The words “economical” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, in particular when you are searching for the best car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Let’s introduce you to some of the things that determine insurance prices, and come up with some ideas to take a little off the next policy you buy.
The vehicle model that needs insurance is one of the largest considerations when looking for affordable insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor passenger safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost more to insure than safer models. The table below showcases coverage prices for a number of the cheapest vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $4,633 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $4,833 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,990 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $5,137 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $5,234 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $5,463 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $5,486 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Crew Cab 2WD | $5,494 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $5,486 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $5,599 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,648 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $5,656 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $5,664 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $5,790 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $5,795 |
| Ford F-350 Super Cab Cabela Package 2WD | $5,841 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $5,918 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $5,923 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Regular Cab | $5,967 |
| Nissan Altima 3.5 SR 4-Dr Sedan | $5,975 |
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Premium data assumes single male driver age 40, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in specific zip code location which can raise or lower premiums considerably.
Based upon the table data, we can expect vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius are the most economical vehicles to insure for bad drivers. Rates will trend higher because there is a higher risk for drivers with a bad driving record, but generally speaking those vehicles will most likely have the best rates compared to other vehicles.
Deciding which company offers the best auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will require a tad more effort than just picking a company at random. Every auto insurer has a different process for setting prices, so we will examine the auto insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Toledo, OH.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Toledo, OH auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the cost of having a policy. Turning one year older, buying a home, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger price changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than competitors.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Imperfect Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $628 |
| 2 | Allied | $669 |
| 3 | Erie | $681 |
| 4 | Frankenmuth | $701 |
| 5 | USAA | $711 |
| 6 | Travelers | $726 |
| 7 | Merchants Insurance Group | $778 |
| 8 | Cincinnati Insurance | $779 |
| 9 | Motorists Mutual | $800 |
| 10 | Grange Mutual | $804 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $805 |
| 12 | Central Mutual | $848 |
| 13 | Hastings Mutual | $866 |
| 14 | State Farm | $867 |
| 15 | Westfield | $908 |
| 16 | Atlantic States | $931 |
| 17 | Progressive | $962 |
| 18 | Auto-Owners | $968 |
| 19 | Western Reserve | $970 |
| 20 | Nationwide | $988 |
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Utica National may have some of the best car insurance rates in Toledo at around $628 per year. This is $412 less than the average policy premium paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Allied, Erie, Frankenmuth, and USAA would also make the list of some of the best Toledo, OH insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a policyholder with Frankenmuth and switched to Utica National, you might see yearly savings of roughly $73. Ohio drivers with USAA might save as much as $83 a year, and Travelers policyholders might cut rates by $98 a year.
Be aware that those premium estimates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the insurer that can offer you the best price may not even be in the top 33 companies shown above. That’s why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own personal information and vehicle type.
For bad drivers, one of the largest factors that are used to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live in Toledo. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends likely pay more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims benefit from lower rates.
The following table lists the most expensive cities in Ohio for drivers with a bad driving record in which to buy car insurance. Toledo is listed at #2 with an annual cost of $1,241 for the average insurance policy, which is about $103 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown | $1,247 |
| 2 | Toledo | $1,241 |
| 3 | Cincinnati | $1,222 |
| 4 | Cleveland | $1,222 |
| 5 | Columbus | $1,211 |
| 6 | Cleveland Heights | $1,202 |
| 7 | Euclid | $1,164 |
| 8 | Dayton | $1,142 |
| 9 | Akron | $1,123 |
| 10 | Hamilton | $1,113 |
| 11 | Fairfield | $1,085 |
| 12 | Newark | $1,085 |
| 13 | Springfield | $1,072 |
| 14 | Lakewood | $1,063 |
| 15 | Canton | $1,058 |
| 16 | Parma | $1,037 |
| 17 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,037 |
| 18 | Middletown | $1,024 |
| 19 | Beavercreek | $1,016 |
| 20 | Lorain | $1,015 |
| 21 | Kettering | $1,009 |
| 22 | Strongsville | $1,001 |
| 23 | Mansfield | $992 |
| 24 | Mentor | $978 |
| 25 | Elyria | $975 |
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Premium costs are approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can raise or lower coverage prices significantly.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
One of the best ways to earn the cheapest auto insurance premiums for bad drivers is to be an attentive driver and maintain a clean driving record. The diagram below shows how violations and at-fault fender-benders drive up insurance premiums for different age groups. The data assumes a married male driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The data charted above shows the average cost of a car insurance policy in Toledo per year with no violations or accidents is $1,028. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost swells to $1,414, an increase of $386 each year. Now throw in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record goes up to an average of $1,799. That’s an increase of $771, or $64 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
Discounts on Toledo auto insurance rates
Car insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for drivers with a bad driving record may have special discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% or more if you qualify for them. A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple policy, multiple autos, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, and anti-theft.
- American Family has savings for multi-vehicle, good driver, early bird, Steer into Savings, and bundled insurance.
- GEICO offers discounts including multi-policy, air bags, emergency military deployment, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, seat belt use, and good student.
- 21st Century offers premium reductions for teen driver, driver training, homeowners, automatic seat belts, defensive driver, early bird, and air bags.
- Progressive may offer discounts for continuous coverage, online quote discount, multi-policy, online signing, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and good student.
The example below shows the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The price estimates are based on a male driver, two violations and two accidents, Ohio state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, continuous coverage, multiple vehicle, paid-in-full, vehicle safety, and paperless filing discounts applied. When discounts are applied, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is 29% or $1,247.
Finding the top car insurance provider can be challenging considering how many different insurance companies sell coverage in Ohio. The information shown next could help you pick which insurers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes. The ratings below are for the largest companies in America, so companies that only write business in Ohio or surrounding areas are not included in these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Titan Insurance | 89 | 91 | 83 | 86% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Allstate | 90 | 90 | 84 | 85% | A+ | 89.1 |
| Progressive | 83 | 85 | 99 | 87% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
| The Hartford | 87 | 89 | 84 | 87% | A+ | 88 |
| Esurance | 84 | 88 | 85 | 83% | A+ | 86 |
| Farmers Insurance | 79 | 88 | 84 | 87% | A | 84.7 |
| The General | 88 | 80 | 85 | 80% | A- | 84.5 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Don’t make the mistake of not shopping around
Toledo, OH auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially change the policy price. Improving your credit score, having a teen driver, or getting into an accident can trigger changes in premium that can cause some rates to be more affordable than before.
Not only may your risk profile change, but insurers file new Ohio car insurance rates as often as every three months as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Larger than normal claims may cause higher priced premiums, while long-term profits can cause more affordable Toledo car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the graph below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Toledo, OH for a 30-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and a high credit rating. If we look at prices based on his current risk factors, Utica National offers the most affordable car insurance rates in Toledo at $832 annually. This is $208 less than the average price paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Frankenmuth, Erie, Allied, and Travelers also make the list of the top five cheapest Toledo, OH auto insurance companies.
In this example, we will give the driver from the first example a claim, less-than-perfect credit, and a speeding ticket. Due to the fact that each insurance company has a different formula to determining premium rates, analyzing rates may result in a different ranking of the cheapest Toledo car insurance companies as shown below.
Merchants Insurance Group now has the best car insurance rate in Toledo, OH with Cincinnati Insurance, General Casualty, Motorists Mutual, and Grange Mutual now rounding out the top five. This illustrates why it is so important to compare rates to find the most affordable insurance quotes for drivers with a bad driving record. Auto insurance prices are impacted by many things and can increase or decrease at any time, so the cheapest option two years ago may now be costing you a lot of money.