In Chandler, auto insurance requirements are tied to Arizona state laws. You need to know state minimums, your personal needs and abilities, and specifics of driving in this area. Arizona's Motor Vehicle Division is responsible for regulating these laws. Take a look at some of their statistics and recommendations before you choose a policy or insurer. Car insurance is available online and instantly. It's up to you to make sure you select a policy and provider that meets your needs.

The Need for Chandler Auto Insurance

According to the Arizona Department of Transportation there were over 119,000 car crashes in Arizona in 2008. Of those, 842 resulted in fatalities, over 37,000 resulted in injuries and over 81,000 resulted in only damage to property.

As a driver in the state you should know that the most common occurrences of these accidents was on Fridays between 4 and 5 PM and in the month of February. For fatal accidents, the most common or peak times were on Saturdays between 5 and 6 PM and in the month of March. The most common cause? Someone was driving too fast. Also, over 34% of the fatal accidents involved alcohol consumption.

So, you've got a choice to make. You can avoid driving at any time you are likely to be involved in an accident and just keep your fingers crossed. Or, you can attempt to be a safe driver and have some good protection in place in the unfortunate event that you or someone you love is involved in a car accident. Frankly, the numbers indicate that you will be involved in an accident at some point in time. And no, you can't control the actions of other drivers. However, you can control what happens after a crash by having coverage in place.

Chandler Auto Insurance Requirements

Drivers in Chandler must, by law, carry liability coverage of 15/30/10. This translates to $15,000 in bodily injury which applies to a single person in a single accident, $30,000 in bodily injury which will apply to the total coverage in a single accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability which will cover the possessions of the other driver and riders or other property damage in a single accident.

Liability coverage is meant to pay for injuries to the other party only, not to you. While this is all the state of Arizona requires, it is probably not enough to protect your assets.

Of the 119,000 Arizona crashes in 2008 mentioned above, 78,034 occurred in Maricopa County. The majority of these involved two vehicles as opposed to a single car crash. For you as a driver, this means you need to think about the potential costs that will be accrued if you or a family member is involved in one of these accidents.

Determining How Much Chandler Auto Insurance You Need

Despite the fact that the state mandates those minimal insurance limits at 15/30/10, the state DOT recommends that most people hold insurance coverage at a much higher rate. If you can afford to carry the premiums, experts say you should carry 100/300/100 liability coverage. In addition to this you need to consider comprehensive and collision coverage.

Since liability coverage only pays for damage to the other party, collision is what will repair your vehicle if it is damaged. If you have an older car with no lien in effect, then collision is probably a waste of money. However, if the bank still owns your vehicle then you are usually required by them to carry this type of coverage on your policy. Comprehensive will cover damage to your vehicle that is caused by something other than a crash. This can include acts of nature, theft, or vandalism. Many people will also include towing and rental coverage in their policies.

Some insurance websites will offer fee calculators that help you determine what you should have to protect your assets. Most of the time the calculators are free, however, you are required to give your contact information to access them. They will ask for information like your marital status, who lives with you and rides in your vehicle, health insurance coverage, home value, your assets, location, car type and usage. Then you will receive a basic needs list that will tell you if you need collision, comprehensive, and other options.

Another option is to go through a free quote tool, like the one on this page. You will be asked for some of the same data, so it can be redundant to use both if you intend to get quotes in the long run. The difference is that the calculator will give you a recommended insurance amount and types. A quote tool will both recommend the amounts and types of coverage and send you rate quotes from several providers ready to sell you insurance. Both options are helpful, it just depend where you are in the quote seeking process.

Once you get to the point when you receive actual rate quotes you can look at the deductibles and premiums and decide if you can afford to pay them. If not, you have some options to consider. Ask about discounts that you may be eligible for, look at paying a higher deductible for a lower premium, or consider carrying less than the ideal amount in order to have some coverage. When asking about discounts, you can consider installing anti-theft devices on your vehicle, taking safe driver courses, or look into organizations you already belong to.

Compare Chandler Auto Insurance Quotes

There are truly a lot of options for drivers in this area. Your willingness to compare those options is what will give you a leg up on both protection and affordability. Get started finding and comparing Chandler auto insurance quotes today!