I get where you’re coming from—those little premium hikes after “forgiveness” can feel sneaky. But honestly, I’d rather pay a bit extra for that cushion, especially with kids learning to drive. It’s not perfect, but it’s one less thing to stress over.
Honestly, I’m still on the fence about accident forgiveness, especially here in Ohio where rates already feel high. Here’s how I’m looking at it:
- The extra monthly cost adds up, and I’m trying to keep my budget tight.
- I’ve never had an accident (knock on wood), so paying more “just in case” feels weird.
- But, I get the peace of mind thing—my cousin’s rates shot up after a fender bender, and she wishes she’d had it.
- For families with teen drivers, I can see why it’s tempting. One mistake and your premium jumps for years.
- For me, I’m leaning toward skipping it for now and just driving extra careful. If my situation changes (like adding a new driver), I might rethink it.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. Just depends how much risk you’re willing to take on, and how much wiggle room you’ve got in your budget.
I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve seen too many people get burned by skipping accident forgiveness. I used to think the same way—why pay extra for something I might never use? Then my neighbor, who’s been driving longer than I have, got rear-ended at a stoplight. Insurance said it was 50/50 fault (don’t even get me started on that mess), and his rates went up for three years. He’s still grumbling about it every time we talk cars.
Thing is, you can be the safest driver on the road and still get caught up in someone else’s mistake. Ohio drivers aren’t exactly known for their patience, either. I had a deer jump out in front of me last winter—total fluke, but it counted as an at-fault accident on my record. My premium shot up, and I kicked myself for not adding forgiveness when my agent suggested it.
I get that budgets are tight. But sometimes that extra $5-10 a month is a lot cheaper than the hundreds you’ll pay if something goes sideways. Especially if you drive a lot, or park in busy lots where fender benders happen all the time. I’m not saying it’s for everyone, but I wouldn’t write it off just because you’ve had a clean record so far. Stuff happens, and insurance companies aren’t exactly forgiving when it does.
Just my two cents. Sometimes “driving extra careful” isn’t enough when the world’s full of wild cards.
My premium shot up, and I kicked myself for not adding forgiveness when my agent suggested it.
That’s wild about the deer—never thought something like that would count as your fault. I get what you’re saying about “sometimes ‘driving extra careful’ isn’t enough when the world’s full of wild cards.” Makes me wonder, though: has anyone actually had accident forgiveness pay off for them in Ohio, or do insurers find a way around it? I always worry there’s some fine print that bites you anyway.
Makes me wonder, though: has anyone actually had accident forgiveness pay off for them in Ohio, or do insurers find a way around it? I always worry there’s some fine print that bites you anyway.
I’ve wondered the same thing, honestly. I know a guy in our local car club who swears accident forgiveness saved him a bundle after a fender bender, but he’s with a smaller insurer—not one of the big names. I’ve heard some companies only let you use it once every few years, and it doesn’t always cover animal collisions. The fine print can get pretty wild... almost as wild as the deer, apparently. Anyone else feel like these policies are written by lawyers who’ve never actually driven in Ohio?
