Mississippi Car Insurance

In order to be in compliance with the law in the state of Mississippi, all drivers must carry minimum liability auto insurance coverage. The minimum standards are a policy with $25,000 property damage liability, $25,000 bodily injury liability per person involved in an accident, and $50,000 bodily injury liability per auto accident. All motorists in the state must carry proof of insurance by law at all times. For motorists traveling without proof of insurance, the state of Mississippi will issue a fine of $1,000 for the initial offense. If a driver is caught a second time without proof of insurance, they will receive a one year suspension of their drivers license, or until they can provide proof of insurance to the state. Therefore it is vital for all Mississippi drivers to have proper car insurance coverage.

Mississippi is what is known as a tort state, and insurance experts recommend that drivers carry more than the minimum liability required if they can afford to do so. A tort state requires that if an auto accident has taken place, one of the people involved in the accident must be found to be the guilty party, or at fault in the accident. The person who is deemed to be at fault in an auto accident is then required to pay for any and all damage caused by the accident. For this reason, it is important for Mississippi motorists to have as much insurance coverage as possible in order to be protected.

Mississippi's auto insurance rates are slightly less expensive than the national average. In 2006, the average insurance premium paid in the state was $746, while the national average was $817.

Drivers

The vast majority of licensed drivers in the state of Mississippi are between the ages of 20-44 years old. There are more female drivers than male drivers in the state, out of a total of 1,885,974 licensed drivers. There are 0.646 drivers per capita in this state as of 2010.

Seat Belt Usage

Mississippi Code 63-2-1 requires that all drivers of vehicles and all front-seat passengers wear safety belts at all times. There are exemptions to this law including those who are disabled or who have medical conditions that make it impossible to wear a seat belt. Mississippi also exempts drivers of farm vehicles and drivers of United States Postal Service vehicles from wearing a seat belt. The law states that any child under the age of four years old must be confined to a federally approved child safety seat while in a passenger vehicle. Seat belt usage greatly reduces the chance of fatality in an auto accident.

Roads

Interstate 20 runs east-west through central Mississippi and Interstate 55 runs north-south through the entire length of the state. Interstate 10 runs east-west along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico on the southern edge of Mississippi. There are many rural sections of the state that are accessible only via state highways and county roads. Because there are so many rural areas, motorists are cautioned to watch for wildlife on the roads, especially deer which are plentiful and can cause serious auto damage.

Road Conditions

The Mississippi Department of Transportation as well as Mississippi Traffic Watch both issue current road conditions in the state on their websites. Mississippi enjoys a rather warm climate, so although the roads rarely become icy there is often a lot of precipitation for drivers to contend with. In southern Mississippi, hurricanes sometimes affect the Gulf Coast and downed trees can be a problem for motorists by blocking the roads. When planning a trip, it is always a good idea for travelers to check on road conditions in the state and the learn about possible road closures.

Thefts

In 2010, Mississippi saw 5,360 reported vehicle thefts. This number has remained fairly steady in recent years, though it was down slightly from 5,439 cases in 2009. The state has seen a significant drop in cases of vehicle theft since the high of 13,532 in 1999. Mississippi's rate of vehicle theft is currently lower than the national average with about 180.6 thefts per 100,000 residents of the state.

Most Stolen Cars

The following list contains the 10 most commonly stolen make and model of car in Mississippi. Auto insurance companies often use this list to charge a higher premium on cars that are more likely to be stolen. If a person is shopping for a car and would like to get cheap auto insurance, they may wish to avoid purchasing these vehicles.

1) 1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500

2) 2006 Ford F-150

3) 2005 Chevrolet Impala

4) 1991 Chevrolet Caprice

5) 2001 Dodge Ram 1500

6) 1996 Honda Accord

7) 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass

8) 1997 GMC Sierra 1500

9) 1990 Buick LeSabre

10) 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis

Buying Car Insurance in Mississippi

When an individual decides to buy car insurance in Mississippi, they are faced with striking the proper balance between coverage and cost. Everyone wants to buy cheap car insurance because it is an ongoing cost that one must fit into their household budget. However, it is vital for the premium holder to get enough insurance coverage to protect them in the event of an accident. It is possible to find cheap auto insurance without giving up sufficient coverage.

J.D. Power and Associates offers very helpful auto insurance ratings to people who are shopping for the best car insurance. These car insurance ratings review different companies on such factors as response and repair times, customer service and claims timeliness, plan benefits and discounts, as well as policy flexibility. Potential customers can use these ratings to weigh the services of one car insurance company against another.

Thos who need to buy a new auto policy in Mississippi can get multiple car insurance quotes online. There are even some websites that allow the user to specify the type of policy that they are interested in and get several quotes at once. Although liability only policies may be tempting due to their low price, insurance experts caution that these policies may not cover all of the necessary expenses in the event of an auto accident. Although shopping for auto insurance may seem a tedious task, having good car insurance in Mississippi can be very beneficial to the motorist.

References

http://www.mid.state.ms.us/consumer/auto_insurance.aspx#auto1