Cheap 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 Insurance Rates

Are you sick and tired of scraping the payment together to insure your Dodge every month? You are no different than millions of other consumers. Companies like Allstate, Liberty Mutual and State Farm increase brand awareness with ads and it can be hard to sift through the bull and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

Consumers need to price shop coverage at least once a year because insurance coverage rates are constantly changing. Even if you think you had the best deal on Ram pickup coverage at your last renewal there is a good chance you can find better prices now. You can find a lot of information about insurance coverage online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some tested techniques to buy insurance coverage cheaper.

How to lower your car insurance cost

Getting a low cost price on 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 insurance is not a difficult process. The only thing you need to do is invest a little time getting comparison quotes to see which company has cheaper auto insurance quotes. This can be done in a couple of different ways.

One of the best ways to get quotes is to use a rate comparison form like this one (opens in new window). This form eliminates the need for a different quote for every car insurance company. A single, simple form will get you rate comparisons from multiple companies.

A less efficient way to compare rate quotes is to take the time to go to the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let’s say you want to see prices from USAA, 21st Century and American Family. You would need to spend time going to each site individually and repeatedly type in your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

To view a list of companies in your area, click here.

The approach you take is up to you, just ensure you’re using identical quote information on every price quote you get. If you have differing limits it will be nearly impossible to determine which rate is truly the best.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but there may be some discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. A few discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be manually applied before you get the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.

• Discounts for Federal Employees – Active or retired federal employment may qualify for a discount when you quote auto insurance on Ram pickup coverage depending on your car insurance provider.
• Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control prevent accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
• Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles that have factory alarm systems and tracking devices have a lower chance of being stolen and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Seat Belts Save – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle up can save 10% or more off the personal injury premium cost.
• Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same company they may give you a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.

You can save money using discounts, but some of the credits will not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, nobody gets a free ride. But any discount will bring down the cost of your policy.

A few popular companies and some of their more popular discounts can be found below.

• American Family includes discounts for defensive driver, accident-free, good driver, good student, air bags, and TimeAway discount.
• State Farm offers discounts including multiple autos, good student, multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and defensive driving training.
• 21st Century discounts include 55 and older, teen driver, early bird, homeowners, and anti-lock brakes.
• Travelers offers discounts for multi-policy, student away at school, payment discounts, multi-car, IntelliDrive, and good student.
• Geico has savings for defensive driver, emergency military deployment, air bags, daytime running lights, and seat belt use.

When getting a coverage quote, ask every company to give you their best rates. Savings might not be available to policyholders in your area. If you would like to view car insurance companies who offer online car insurance quotes, click here to view.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same insurance coverage

When choosing proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different so this has to be addressed. Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

• Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
• Is my ex-spouse still covered by my policy?
• Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
• Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
• Do I need more liability coverage?
• Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?
• Is other people’s property covered if stolen from my vehicle?
• Can my teen drive my company car?
• Is pleasure use cheaper than using my 2002 Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 to commute?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and can help protect your family.

Why you might pay inflated rates

Many different elements are considered when quoting car insurance. Some are obvious such as traffic violations, but some are not as apparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.A large part of saving on car insurance is knowing the different types of things that play a part in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that could help you find cheaper rates.

The list below includes a few of the “ingredients” used by companies to determine your premiums.

• Vehicle options that lower prices – Selecting a car model that has a built-in theft deterrent system can help lower your rates. Advanced theft deterrents such as OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms can thwart car theft.
• Discounts for married drivers – Getting married may save some money when buying car insurance. Marriage usually means you are less irresponsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Fewer miles means better rates – The more you drive every year the higher your rate. Many insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Autos that do not get driven very much get more affordable rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Verify your vehicle rating states the proper vehicle usage. An incorrectly rated Ram Pickup 3500 can cost quite a bit.
• Prices also based on gender – Over time, data shows women are more cautious behind the wheel. The data does not necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men tend to get into accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Not only that, but men also get higher numbers of serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Male drivers age 16 to 19 are most likely to cause an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
• Occupation reflects on rates – Occupations such as lawyers, architects and medical professionals usually pay the highest rates because of high stress levels and long work days. On the flip side, jobs such as scientists, engineers and performers have the lowest average rates on Ram pickup coverage.
• Get a ticket, pay higher prices – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices than bad drivers. Even a single chargable violation may cause rates to rise by as much as twenty percent. People who have careless tickets such as DUI or reckless driving may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state in order to keep their license.
• Choose high safety ratings and save – Cars with five star safety ratings cost less to insure. Highly rated vehicles have better occupant injury protection and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less which can result in lower premiums. If your Dodge Ram Pickup 3500 earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may qualify for a discount.

Don’t believe everything you hear

Consumers can’t ignore all the ads that claim the cheapest rates by Allstate and Progressive. They all try to convey promises that you can save if you just switch your policy.

It sounds good, but how can they all offer you a better deal?

Insurance providers have underwriting criteria for the driver that is profitable for them. For instance, this type of insured may need to be a married female, has few claims, and drives a vehicle with a low ISO rating. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and will probably save if they switch.

Potential customers who don’t measure up to those standards will see a more expensive rate with the end result being the customer buying from someone else. The trick companies use is to say “drivers that switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way companies can make claims like that. This emphasizes why you need to compare quotes as often as possible. Because you never know with any certainty which company will give you lower car insurance rates than your current company.

Coverages available on your insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of your insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Below you’ll find the normal coverages found on most insurance policies.

UM/UIM Coverage

This protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Dodge Ram Pickup 3500.

Due to the fact that many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Coverage for liability

Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people by causing an accident. This insurance protects YOU against claims from other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability coverage pays for things such as attorney fees, legal defense fees, pain and suffering, funeral expenses and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage

This will pay to fix damage to your Ram Pickup 3500 from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims like colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, scraping a guard rail and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills like rehabilitation expenses, dental work, EMT expenses, chiropractic care and pain medications. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like vandalism, rock chips in glass, hitting a bird and theft. The highest amount your insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Online plus local equals savings

When getting auto insurance quotes online, it’s a bad idea to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where an insured cut full coverage only to discover later that it was a big error on their part. Your goal is to get the best coverage possible at the best cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Lower-priced insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. A few companies do not offer online quoting and many times these regional insurance providers sell through local independent agents.

Additional detailed information is available at these sites:

• Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Dodge Ram in Raleigh? (RaleighCoverage.com)
• Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
• Get the Right Protection (InsureUonline.org)
• Airbag FAQ (iihs.org)
• Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)