I've crunched the numbers myself, and honestly, accident forgiveness rarely pencils out—especially here in Ohio. The premiums add up faster than you'd think, and most minor incidents won't even reach your deductible. Plus, insurers can still raise your rates for other reasons...so it's not exactly a free pass. Personally, I'd rather stash that extra cash into an emergency fund and just drive carefully. But hey, everyone's risk tolerance is different, right?
I get your point, but honestly, accident forgiveness saved my butt a couple years back. I'm usually super cautious—like annoyingly cautious according to my friends—but one icy morning near Cleveland, I slid right into a parked car. Nothing major, but enough damage to make me cringe. Anyway, because I had accident forgiveness, my rates didn't spike afterward. Sure, I'd paid a bit extra each month leading up to it, but when I did the math afterward, it was still cheaper than the rate hike would've been without it.
I agree it's not a free pass—insurance companies always find ways to squeeze more money out of us—but sometimes peace of mind is worth paying for. Especially if you commute daily in Ohio winters...you never know when black ice or someone else's bad driving might catch you off guard.
I see your reasoning, and it makes sense in your situation, but I'm still a bit skeptical about accident forgiveness overall. Here's why:
- Accident forgiveness usually means paying extra every month, right? For someone like me who's never had an accident (knock on wood), that adds up over time. I'd rather save that money in an emergency fund instead.
- Plus, from what I've read, accident forgiveness often only applies to your first accident. What happens if you have another one later on? You're still stuck with the rate hike anyway.
- I commute daily too, and Ohio winters are definitely no joke...but isn't that what comprehensive coverage or collision coverage is already for? Seems like we're paying twice for similar peace of mind.
- Maybe it's just me being overly cautious as a first-time insurance buyer, but I feel like insurance companies wouldn't offer something unless they knew they'd come out ahead in the long run.
I'm open to changing my mind though—still figuring all this stuff out.
I get your skepticism, honestly. I used to think accident forgiveness was just another upsell too, until my wife slid on black ice last winter near Cleveland. Our rates would've jumped big-time without it. Still, if you're accident-free, might not be worth the extra cash...
I'm still on the fence about it myself. First-time insurance buyer here, and honestly, the extra cost makes me hesitate. But then again, Ohio winters aren't exactly forgiving... black ice stories like yours make me wonder if it's worth the peace of mind. Guess it's one of those things you don't appreciate until you actually need it, huh? Might just bite the bullet for now and reassess after a year or two.
