I get your points, but honestly, I'm still a bit skeptical about accident forgiveness being worth the extra cost. As someone who's just getting into insurance, I've been shopping around a lot lately and noticed that adding accident forgiveness usually bumps up your premium right from the start. So you're basically paying upfront for something you might never even use...seems kinda counterintuitive to me.
Also, like you mentioned, it's typically limited to one accident every few years. But what if you're generally a cautious driver? Wouldn't it make more sense to just put that extra money aside as an emergency fund instead of handing it over to the insurance company? I mean, accidents do happen, sure—but statistically speaking, how often are most drivers really getting into them?
I'm not saying it's totally useless or anything—just wondering if maybe it's marketed as more valuable than it actually is. Guess I'll keep digging into the fine print and see if there's some hidden benefit I'm missing here.
I see where you're coming from. Personally, I've always just set aside some extra cash each month instead of paying for accident forgiveness. But I'm curious—does anyone know if having accident forgiveness actually impacts your rates long-term after an accident, compared to someone who didn't have it? If the rate hike difference is significant, maybe it's worth reconsidering...
"Personally, I've always just set aside some extra cash each month instead of paying for accident forgiveness."
That's exactly what I've been doing too, and honestly, it's worked out pretty well so far. But here's something else to consider—insurance companies aren't charities. They're offering accident forgiveness because, statistically, they know most people won't use it. If you do have an accident, sure, your rates might not spike immediately, but you're still flagged as higher risk behind the scenes. When renewal time rolls around or if you switch insurers later, that forgiven accident might still factor into your overall risk profile.
A few years back, my brother had accident forgiveness and thought he was golden after a minor fender-bender. His rates stayed steady at first, but when he shopped around later, other companies quoted him higher premiums because they still saw that accident on his record. So, while it might save you short-term pain, I'm not convinced it's a long-term money saver. Personally, I'd rather keep stashing away that extra cash each month—at least then it's mine to keep if nothing happens...
That's an interesting take, and you're right—insurance companies definitely aren't charities. But here's something I'm curious about: has anyone actually compared how much extra they're paying monthly for accident forgiveness versus how much their premium would jump after a single accident? I mean, if the monthly cost is minimal, maybe it's worth it just for peace of mind...or maybe not. Just wondering if anyone's crunched those numbers specifically for Ohio?
Did some quick math on this a while back (Ohio driver here):
- Accident forgiveness was adding about $8/month to my policy.
- After one minor fender-bender, my premium jumped roughly $35/month for three years. Ouch.
- Total extra cost after accident: ~$1,260 vs. $288 for forgiveness over the same period.
Honestly, I skipped it because I'm stubbornly cheap...but looking at those numbers again makes me reconsider. Guess it depends how accident-prone you feel, lol.
