I'm new to the whole insurance thing myself and totally relate to the deductible dilemma. I thought going high would save me money, but then a deer jumped outta nowhere last month...ouch. Thankfully, my insurer did offer windshield-specific coverage (which I didn't even know was a thing until recently). Also, seconding the defensive driving course tip—just finished mine online and got a decent discount. Worth the couple hours, honestly.
Totally feel your pain with the deer situation—been there myself, unfortunately. Another thing worth checking out if you're commuting a lot is usage-based insurance. Basically, you plug a little device into your car or use a phone app, and it tracks your driving habits. If you're generally careful, you can snag some solid discounts. I was skeptical at first, but after a few months, my rate dropped noticeably...might be worth exploring if you're already doing the defensive driving thing.
I've thought about that usage-based stuff too, but honestly...does anyone know how those trackers handle older cars? I mean, my daily driver is from the early 80s—no OBD port or fancy electronics here. Do they even offer an alternative setup for vintage rides, or am I stuck paying full price? Would love a discount, but not if I've gotta swap my carburetor for Bluetooth, haha.
I ran into the same issue with my old Jag—no OBD port either. Turns out some insurers offer a smartphone-based app instead of the plug-in tracker. You just keep your phone with you while driving...worked pretty well for me, no carb-swapping required, haha.
Had a similar experience with my dad's old pickup—no OBD port, just a mess of wires under the dash. Tried one of those phone apps for insurance tracking, and honestly, it was hit or miss. Sometimes it'd log trips when I wasn't even driving (like riding shotgun with friends), and other times it'd miss entire drives. Maybe they've improved since then, but I'd double-check reviews before fully trusting it for discounts...