Understanding North Carolina Personal Auto Insurance

An auto insurance policy consists of six types of damage coverage:

Bodily injury liability: Covers your legal fees, court costs and compensation due to bodily injury claims brought against you.
Medical payments: Covers the medical expenses for injuries sustained by you, resident relatives and other people in your auto as the result of an accident. (Auto insurance coverage varies by state.)

Property damage liability: Covers your legal liability for property damage claims brought against you.

Collision: Coverage that pays for damage to your auto and its equipment caused by collision or upset.

Comprehensive: Coverage that pays for damage to your auto and its equipment not caused by collision or upset. This includes, but is not limited to damage from fire, theft, glass breakage, vandalism and damage that results from contact with persons, animals, birds or falling objects.

Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage: Provides coverage when you are injured in an accident caused by another person who either has no auto insurance or who has lower insurance limits than you carry and which are insufficient to cover your damages. Some states require that this coverage also include property damage.

Below is list of discounts that you may qualify for:
• Safe Car Driver (no accidents or tickets)
• Multi-Car Discount
• Age 55 or Over
• Passive Restraints
• Anti-Theft Car Devices Discount
• Auto Anti-Lock Brakes
• Home-Auto Multi-Policy Discount
• Payment Plan Discount (pay in full discount)
• Advance Quote Discount
• Auto Accident Prevention Course
• Good Student Car Discount
• Driver Training
• Reduced Car Usage Discount

NC Among Deadliest for Teenage Drivers

For Trey Ward, there’s no room for argument. The No. 1 rule when you get into his 1997 Chrysler: “No seat belt, no ride.”
Nationwide, North Carolina ranks fifth in fatal car accidents involving young occupants (16 or older), according to a new study released Monday by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. The study shows that young drivers and passengers around the country are more apt to not buckle up at night–males more that females. Two-thirds who died in accidents did not heed “click-it” pleas from parents and authorities.
In the 16-20 age group, 68 percent who died in car crashes at night in 2006 were unbuckled. In NC, of the 525 young people killed in nighttime accidents in 2006, 61 percent didn’t use selt belts. In all, 1,116 young NC people died in day and nighttime crashes that year. More than half weren’t buckled.
Another recent study by Allstate shows that Charlotte’s teen fatal crashes ranks ninth among the top 50 US metro areas. Speeding and not buckling up contributed to 80 percent of Charlotte’s teen driving deaths, the study showed.

Cell Phones and Teen Drivers: A Dangerous Combination?

A new traffic study suggests NC teenagers have not paid much attention to state law that bans cell phone use by drivers under 18. The law went into effect in Dec. 2006.

A study was conducted by the UNC center and the Institute for Highway Safety. Researchers parked outside of 25 high schools discovered over 11% of teens were talking on cell phones while driving away from school.

Another study found 64% of teens were aware of the law forbidding cell phone use but only 39% of parents were aware of the ban.

Experts liken the use of cell phone while driving to have the same effects as being under the influence of alcohol.