Got a letter from my insurance company yesterday, and apparently I'm now considered a "high-risk" driver. Um, okay? I mean, yeah, I've had a couple speeding tickets over the past few years and one minor fender-bender (totally not my fault, btw), but nothing crazy serious. Now they're saying I need special coverage or something, and of course, it's gonna cost me way more money.
Honestly, I didn't even know this was a thing until now. Feels like they're just looking for an excuse to jack up my rates. Has anyone else been hit with this kind of surprise before? Curious if this is normal or if my insurance is just being extra picky...
Yeah, insurance companies can be pretty quick to slap that "high-risk" label on people. Happened to me a few years back after just one accident (also not my fault, btw). Felt totally unfair at the time, but after a year or two without incidents, my rates started dropping again. Hang in there...it sucks now, but it usually isn't permanent. Just drive safe and it'll sort itself out eventually.
Had something similar happen a while back—got labeled high-risk after a minor fender-bender in heavy traffic. Wasn't even speeding or anything, just bad luck and timing. Anyway, here's what helped me out: first, I shopped around for quotes every six months or so. Different companies have different criteria, and sometimes switching can save you a decent chunk of change. Second, I took one of those defensive driving courses online. Yeah, it was a bit tedious, but it knocked some points off my record and lowered my premium slightly. Lastly, I made sure to keep track of when the accident would drop off my record (usually 3-5 years depending on your state). Once it did, my rates went back to normal pretty quickly.
Curious though, has anyone else tried the defensive driving course route? Did it help much with your insurance rates or was it mostly just useful for clearing points?
