One of the more important criteria that help determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is your address in Tampa. Areas with increased crime or more people are more likely to pay higher prices, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The information below shows the most expensive cities in Florida for drivers with a bad driving record to buy an auto insurance policy in. Tampa makes the list at #9 costing $2,558 for the average policyholder, which is about $213 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hialeah | $3,488 |
| 2 | Miami Gardens | $3,181 |
| 3 | Miami | $3,145 |
| 4 | Miami Beach | $2,923 |
| 5 | Hollywood | $2,604 |
| 6 | Miramar | $2,603 |
| 7 | West Palm Beach | $2,599 |
| 8 | Pompano Beach | $2,595 |
| 9 | Tampa | $2,558 |
| 10 | Fort Lauderdale | $2,550 |
| 11 | Coral Springs | $2,549 |
| 12 | Davie | $2,523 |
| 13 | Pembroke Pines | $2,407 |
| 14 | Brandon | $2,298 |
| 15 | St. Petersburg | $2,263 |
| 16 | Clearwater | $2,172 |
| 17 | Orlando | $2,069 |
| 18 | Spring Hill | $2,039 |
| 19 | Jacksonville | $1,980 |
| 20 | Port St. Lucie | $1,975 |
| 21 | Cape Coral | $1,898 |
| 22 | Lakeland | $1,883 |
| 23 | Palm Bay | $1,786 |
| 24 | Tallahassee | $1,748 |
| 25 | Gainesville | $1,696 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Annual rates are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can modify price quotes significantly.
The vehicle model requiring coverage is one of the largest considerations in finding affordable insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, an excellent safety record, or low incidents of liability claims will cost less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The list below outlines coverage prices for a number of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $6,940 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $6,946 |
| Toyota Prius | $7,299 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $7,592 |
| Ford F-150 FX2 Super Cab 2WD | $7,662 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $7,665 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $7,675 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $7,665 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $7,741 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $7,838 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $7,869 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $8,009 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $8,018 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Premium data assumes single female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in zip code location which can affect rates substantially.
Based on these rates, makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, Honda Odyssey, and Ford F-150 are most likely to be the most economical vehicles to insure for bad drivers. Prices will trend higher just due to the fact that there is more claim risk for drivers with a bad driving record, but overall those vehicles will probably have the cheapest car insurance rates available.
Finding reliable, budget auto insurance is tough enough, and determining which companies have the cheapest insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will involve even more rate comparisons. Every insurance company has a different process to set policy rates, so let’s take a look at the most affordable insurance companies in Tampa, FL.
It’s important that you understand Florida insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the policy price. This is why it is so important to spend some time comparing rates when trying to find cheap auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. Prices are calculated by many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the lowest-price company the last time you shopped your coverage around may now not even be in the top five.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Imperfect Drivers
USAA may offer some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Tampa at around $948 per year. Amica, Electric, Progressive, and Travelers also are some of the lowest-priced Tampa, FL insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you buy coverage from Progressive and switched to USAA, you might see an annual savings of upwards of $899. Florida drivers with Travelers could save as much as $978 a year, and Mercury insureds might lower prices by $1,025 a year.
To find the cheapest coverage for you, click here to begin a quote or visit several of the following companies.
It’s important to note that these policy rates are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a specific location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the car insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get quotes using your own individual information.
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Paying less for insurance is important to most people, and an effective way to pay lower rates for insurance for drivers with a bad driving record is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below shows the difference between insurance premiums with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data assumes a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As an overall average, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,385 per year more than just buying liability only. That is a big expense that brings up the question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no written rule that is best for determining when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s replacement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $2,000 after the deductible is paid. If it’s costing you more than $200 annually for physical damage coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
Impact of careless driving on insurance rates
The ideal way to enjoy good insurance premiums in Florida for bad drivers is to drive safely and avoid tickets and accidents. The information below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders raise car insurance rates for different categories of driver ages. The rates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart shows that the average cost of auto insurance per year with no violations or accidents is $1,961. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,212, an increase of $252 each year. Now add one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of insurance for drivers with a bad driving record jumps again to an average of $2,907. That’s an increase of $946, or $79 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
The diagram below illustrates how choosing a deductible can raise or lower premium costs when searching for cheap insurance for drivers with a bad driving record. The prices are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could save $320 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $486 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could potentially save $966 or more just by choosing larger deductibles.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it is essential to have additional funds in a savings account to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense that comes with higher deductibles.
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
Tampa insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially change your annual premium. Turning one year older, buying a home instead of renting, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper than competitors. And not only may your rating factors change, but insurers amend premium rates as often as every three months in order to maintain liquidity for claims. An extended period of higher than normal claims may result in more expensive prices, while lower claim levels can cause lower-priced Tampa car insurance rates.
The graph below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in Tampa, FL for a 35-year-old female driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and great credit. If we estimate rates based on her personal profile, USAA may offer the best car insurance rates in Tampa at $1,443 per year. This is $1,005 less than the average price paid by Florida drivers of $2,448. Electric, Amica, Progressive, and Travelers are also on the list of the most affordable Tampa, FL auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver in the first chart some claims, bad credit, and a couple of points charged on her driving record. Because every insurance company has their own unique process to set their prices, comparing quotes could now result in a new list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
USAA now has the best price in Tampa, FL with Mercury, Esurance, Auto-Owners, and State Farm also having competitive pricing. This shows why drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to find the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. Car insurance prices can be determined by many things and change dramatically, so the cheapest option a year ago may now be one of the more expensive options.