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Comparing the Premiums of Different Vehicles
The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has provided
this information in compliance with Federal law as an aid to consumers
considering the purchase of a new vehicle. The information compares
differences in insurance costs for various makes and models of
passenger cars, station wagons, passenger vans, pickups, and utility
vehicles on the basis of damage susceptibility. It does not indicate
a vehicle's relative safety.
The
following table contains the best available information regarding
the effect of damage susceptibility on insurance premiums. It
was taken from data compiled by the Highway Loss Data Institute
(HLDI) in its December 2004 Insurance Collision Report, and reflects
the collision loss experience of passenger cars, utility vehicles,
light trucks, and vans sold in the United States in terms of the
average loss payment per insured vehicle year for model years
2002-2004. NHTSA has not verified this data.
The
table presents vehicles' collision loss experience in relative
terms, with 100 representing the average for all passenger vehicles.
Thus, a rating of 122 reflects a collision loss experience that
is 22 percent higher (worse) than average while a rating of 96
reflects a collision loss experience that is four percent lower (better)
than average. The table is not relevant for models that have been
substantially redesigned for 2005, and it does not include information
about models without enough claim experience.
Although
many insurance companies use the HLDI information to adjust the
"base rate" for the collision portion of their insurance
premiums, the amount of any such adjustment is usually small.
It is unlikely that your total premium will vary more than ten
percent depending upon the collision loss experience of a particular
vehicle. If you do not purchase collision coverage or your insurance
company does not use the HLDI information, your premium will not
vary at all in relation to these rankings.
In
addition, different insurance companies may charge different
premiums for the same driver and vehicle. You should
contact insurance companies or their agents directly to determine
the premium that you will be charged for insuring a particular
vehicle.
PLEASE NOTE: In setting insurance
premiums, insurance companies mainly rely on factors that are
not directly related to the vehicle itself (except for its value).
Rather, they consider driver characteristics (such as age, gender,
marital status, and driving record), the geographic area in which
the vehicle is driven, how many miles are traveled, and how the
vehicle is used. Therefore, to obtain information about insurance
premiums, you should contact insurance companies or their agents
directly.
Insurance
companies do not generally adjust their premiums on the basis
of data reflecting the likelihood of crashing of different vehicles.
However, some companies adjust their premiums for personal injury protection and medical payment coverage if the insured
vehicle has features that are likely to improve its crashworthiness,
such as air bags.
For
the complete tables mentioned in this article, please click
here.
(Source:
NHTSA) |
