Demographics. Statistically, male drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents than female drivers, so their insurance rates tend to be higher. Likewise, younger and less experienced drivers tend to be more accident-prone, so they pay more for car insurance. Married people are less likely to be involved in accidents, and so they generally pay less for insurance. These and other demographic factors heavily influence premiums.

Vehicle. Certain cars are more likely to be involved in accidents. Insurance companies compute premiums based in part on each model’s accident history; that is, the number of accidents involving each model of car. It is very important to consider the cost of insurance when buying a new car. Certain optional safety features can also influence the cost of premiums.

Driving Record.Insurance companies charge known unsafe drivers more than safe drivers. Every ticket and every accident results in increased insurance premiums for the driver. Conversely, many insurers offer safe driver discounts, lowering premiums for drivers who stay out of accidents for a certain length of time.

Deductible. A deductible is the amount of money the customer is responsible for on a claim; the insurance company pays the rest. Most insurance policies come with a standard $500 deductible. Some drivers opt for a higher deductible in order to lower their monthly premiums. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium.

Location and Mileage. Drivers who live in particularly dangerous areas pay more for insurance than drivers who live in areas where there are fewer accidents. Likewise, drivers who drive less than a predetermined number of miles may qualify for discounts. The less time someone spends on the road, the less chance of an accident.

In the United States, it is required by law to carry auto insurance. Drivers who drive without the minimum required amount of insurance could face penalties such as fines, losing their driver’s license and/or vehicle plates, and may also be prohibited from registering a vehicle or renewing a suspended registration. State minimum liability limits differ from state to state. All drivers in Maryland are required to carry the minimum underinsured motorist and personal injury protection liability limits.

MAIF was designed to help motorists who cannot obtain insurance in the private insurance market. It is an independent agency and reports directly to the governor while complying with the state legislature. However, because it is an independent agency, all funds are collected from the insurance premiums and the agency is not entitled to state funding. Therefore, any unpaid debts are not considered to be those of the state of Maryland.

Persons eligible for MAIF insurance are residents of Maryland who are unable to obtain private insurance, and who have a valid Maryland driver’s license or Maryland registration. Individuals who have had too many traffic violations, DUI convictions, or accidents may find it extremely difficult to purchase an auto insurance policy from private insurance companies. MAIF is a low cost alternative to help these drivers obtain liability insurance.

MAIF has several agencies throughout the state of Maryland who can help drivers with a less than perfect driving record obtain liability insurance at a low cost. It is a convenient alternative for drivers who have had their insurance coverage cancelled, or who have been turned down by two or more insurance companies.

Maryland’s approach is somewhat different from that of most other states, which handle uninsurable motorists through the use of a designated pool of drivers who are then randomly assigned (at higher rates) to an insurance carrier doing business in that particular state. In this way, insurance companies in other states can still find themselves required to insure drivers they originally declined coverage for.

In general, MAIF is a self-financing entity which depends on its rate structure for revenue, much like any other insurance company. MAIF does possess the ability to cover any annual operating deficit through an assessment upon the policyholders of all other automobile insurance companies in Maryland, but this assessment has been used rarely and has never exceeded a sum of five dollars per policy assessed.

One significant difference between MAIF and ordinary auto insurance policies is that MAIF cannot be sold on an installment plan. Its policyholders must either pay in full upfront or else make use of a third-party policy premium finance company. More than 1500 private insurance agents are authorized to sell MAIF policies, making it widely available to all qualified Maryland residents no matter in what part of the state they reside.

You can go to the MVA’s website at www.mva.maryland.gov and add your three emergency contacts in just a few minutes.   You will need your Driver’s License Number to complete this process.

1.      Go to the website:  www.mva.maryland.gov
2.      Go to “On-line Transactions” (upper left) & click on “More”
3.      Click on “Emergency Contacts” (bottom of left column)
4.      Follow prompts

Another note… Beginning January 1st, 2012, the MVA will no longer be sending out Driver’s License renewal notices.   It’s your responsibility to keep track of when it’s due for renewal.  And be careful, if you miss your renewal date for over a year, you will have to take a driver’s test again!  Driving without a “valid” Driver’s License is considered a MAJOR VIOLATION & could affect your insurance premium.

FYI…. Your Driver’s License renews on your birth date every 5 years!!!   Check your driver’s license….Is it time to renew??

Be a Good Neighbor & pass this valuable information along to family, friends & colleagues on your email list.

“The customer Service is beyond excellent. I know whatever I need, they can provide.”

“Roadway has great rates and service. I’m glad to be a long-term customer.”

Maryland has strict laws in place that require drivers to purchase bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage that meets the state’s minimum requirements. As of January 1, 2011, the minimum bodily injury liability requirements are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per occurence, plus $15,000 for property damage. Drivers who have been found to drive without liability coverage are subject to receive several penalties and fines. Drivers need to protect themselves by purchasing and maintaining liability coverage.

MAIF insurance is designed to assist drivers who need liability insurance and have been declined coverage by private insurance companies due to past offenses on their driving record. These drivers may have been declined for reasons such as a DUI or DWI conviction, poor driving record, or having been found at fault in a collision without being able to provide liability coverage for the damages incurred.

MAIF insurance may also be needed in order to obtain an FR-19. The FR-19, short for the Maryland Insurance Certificate, is needed when drivers want to register or renew a vehicle registration. The purpose of the FR-19 is to certify that the owner will maintain the minimum vehicle liability insurance as long as the vehicle is registered.

Drivers who are interested in being insured by MAIF must be a resident of the state of Maryland and have a valid Maryland driver’s license or Maryland registration. Drivers must also have been denied insurance by at least two private insurance companies. MAIF insurance is also available to those who have had their policy cancelled by their insurance company for reasons that are not associated with nonpayment.

The next thing companies consider is financial responsibility. Where do you stand with your insurance company? Do your make your payments on time? How is your credit score? When your good standing with the insurance company is brought into question, and/or your credit score is in worse condition than you might prefer, you may find that this is one of the major culprits for your rate increase.

The third and final consideration is automobile history. If your car has a lot of problems with it, often necessitating repair, that can be a problem; not only does your wallet take a beating, but it can convince an auto insurance company to raise your premiums. This is especially true if you’ve been in a lot of accidents. Negative write-offs like these can really damage your vehicle report.

Much of the time, the reason reckless drivers often have to pay more is based on two things: accidents and traffic tickets. The bigger risk you have of filing a claim on your policy, the more your auto insurance company will deliberate on your rates. When you get into accidents and receive traffic violations, this risk increases. The insurance company always loses money when you file a claim. The reasoning is simple in that they must confirm you’re paying for a rate that won’t give them a loss in revenue. They’re running a business after all, so they will make certain that you’re covered as an unsafe driver as long as high risk on your end is posed to them.

There are certain, proven ways to best choose a car insurance company. One of the safest and strongest car insurance companies anyone could possibly ever use can be found at www.roadwayauto.com/. Roadway Insurance has several advantages and benefits over many other companies.

Quotes and Rates

This company will provide you with free rate quotes either online, by telephone, or in person at one of their convenient offices. Free quotes are a strong indicator that the car insurance company you’re considering truly knows how to best serve its potential customers. Roadway has been giving free quotes to all of its prospective insurance customers for years with great success.

Secure, Complete Coverage

Another way to choose a car insurance company is to feel comfortable that they have the strong financial resources to be able to provide you with fully secure and comprehensive coverage and that they will be capable of quickly and gladly paying out and covering all claims you may have. Roadway is definitely such a company.

Insurance for Everyone

It’s essential that the car insurance company you select is willing and capable to give coverage and policies to any driver, even those with bad driving records. Roadway is certainly one of these companies. Serving the Maryland and DC areas for years, they have among the widest varieties of policies available compared to other car insurance companies.

Professional Level of Service

Another very intelligent way to choose a car insurance company such as Roadway is to judge the professionalism of their customer service staff. The more professional the better. Locally owned, Roadway is extremely courteous, helpful, knowledgeable, and their main business goal is to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction and service that any car insurance company can possibly provide. They’ll also help you understand and interpret any aspect of your policy and co

An individual wanting to be insured by MAIF must meet certain criteria and prove their eligibility. An applicant should be a resident of the state of Maryland or an active duty member of any branch of the armed forces of the United States. An applicant can be an employee of the United States Public Health Service or a student enrolled in an accredited school, college, or university. If an individual is serving a medical internship, they are also eligible to apply.

Applicants are also required to have a Maryland driver’s license which can be a problem if you are trying to get insurance in order to obtain a license. A person must have insurance to obtain a Maryland driver’s license and must have a license to apply for MAIF. This situation will arise if a license from a previous state expired before a license was obtained in Maryland. Fortunately, an insurance agent can help applicants work through this dilemma. The other requirement before a person can apply for MAIF is that an individual must have been turned down for automobile insurance coverage by two companies for a reason other than non-payment.

MAIF is available to any driver whose insurance company cancelled their policy. The cancellation might have been due to excessive accidents, DUIs or as a result of excess points on their driving record. Insurance companies will quite often ask parents to remove teenagers from their policy as a result of the teen’s driving records. Insurance agents will recommend MAIF for the teens in order to keep the teens insured and the parents as a happy customer. MAIF will not insure motorcycles or scooters. MAIF insurance is available from most insurance agents.

Maryland requires $30,000 bodily injury per person, $60,000 bodily injury injury for two or more people, and $15,000 property damage. Washington DC requires $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury for two or more people, and $10,000 property damage. Liability insurance covers property and physical damage caused by the motorcycle and driver. Comprehensive coverage includes damage to another person or vehicle and the motorcyclist, his or her motorcycle, and any passengers. Bikers caught driving without insurance coverage risk receiving a traffic ticket and paying fines and court costs as well as jail time, suspended license and registration, and an impounded bike.

Theft and vandalism are also covered whether they occur at home or away. Other features include reimbursement for damages caused by riots or war and natural catastrophes such as storms, hail, floods, strong winds, earthquakes, and sink holes. Even running into wildlife like cows, deers, and moose can be included. Accessories such as a helmet, eye wear, gloves, saddle bags, and back rest can be stolen since motorcycles cannot be locked up like a vehicle. These items can also be covered on a motorcycle policy.

Policies are often more affordable than vehicle insurance and provide immediate coverage. Discounts are often given for safe driver, proof of completion of a motorcycle safety course, and if the bike is kept in a secured garage.

Even if bikers only ride on the weekends or once a month, it is important to possess motorcycle insurance. Motorcycles can be expensive and should last for years. It is only right to cover this costly expense in the event of theft, vandalism, or damage occurring to the machine itself. This policy also covers any physical damage to the rider or anyone else involved. This coverage looks out for the future interests of the rider, their finances, and their well being.