If you live in the State of New York and you own a vehicle, in order to be able to drive it legally you must carry a certain amount of auto insurance. It is essential that you carry liability insurance, which protects third party drivers and covers any injuries and damages if you are in an accident that is your fault. There are also other types of auto insurance that are optional, but necessary, if you have a newer-model vehicle. The more coverage you have the better off you are. The only problem is that the more coverage you have the more money you have to spend. This is an issue that you will need to weigh both sides of in order to decide just how much coverage you want and/or need.

What Is Liability Insurance?

There are actually two parts to liability insurance: bodily injury and property damage. Without liability insurance, you can’t drive your vehicle in the state of New York. If you are caught driving without the proper insurance, you are subject to fines, time spent in jail and increased insurance rates. Let’s discuss the two parts of liability insurance.

• Property Damage – This covers any damage to property belonging to others when you are involved in an accident that is your fault. This coverage will not pay for any damages to your own vehicle or property. For this you must have comprehensive and collision coverage, which is optional and not always necessary if you own an older-model vehicle. The minimum amount of property damage coverage you are required to have in New York is $10,000, and you can always have more, which is a good idea to make sure that you don’t have any out-of-pocket expenses following an accident.
• Bodily Injury – This covers the cost of medical and other expenses incurred by someone else involved in an accident that is your fault. You must carry a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury coverage in New York per person, and $50,000 per accident. The more coverage you have, the better off you will be if you are at fault in an accident. This way if you are at fault in an accident and there are extensive injuries, you won’t have to pay for the expenses yourself.

PIP Insurance Coverage

New York is a no-fault state. This means that you need to have PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance. This is coverage that will pay for your own injuries, no matter who is at fault in an accident. Everyone in your vehicle is covered when you have PIP insurance.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Drivers in New York must also carry uninsured motorist insurance. This way, if you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, your damages will be covered. This will keep you from having to take the other driver to court, which is more of a hassle than anything else. Your insurer will take care of that in order to have their expenses covered.

How You Can Save Money on Auto Insurance

Just because you need to have auto insurance in New York, it doesn’t mean that you have to go broke paying for it. There are a number of ways that you can cut down on the cost of your insurance without having to skimp on any coverage. Some of these include:

• Good Driving Record – If you don’t have any accidents or traffic violations on your driving record, many insurers will offer discounts.
• Driver Training Courses – Taking a driver training course is a great way to save money on your auto insurance, and you can take the courses from your local Department of Motor Vehicles.
• Young Driver Discounts – If your teens are driving, as long as they have a clean driving record and maintain a certain grade point average, you will be entitled to an auto insurance discount.
• Low-Risk Driving – If you have low mileage or take advantage of pay-as-you-drive programs, you can save money on your insurance rates.
• Safety Feature Discounts – If you purchase a newer-model vehicle, make sure that you get all of the added safety features. While this may cost you more, you will save money in the long run with lower insurance rates.
• Multi-Policy Discounts – Bundling your auto, home and life insurance into one policy will help you save money.
• Military Discounts – If you are a member of the military or a veteran, many insurance companies will offer discounts.
• Homeowner Discounts – Owning your own home may entitle you to savings on your auto insurance. You can also get discounts if you are married and if you have good credit.

To learn if you are eligible for any of these discounts, you will have to provide certain pieces of information when you are requesting insurance quotes. This may include your age, zip code, the make and model of your vehicle and your driving record. The insurer will look at your information and decide how much of an insurance risk you are and offer discounts based on the facts. Make sure that you shop around and get quotes from many different insurance companies. The first policy you are offered may not necessarily be the best, and if you don’t shop around you may never know if you are paying too much for your auto insurance in New York. Go online today and start requesting your free insurance quotes.