There is no doubt that car insurance can get expensive. Depending on the make and model you drive, if you’re married, your driving history and other factors – these all play a role in how much you will pay to get behind the wheel and be covered. Motorcycle insurance is especially important and typically has special factors contributing to the premium you pay. For motorcyclists on the road, it’s imperative that they take a safe driving course to ensure their safety and to watch out for others to avoid traffic accidents. Motorcyclists face the highest fatality rate of any other riders on the road. They are 35 times more likely to be an accident and most of them result infatalities.

Taking a motorcycle safety course is the first step in potentially lowering your insurance premium. Riding group member discounts as well as garage-kept discounts are also available. Calling the insurance company and seeing what kind of exclusive discounts they over can keep you saving money all season long. It doesn’t matter if your credit is bad, or if you have something on your driving record – something can be worked out to get you out on the road.

Custom motorcycles, speed bikes, low-riders, or any other type of motorcycle can be insured and on the road in no time. Enjoy the wind, the ride, and the safety of knowing that you at least have liability insurance with a great vehicle insurance company. To get the lowest rates, complete the safety course and ask an agent about discount programs that are available to you specifically. Get riding and get smiling!

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 first thing that goes into determining a person’s rates is his or her likelihood of getting into an accident. Insurance companies make their profit by collecting more from premiums than they payout for claims, so if they need to pay for a lot of repairs they will raise the rates to compensate. If you’ve been in an accident, the insurance company may raise your rates to make up for the repairs they paid for, or because you may be at a higher risk of being involved in another accident in the future. Additionally, if you have a history of traffic citations you may be considered higher risk.

Other drivers who are considered high risk include teenagers and new drivers; because they do not have a long driving history to base the rates on, insurance companies will start them with higher premiums than experienced drivers. Also, men — especially men under 25 — will usually pay slightly more for their car insurance than women. Men are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents, and twice as many men die each year in motor vehicle collisions than women.

Coverage also plays a major role. The more you expect the insurance company to pay for in the event of an accident, the higher your premiums will be. Basic liability insurance is cheaper than full coverage because in the event of an accident you will be responsible for paying the cost of your own repairs.

If you’re looking to change your insurance, you should take the time to understand what goes into your car insurance rate before you start searching for quote comparisons online. Then, once you understand your risk as a driver and the cost of your coverage, you can make an informed choice about your insurance.

There are many factors that insurance companies consider when determining what a person pays in premiums. One of the biggest factors is the amount of coverage a person chooses to carry for Bodily injury. Bodily injury is an amount that pays for damage to another person. Usually the higher the limits of liability the higher the premium amount will be. Some state actually will charge a lower premium for higher coverage’s. It is in the best interest of any motorcycle driver to check if a lower premium is available for higher coverage’s.

Another factor that goes into the rate of motorcycle insurance is a person’s driving record. A person’s driving record states how many tickets and accidents they have in the past five years. Insurance companies will surcharge a premium for anything within the past three years of drive history. When it comes to motorcycle insurance the way a person drives their personal car makes all the difference. A driving record can raise a premium hundreds of dollars by just having one ticket.

The age of the driver is another factor that goes into insurance calculations. Drivers under the age of 21 will pay higher rates than someone who is 25. Younger drivers tend to drive more aggressively which leads to more accidents and therefore the insurance companies have to pay more in claims.

On the other side of premium calculations for motorcycle insurance there are discounts that help keep the rates low. Paying the amount up front usually calls for a discount for many companies. A future effective date has been known to lower premiums as well as having all insurance policies with the same carrier. This kind of discount is called a multi-policy discount.

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

 Full coverage insurance is what everyone needs to have. It covers everything. Have an accident that isn’t your fault and the motorist that caused it isn’t covered. You will be covered. If you are leasing or there is a lean on your car you are required to carry full coverage insurance.

Due to the bad economy, when acquiring insurance quotes you should make sure the policy covers un-insured motorist. People currently are having a hard time making ends meet and it seems like insurance is one thing that they will let lapse. Though states now are requiring insurance companies to turn in anyone that lets insurance lapse, there are still people out there that are getting away with it. If you are in an accident involving someone that does not have insurance the cost to you can be outrageous. Not only will your own insurance rate go up, but you will also have the expense of fixing your car. That is where un-insured motorist insurance comes in. It will cover the majority of the costs.

If you can’t afford the full coverage insurance, a good insurance to take out is the comprehensive liability. This policy not only covers the basic insurance needs but it covers theft, fire and vandalism. You never know when someone will decide to take your car for a joy ride without your permission or when the neighborhood kid will get mad at his/her parents and take it out on your car. This policy will also cover glass breakage. Ever been traveling down the road and suddenly you hear a “ping” from a gravel? That gravel could cause a hairline crack that eventually will cause a large crack in your window. That crack is covered. So besides being a law, it is just smart to have insurance. Always expect the unexpected. Protect your car.

Driving Record

Traffic violation history as stated on a person’s driving record may compel an insurance company to cancel a policy holder’s account. Excessive violations indicate that the driver may not operate a vehicle safely or may not possess the appropriate skills to safely operate a vehicle, thus making him or her a financial liability.

Accident History

As with a poor driving record, a history of multiple vehicle accidents may send a signal to the insurance company that the policy holder is not a safe driver and may be a financial liability.

Failure to Pay Premiums

Like any other business that provides goods or services on credit, insurance companies typically do not tolerate late or missed payments for very long. Frequent delinquent or missed payments could result in an insurance company canceling a policy holder’s insurance coverage.

For people that are in the position of not being able to be insured by a private insurance company for any of the above reasons, MAIF can provide the appropriate amount of coverage to ensure compliance to Maryland auto insurance laws and regulations. The eligibility requirements are current state residency and possession of a Maryland driver’s license or vehicle registration.

There are a number of factors that go into a standard motorcycle insurance quote, including the age and experience of the rider, the type of motorcycle being insured, and even the rider’s address. Insurance companies try to accurately assess the possibility of an insurance claim, so anything that could realistically change a rider’s safety or the chances of motorcycle theft will be considered.

This means that if a rider’s address is in a high crime area, for instance, the cost of comprehensive coverage will be high, since the chances of a large comprehensive claim due to motorcycle theft would also be relatively high. Inexperienced riders may pay more for their personal injury protection and liability coverages. Riders who have expensive bikes may pay more for comprehensive and collision coverage, as claims in this area would be relatively large. A history of claims and traffic tickets will also raise rates.

The law in the rider’s state can also make a difference. Some states follow a no fault system of insurance, in which motorcyclists pay for their own damages in an accident, regardless of who caused the accident. These states tend to have lower than average motorcycle insurance rates because there are fewer court cases and fewer legal fees for insurance providers. States also have slightly different insurance requirements, which can certainly affect the cost of coverage.

The coverage limits and deductibles of a motorcycle insurance policy are also big factors in the final price of a policy. Riders should try to pick policies that provide sufficient coverage with deductibles that would be affordable in an accident. Excessive coverage can mean higher premiums.

Insurance companies use all of these factors to decide quotes, and by understanding their insurance risks, riders can keep their rates at an affordable level while ensuring a useful and protective motorcycle insurance policy. For a low motorcycle insurance quote, riders should visit http://roadwayauto.com to start saving on monthly motorcycle insurance premiums.