I've noticed the same thing about driving records. A few years back, I moved from Tupelo to Hattiesburg and expected a big drop in my rates, but nope... barely budged. Then I got a speeding ticket (my first in ages) and bam, premiums shot up noticeably. Makes me wonder if insurers weigh driving history more heavily than zip codes overall? Either way, I'm definitely more cautious now—lesson learned the hard way, haha.
Driving record definitely seems to weigh heavier in my experience. I've moved around Mississippi a fair bit, and location adjustments were pretty minor each time... but one accident a few years ago? My rates skyrocketed and stayed high for ages. Insurers really don't forget easily, unfortunately.
"Driving record definitely seems to weigh heavier in my experience."
True, driving history has a big impact, but I wouldn't underestimate location either. When we moved from downtown Jackson to a quieter suburb, our premiums dropped noticeably—even though our driving records hadn't changed at all. Sure, one accident can spike your rates, but insurers also factor in things like theft rates and local traffic density. It's probably a balance of both, and location might matter more than you think...
"Sure, one accident can spike your rates, but insurers also factor in things like theft rates and local traffic density."
Couldn't agree more. When I moved from Ridgeland out toward Madison, my insurance actually went up a bit, even though I'd never had a ticket or accident. Turns out the insurer considered my new neighborhood higher risk (maybe more luxury cars around?), despite it feeling safer to me. So yeah, driving record matters a lot, but location can throw you some curveballs you wouldn't expect...
I feel ya on the neighborhood surprise. My driving record is, well... let's just say colorful. I expected my rates to shoot up after my last speeding ticket, and they did. But weirdly enough, when I moved from Jackson to a quieter spot near Clinton, my premiums dropped noticeably. Guess insurers figured fewer cars around meant fewer opportunities for me to mess up, haha. So yeah,
is spot-on—though in my case, they're usually fastballs aimed right at my wallet."location can throw you some curveballs"
