California state with flag

The diverse landscape of California features over 168,076 miles of public roads, and a booming population estimated by the US Census Bureau as being over 37,253,956. Of those residents over 23,600,000 are licensed motorists, amongst the highest number of any state in the nation. Being a motorist in such a busy region, particularly cities such as Los Angeles or Sacramento, also means being prepared in the event of an accident. To ensure that residents have at least a small amount of coverage, state laws require all licensed motorists to carry California liability insurance designed to keep residents financially responsible for injuries or damages they may cause. Instead of simply purchasing the minimum amount of vehicle protection, residents are urged to consider greater policy limits and additional coverage designed to insure a driver against a wider range of damages.

The CA Highway Patrol estimates that each year there are over 500,000 automobile accidents within the Golden State. If involved in one of these accidents, the minimum amount of coverage may not be enough to cover all of the damages or injury costs if the insured motorist is considered at-fault. State law only insists that residents purchase a policy with liability insurance equal to $15,000 for bodily injury to one person and $30,000 per accident, and $5,000 for property damage. These figures have the potential to be easily exceeded after an accident, particularly the relatively small limit of $5,000 for property damage. For greater coverage residents are strongly encouraged to consider raising these limits, which can usually be done for only a few extra premium dollars.

CA Auto Insurance Beyond Liability

Be able to pay for damages that a motorist is responsible for is important, but so is being able to cover damages that occur as the result of being struck by another driver, an uninsured motorist, or even a woodland creature. Any number of unfortunate events could befall a driver’s automobile in a state known for its diverse landscape, and residents are encouraged to be as prepared as possible. Apart from basic state requirements, vehicle owners are also encouraged to consider purchasing a policy that offers various forms of auto protection, including comprehensive and collision coverage. This covers not only collisions with other automobile (collision) but also damages from fire, falling objects, flooding, vandalism, theft, wind, hail, or other sources that are not the result of a collision (comprehensive) up to the limits of the policy.

Additionally, residents may want to take note of the Estimated Rate of Uninsured Motorists within the Golden State and purchase an appropriate amount of coverage. With a percentage of drivers choosing to ignore state insurance laws being roughly 15%, combined with a total state population of over 37 million people, the likelihood of being involved in an accident with such an individual is higher than in most states. Purchasing uninsured/underinsured motor vehicle protection could end up saving a vehicle owner a large amount of money after an accident if stuck by a hit-and-run driver, or an individual with an insufficient amount of coverage. With the large number of people in California, residents of the Golden State are urged to take an extra look at their policies and strive for a protection plan that can offer the greatest amount of coverage while still remaining affordable.