Many people consider Memorial Day weekend to be the unofficial start of Summer. The weather will be warmer, and people will use their vacation days, and head for the beach. Summertime brings with it a lot of situations that increase the risk of car accidents, which can end up raising your car insurance premiums.
There are some things that you will see in the Summertime that, depending on what the weather is like where you live, you won’t see at any other time if year. There will be a lot of people on the beaches, wearing swimsuits, and surfing. There will be beautiful sunsets to see. All of these things can add up to a whole lot of distractions for drivers.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distraction, or inattention, is what causes around one out of every four vehicle accidents. This adds up to over 1.5 million crashes each year, and comes out to about 4,300 crashes each and every day.
The most common distractions for drivers are behaviors the driver chooses to do, instead of focusing on the road. This includes texting, eating while driving, or adjusting the radio or mp3 player. These kinds of distractions are things that happen all year round, and will continue to occur in the summertime.
One of the unique distractions that Summer brings is skin. People will be wearing skimpier clothes, like shorts, sundresses, and swimsuits. Some men may be shirtless. All of this extra skin can attract the attention of a driver. Other drivers will get caught up in the beauty of a sunset over the water, and actually drive off the road while watching it.
Every time you get into a car accident, even a little one, it affects the cost of your car insurance. Generally, insurance companies will increase a person’s rate by 10% for each fender bender. According to Consumer Reports, people who consistently have a poor driving record will face a 40% increase in their car insurance premiums.
One way to avoid this, of course, is to make an effort to focus on the road, the other drivers, and the stoplights, instead of the distractions. Don’t eat while you are driving. Turn off the music when there is a lot of traffic around you. Simple things like that can, potentially, make a difference.
Another option is to attach an “accident forgiveness” provision to your existing auto insurance policy. Preferably, you will want to do this before summer starts. This will add some cost to your premiums, but it can be beneficial. It can prevent an insurance company from raising your rates after you get into your first car accident.
Image by Matthew Bietz on Flickr