I've been crunching the numbers on accident forgiveness for a while now, and honestly, it's kind of a gamble. If you're a careful driver with a solid history, paying extra every month might feel like tossing cash out the window. But then again, Ohio winters can be brutal—black ice, snowbanks, rogue deer...you name it. One slip-up and suddenly that extra cost doesn't seem so bad. Personally, I opted in after my coworker dinged his bumper and saw his rates spike. Peace of mind has its price, I guess.
I get the hesitation, but honestly, accident forgiveness is one of those things you don't appreciate until you need it. I've seen clients with spotless records slide into a mailbox (thanks, black ice...) and suddenly they're paying way more. It's basically insurance for your insurance—ironic, huh?
Yeah, totally get your point about the irony there. I've always been skeptical about accident forgiveness, but after my coworker had a minor fender-bender last winter—just a tiny slide into someone's bumper—his premiums shot up noticeably. Made me rethink things a bit. Still, I wonder if it's universally worth it or just depends on your driving habits and local weather conditions... Ohio winters aren't exactly forgiving, after all.
"Still, I wonder if it's universally worth it or just depends on your driving habits and local weather conditions... Ohio winters aren't exactly forgiving, after all."
You nailed it right there. From my experience, accident forgiveness can be a real lifesaver if you're dealing with unpredictable weather like we have here in Ohio. I've seen plenty of claims come across my desk from drivers who were super cautious but still ended up sliding into trouble because of black ice or sudden snow squalls. On the flip side, if you're someone who's rarely on the road during bad weather or you have a short commute, it might not be as beneficial.
Funny story—last winter, I handled a claim for someone who had just declined accident forgiveness a month earlier, thinking they'd never need it. Sure enough, first big snowstorm hits, and they slide right into their neighbor's mailbox. Premiums jumped, and they weren't exactly thrilled. So yeah, it's definitely situational, but given Ohio's knack for surprise snowstorms, I'd lean toward saying it's usually worth considering.
That's a good point about commute length. I drive maybe 10 mins to work, but last winter I still ended up sliding into a curb—no mailbox casualties thankfully, lol. Makes me wonder if accident forgiveness would've saved me some headaches...
