics for fatalities by road conditions is nearly nothing.

Fatalities By County

As within most states, the county by county fatality rates in California relies on where you are. If you are traveling on the Los Angeles freeway system, you are the most likely of any other county to be killed in a car crash.

Rural Vs. Urban Fatality Rates

In California, there are more people in Los Angeles and San Francisco than there are in most states altogether. So, urban fatality rates will be significantly higher.

Out of 3,602 deaths in the state:

• Urban fatalities – 2,195
• Rural fatalities – 1,404

Fatalities By Crash Type

By crash type means the amount of single-vehicle crashes compared to multiple vehicle crashes.

Out of the 3,602 death in 2017 in California, the number of single-vehicle crashes was 55 percent. This means that it was relatively evenly split between the two types of accidents.

In more rural states such as the Midwest areas, the amount of single-vehicle crashes is significantly higher.

Deaths Involving Speeding By County

Speeding is a growing issue in California. In the past 10 years, the deaths involving speeding have increased every year. In California, from 995 deaths in 2014 to 1,151 in 2016.

Speeding is seen on the roads of every state, but it seems California is near the top of that list. A speeding ticket can put points on your license and make your insurance skyrocket.

Deaths Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver

The United States knows the problems of driving under the influence, but the numbers seem to continue to climb.

In 2017,  42 percent of fatal crashes had alcohol involved in California. In almost every state in the nation, deaths involving an alcohol-impaired driver are the highest percentage of any other kind of fatal accident.

Transportation

The primary mode of transportation in California is by car. If you live in the city, some may walk more than they drive. But most counties in California are filled with suburban neighborhoods. The size of California also contributes to these factors. There is more space between cities than any other state.

Commute Times

Commute times are important to know. California is among the top in the nation in commute times. Los Angeles is in the top 50 of traffic in the entire world.

Commuter Transportation

In California, almost 74 percent of people drive to work alone. This is higher than in most states.

Car Ownership

Most families do not only own one car. Statistics in the United States show that most people own two cars or three cars. In California, more people than in any other state own more than four cars. This is due to the amount of money a lot of Californians possess.

Traffic Congestion in California

As mentioned before, traffic in the massive state of California is arguably the worst in the entire nation. On average, employees in California have a longer commute time (28 minutes) than the typical US worker (25.5 minutes). That 28-minute commute is more extended than almost every other state.

According to Inrix.com and their Global Traffic Scorecard, Los Angeles is the 47th worst city in the entire world for traffic congestion.

To conclude, we have a state larger than every country in the world except 34. This account for many fatalities, many DUI’s and loads of traffic. If you’re moving to California and need advice on where to shop for car insurance, look no further. Car insurance is tricky, and the facts and details presented to you will certainly help you decide.

Want to rest easy knowing you have the best rate on your car insurance? Start shopping around by entering your zip code below right now.