Seniors Car Insurance – How to Maximize Your Senior Auto Insurance Coverage
Obtaining seniors car insurance is one of the most sound investments you will ever make. It’s a well-known fact that as you age, driving accuracy suffers, and getting comprehensive car insurance for seniors is your best protection against mishaps on the road. Thankfully, car insurance is one of the easiest types of insurance products that seniors can qualify for.
As long as you stay on top of your license renewal, auto insurance companies typically will not deny you coverage. Before we proceed with some no-nonsense tips on how to optimize your current senior auto insurance policy, let’s look at how aging affects your performance behind the wheel.
Seniors Car Insurance – Why it’s Important
It is natural for bodies to weaken with age. Changes come on slowly over time, and many times, these easy to overlook deteriorations in judgement or reaction time are disregarded until it’s too late and an accident has occured. Certain diseases and conditions such as arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, and dementia can definitely impair your driving ability and put you at risk for having a major accident while on the road. Additionally, certain medications can also cause you to feel sleepy or otherwise create a lag in your reaction time while behind the wheel.
In addition to each of these facts, elderly drivers who do get into an accident are more likely to stay in the hospital longer when compared with young adults in the same situation. These reasons necessitate the need for comprehensive seniors car insurance coverage. Once your doctor gives you the approval to drive and you meet the necessary requirements to renew your license, you should immediately get quotes for the type of senior insurance coverage that you need.
When Should Older Drivers Surrender the Car Keys?
There is no set age when one should stop driving, but just because you have seniors car insurance doesn’t necessarily mean you should continue driving — especially when it’s obvious that you’re not fit to do so anymore. Not only are you putting your life in danger, you are also needlessly endangering the lives of other people on the road (including young children and babies). Part of your responsibility as an experienced driver is knowing when it’s time to surrender the car keys.
Be on the lookout for changes in your eyesight and hearing. When you notice that your eyesight and hearing capabilities are deteriorating, it’s time to think about having someone else do the driving. Loss of vision and hearing is especially prevalent when you reach the age of 65 and above.
It’s important to have full control of your muscles when you’re behind the wheel. If you have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, or other ailments that limit your range of motion, you are placed at greater risk for accidents. If this describes your current condition, it would be best to stop taking control of the wheel and ask someone to transport you where you need to go.
Also, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other forms of brain impairment all cause delayed reaction times and confusion — something that’s dangerous when you are driving in busy streets and intersections.
Last but not least, when you are on certain medications like painkillers, muscle relaxants, antihistamines, and sedatives, you should put a temporary stop on your driving activities until your doctor instructs you to stop taking them.
Seniors Car Insurance Tips
Provided that you are still fit and able to drive, here are some tips for helping you get the most out of your seniors car insurance coverage.
If you want to get the most of your seniors car insurance policy, you have to update your driving skills regularly. Courses like the AARP Online Driver Safety Program allow you to tune up your driving skills and complete the course at your own pace right in the comfort of your very own living room. After completion, you’ll be eligible for price reductions on your auto insurance.
Drive safely and responsibly. By keeping your driving record clean — that is, free of speeding tickets and other violations — you are also eligible for lower auto insurance rates. Some insurers even make an accident-free record for a certain number of years an incentive to lower your monthly payments.
Lower your deductible by checking on your car vis-à-vis your insurance policy. Most senior drivers have been using their old cars and may not have noticed that the deductibles they are paying cost more than what their car is really worth. Perhaps you do not need a comprehensive auto insurance policy after all. Review your coverage and compare it with your vehicle, as well as where and how many times you use your car to know how you can lower your deductibles.
When buying a new vehicle, choose one with enhanced safety features such as air bags and anti-lock brakes. Aside from being generally safer, they also cost less to insure and make you eligible for discounts when applying for seniors car insurance.
If you are still in the process of choosing the right auto insurance policy, understand that your credit score matters. Most auto insurance providers are more inclined to give you competitive rates if you have a good credit rating.
Finally, consider taking an auto insurance policy from your current insurance provider and bundling all your policies with them. They are more likely to give you discounts on your seniors car insurance premiums if they know that you are a loyal customer.
