I see where you're coming from, and yeah, daily commuting can sharpen your reflexes a bit... but honestly, from what I've seen, more time on the road usually means more risk overall. I personally stick with a higher deductible too—just makes sense financially if you're careful. But I'd say keep enough cash aside just in case your luck runs out. Traffic jams might boost patience, but they don't do much for reaction time, trust me on that one...
"Traffic jams might boost patience, but they don't do much for reaction time, trust me on that one..."
Haha, couldn't agree more on that. My daily commute is basically a crash course in patience training, but reaction time? Nope, not so much. Mostly just a lot of sighing and staring at brake lights.
Anyway, about the deductible thing—I went back and forth on this myself when I first got insurance. Being a student driver (and broke most of the time), I figured I'd go with a higher deductible to keep my monthly payments low. It seemed like a no-brainer at first, but then I had this close call last month—some guy texting nearly sideswiped me in the parking lot. Thankfully nothing happened, but it got me thinking about how quickly things can go sideways.
So now I'm kinda torn. On one hand, saving money each month is awesome, especially since I'm careful and rarely drive far. But on the other hand, if something does happen—like a fender bender or hitting a pothole from hell—I don't exactly have hundreds of dollars lying around to cover repairs. I've been trying to stash away a little emergency fund just for that reason, but man... textbooks and gas eat up most of my cash these days.
I guess it really comes down to your personal risk tolerance and your budget. If you're the cautious type who doesn't mind squirreling away some cash for emergencies, higher deductibles make sense. But if you're like me and your savings account is pretty much non-existent (lol), maybe it's worth paying a bit more each month for some peace of mind.
Either way, I think the key is being honest with yourself about your driving habits and financial situation. Don't just pick the cheapest option without thinking it through—trust me, I've learned that lesson the hard way with other stuff before.
I totally get where you're coming from with the tight budget and emergency fund struggle. When I first started driving, I went for the lowest monthly payment possible, thinking I'd just be super careful and avoid accidents altogether. But then reality hit—literally. A deer jumped out in front of me one night, and even though I reacted fast, there was no avoiding it. Suddenly, that high deductible I'd chosen to save a few bucks each month turned into a huge headache.
After that experience, I started looking at deductibles differently. It's not just about how careful you are; it's about all the stuff you can't control—like wildlife, potholes, or distracted drivers. If you're already stretched thin financially, a lower deductible might actually save you stress (and money) in the long run. Sure, your monthly payments go up a bit, but knowing you won't have to scramble for cash if something unexpected happens can be worth it. Just my two cents from someone who's been there...
"It's not just about how careful you are; it's about all the stuff you can't control—like wildlife, potholes, or distracted drivers."
Yeah, this really hits home for me. I'm shopping around for insurance right now and initially thought a high deductible made sense—why pay more monthly if I'm cautious, right? But your deer story makes me reconsider. Guess it's easy to forget how random life can be. Thanks for sharing your experience...definitely gives me something to think about.
I used to think the same way, but after hitting a pothole and wrecking my suspension, I changed my tune real quick.
- Consider your emergency savings—can you comfortably cover a high deductible?
- Think about your daily driving environment (wildlife, road conditions, traffic).
- Balance monthly savings vs. peace of mind.
"Guess it's easy to forget how random life can be."
Exactly... randomness doesn't care how careful you are.
