The Best Cheap Car Insurance in Rhode Island for 2021

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Liability-only insurance will cover the other driver's medical expenses and property damages in the event you cause an accident. It does not cover your medical care or vehicle damage costs, so opting for comprehensive and collision coverage can be a smart move. Most states mandate a minimum level of liability coverage. Insurers provide optional higher coverage levels to provide you with better protection. In Rhode Island, State Farm provides the most affordable coverage for most drivers, both for the state minimum of 25/50/25 and a higher 50/100/50 coverage level.

Average Cost for Liability Coverage

MoneyGeek used a unique rating system to rank the companies with the best car insurance in Rhode Island. It includes affordability, claims experience, customer satisfaction and financial strength.

MoneyGeek combined ratings from J.D. Power and AM Best and considered industry standards for company ratings and review. MoneyGeek weighed each criterion equally to calculate the final scores out of 100.

While USAA scores highly in many areas, this provider is only available to military members, veterans and their families.

Market Share by Company

Larger insurance companies can sometimes offer lower rates. Progressive is the largest insurer in Rhode Island with 22% of the market share.

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Many factors, including age, credit score, location and coverage level, affect the annual auto insurance premiums in Rhode Island. MoneyGeek calculated average rates for a typical driver with 100/300/100 comprehensive and collision insurance coverage. The average Rhode Island driver is a 40-year-old male who drives a Toyota Camry with no record of accidents or speeding tickets. Depending on your specific circumstances, your annual premium may vary.

• Average Driver: $1,822
• DUI: $3,369
• Speeding Ticket: $2,227
• Poor Credit Score: $3,059
• Seniors: $1,944
• Students: $4,558

In a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1.9% of Rhode Island adults reported driving after drinking too much in the prior 30 days. Additionally, 247 people in Rhode Island were killed in alcohol-related car accidents from 2009-2018.

Rhode Island law makes it illegal to drive with a blood alcohol content (BAC) over .08% or any amount of a controlled substance. The consequence is a conviction for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and up to a year in jail, $100 to $400 fines and your license suspended. The punishes increase with a higher BAC or with a second or third offense.

Average Car Insurance Rates With a DUI

A DWI can impact your life and finances for years. If you get a DWI, you can expect your car insurance premiums to double overnight. You can work to clear your driving record in order to lower your car insurance premiums, but you’ll have to wait five years before starting the expunging process. It’s still possible to find affordable auto insurance after a DWI. Get quotes from multiple providers and ask if taking an alcohol treatment or driver’s education course can lower your rate.

Distracted driving and speeding are considered risky driving behaviors and will increase your auto insurance rates. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving accounted for 56 vehicle crashes in Rhode Island in 2018. Rhode Island passed a new law in 2018 making it illegal to hold a cell phone or wireless device while driving. The law also prohibits using headphones or accessories that cover both ears. If you are caught, it’s a $100 fine.

Average Car Insurance Rates With a Ticket

Rhode Island does not use a point system on your record but does track moving violations, including speeding and distracted driving citations. Your insurer can view these violations and can adjust your rates accordingly. To maintain cheap auto insurance rates with a ticket, work to remove any violations from your record. Rhode Island allows you to review your record and work to clear it.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, statistics show a correlation between credit history and claim frequency. The state allows insurance companies to use a driver’s credit history when setting rates. Insurers believe the better the credit the score, the better the driver. A lower credit score can increase your costs. According to Experian, Rhode Island has one of the highest credit score ratings in the country at 713.

The following table showcases what drivers with bad credit can expect to pay for auto insurance in Rhode Island.

Average Car Insurance Rates for Drivers With Bad Credit

There are still ways to get cheap auto insurance with bad credit in Rhode Island. The first step is to review your credit report and learn why your credit is low. In many cases, there is a mistake that can easily be fixed. There are also ways to improve your credit score. When your score improves, reach out to your auto insurance company about getting an updated and improved rate.

With age comes wisdom and experience. But when it comes to driving, age can also begin to affect vision, cognition and motor function. According to 2017 data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13.6% of fatal traffic accidents in Rhode Island involved a driver over the age of 65. While licenses are normally renewed every five years, drivers over 75 will have to go to the DMV every two years.

Average Car Insurance Rates for Seniors

When looking for cheap car insurance for seniors in Rhode Island, your driving record will play a significant role. Those with a good driving history may be rewarded for their experience with senior discounts. However, violations may show the impact of age and increase your rates. If you are a senior shopping for car insurance, meet with your doctor to discuss your medical capabilities behind the wheel. Then ask insurance companies about discounts. Rhode Island offers a Defensive Driving course that many insurers consider beneficial and could get you a lower car insurance rate.

Insurance rates for teen drivers are never cheap, but Rhode Island teens may be eligible for auto insurance discounts based on good grades and a clean driving record. In some cases, it may be less costly to buy and insure a used car for a teen rather than add another driver to the family policy.

Because teen drivers are inexperienced, they are more likely to get into an accident. This is why their rates are much higher than mom’s or dad’s insurance. There are ways to find cheap car insurance for teen drivers. The best way is to shop around and get multiple quotes. Tell insurers about your teenager’s grades, driver’s education and what vehicle would be most affordable to insure. Consider the estimates in the following table for what to expect when insuring a young driver in Rhode Island.

Average Car Insurance Rates for Students

Rhode Island has about 3,400 active-duty military personnel living in the state and more than 63,000 veterans.

Military families and veterans living in Rhode Island will need car insurance. Some automatic discounts are available to veterans and active-duty military members. Whether you're looking at a specialty carrier that sells insurance only to military members, or a larger company that offers a military discount, it pays to compare car insurance quotes by shopping around. If you expect to be deployed and won't be using your car for some time, ask potential insurance companies if you can suspend coverage and pause premiums while you're gone.

Average Rates for Rhode Island service members

25 years$1,663
50 years$1,467

25 years$1,609
50 years$1,437

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About the Author

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Danielle Kiser is a freelance writer, storyteller, and news junkie. She is passionate about informing and inspiring audiences to improve their lives and their communities. As a former TV news producer, she focuses on sharing relevant and factual stories that stimulate personal growth and knowledge. Danielle lives in Michigan with her husband as well as her sidekick, a greyhound named Oreo.

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