I totally get where you're coming from on this. A couple years back, my wife had a fender-bender—nothing major, just a small scrape in the parking lot—but our rates shot up like we'd totaled the car or something. We did the whole "call every insurer under the sun" routine too, and honestly, it felt like throwing darts blindfolded. Some companies barely blinked at the incident, others treated us like we were stunt drivers or something.
Eventually we found something somewhat reasonable, but it was more about timing and sheer luck than anything else. It's frustrating because you'd think they'd have clearer guidelines or consistency, right? But nope, seems like each company flips their own coin.
Hang in there though... sometimes just waiting it out helps. After a year or two without incidents, things can ease up a bit. Not ideal, I know, but at least there's some hope down the road.
I hear you, but honestly, waiting it out isn't always the best move. When my brother got labeled high-risk, he skipped the whole "sit tight" approach and went straight to a local insurance broker. Brokers usually have access to smaller, regional insurers who don't advertise much but offer better deals for tricky cases. It took him maybe a week tops, and he ended up saving quite a bit. Might be worth checking out before you settle for just riding it out...
Totally agree about brokers, but also don't overlook defensive driving courses. My cousin did one after being labeled high-risk, and it knocked a decent chunk off his premium. Might be worth combining both approaches to max out your savings...
Defensive driving courses can definitely help, but they're not always a magic bullet. I had a client once who took the course after being labeled high-risk, and while it did lower his premium somewhat, the real savings came from shopping around and comparing multiple insurers. Hawaii's market can be tricky—some companies are way more forgiving than others. Combining strategies is smart, but make sure you're thorough in checking out different providers too... sometimes that's where the biggest difference lies.
Defensive driving courses are helpful, but honestly, I've found that maintaining a clean driving record over time makes the biggest difference. Insurers seem to value consistency more than a one-time course... especially here in Hawaii where options can feel limited.
