Good points, but as someone shopping around for insurance for the first time, here's how I see it:
- Accident forgiveness seems useful if you're on a tight budget (like me) and can't afford sudden rate hikes.
- Older cars might benefit more since even small claims can spike your premiums.
- But honestly, I'm wondering if it's worth paying extra upfront for something I might never use...
- Maybe better to just drive carefully and stash that extra cash into savings instead?
You make some fair points, but from experience, accident forgiveness can sometimes pay off more than you'd think. Had a client last year—great driver, careful, never had an issue. One icy morning in Columbus, she slid into a mailbox. Small claim, but her premium would've jumped significantly without forgiveness. Sure, stashing cash sounds smart, but accidents aren't always about careful driving—sometimes they're just bad luck or Ohio weather. It's like insurance within insurance...you hope you never need it, but if you do, you're glad it's there.
That's a really good example you shared. I used to think accident forgiveness was just another upsell, honestly, until my brother had a similar experience. He's always been the careful one in our family—never speeds, checks his mirrors religiously, the kind of guy who actually reads the manual cover-to-cover when he buys a car. Last winter, though, he hit some black ice near Dayton and slid right into a parked car. It wasn't major damage, but enough that going through insurance made sense. Without accident forgiveness, his premiums would have jumped quite a bit, even though it was his first claim in like ten years.
It got me thinking...maybe it's less about your driving skills and more about protecting yourself from those random moments you just can't control? I mean, Ohio winters are no joke. It's almost like you're paying to avoid getting penalized for bad luck rather than bad driving. Seems weird at first, but I can see why people choose it now.
"It's almost like you're paying to avoid getting penalized for bad luck rather than bad driving."
Yeah, that's exactly it. I used to think it was kind of a rip-off too, but after a few sketchy winter drives through Ohio myself, I totally see your point. No matter how careful you are, sometimes the road just has other plans. Couple years back, I was driving back from Columbus after a concert—roads were clear, weather seemed fine—and then bam, hit this random patch of ice outta nowhere. Luckily, I didn't hit anything, but it definitely shook me up enough to reconsider stuff like accident forgiveness.
Honestly, it's easy to dismiss until you're in that situation yourself or hear about someone reliable like your brother having issues. Kinda sucks that we have to pay extra just to avoid getting penalized for something totally random, but I guess that's insurance for ya. Glad your brother had it though, sounds like it saved him a lot of hassle and cash.
"No matter how careful you are, sometimes the road just has other plans."
Yeah, this hits home for me. I used to think accident forgiveness was just another upsell, but after a couple close calls myself, I'm reconsidering. I'm definitely budget-conscious and hate paying extra for anything—but then again, one unlucky slip-up on icy roads could spike your premiums for years. Last winter, I had a similar scare driving to Cleveland: roads were salted, weather seemed okay, then suddenly my tires lost traction on some black ice. Managed to regain control, but it was enough to make me think twice.
I guess my main hesitation is still cost-related—is the extra monthly fee really worth it if you're already paying high-risk rates? Does anyone know how much premiums typically jump after one accident in Ohio? If it's significant enough, maybe accident forgiveness is actually the practical choice...
