Different Car Insurance!

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imp

Senior Member
Has anyone seen or heard of this car insurance concept? Looks like a good idea, available in some states. imp

 

When I last renewed our car insurances I gave them the average annual mileage (actually in Kilometres) since we bought each car and received a further discount. We also have loyalty discounts having been with the same company forever.
 
A "miles driven" insurance plan would certainly be a good idea. In addition, I would like to see the current Federal and State gas taxes removed, and replaced with a "Miles Driven" tax. The Federal gas tax has been at 18.4 cents for over 22 years, while cars have become substantially more fuel efficient in the past couple of decades...and hybrids, etc. have become more commonplace. These more efficient cars still beat up the roads and bridges pretty much the same as an older gas guzzler, but they are not paying their fair share for the necessary maintenance and upkeep.

A positive "side effect" of having ownership costs tied to mileage driven, would be less road congestion and pollution....as people would be more prone to limiting their unnecessary driving, and perhaps even begin to consider things like carpooling and public transit.
 
Don, a most thoughtful, as well as refreshing, view! There is little doubt in my mind that most Americans drive frivolously, with little thought given to the real necessity, or lack thereof, for the trip. I know for sure, I fit that category cleanly!

Few driving about are cognizant of the fact that the amount of traffic affects things like bridges and lifespans of roadways. imp
 
Transportation, and the use of petroleum products, is one of the top reasons for our air pollution. Some people Need to drive a lot, due to their jobs...but most put thousands of miles per year on their vehicles, needlessly. They run to the stores, etc., several times a week, instead of making a shopping list, and doing it all on one trip. Millions of people fight the morning and evening rush hours, then the car sits in a parking lot all day. A tax on "Miles Driven", would go a long way towards making people rethink their driving habits, and find ways to make their vehicle use more sensible.

There are thousands of bridges, and many thousands of miles of roadways in this country that are quickly falling into major disrepair. We need to start improving this basic infrastructure, and finding more "creative" ways to finance these improvements. For those concerned about unemployment, these infrastructure projects would be a Great Way to create huge numbers of good paying jobs.
 
Don M. said:
Transportation, and the use of petroleum products, is one of the top reasons for our air pollution. Some people Need to drive a lot, due to their jobs...but most put thousands of miles per year on their vehicles, needlessly. They run to the stores, etc., several times a week, instead of making a shopping list, and doing it all on one trip. Millions of people fight the morning and evening rush hours, then the car sits in a parking lot all day. A tax on "Miles Driven", would go a long way towards making people rethink their driving habits, and find ways to make their vehicle use more sensible.

There are thousands of bridges, and many thousands of miles of roadways in this country that are quickly falling into major disrepair. We need to start improving this basic infrastructure, and finding more "creative" ways to finance these improvements. For those concerned about unemployment, these infrastructure projects would be a Great Way to create huge numbers of good paying jobs.
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Tiered or prorated insurance by milage isn't a bad idea. But any industry involving third party reimbursement is open to abuse and inflation. I've lived in states with different mandated insurance coverages and the states with mandatory insurance coverage more than doubles the cost of self pay areas. I lived in states where a cracked windshield might cost $100-$175 self pay. Lived in other states where they were specifically sold coverage for them and the average cost was $300-$500. The cheapest self pay I could find $235. Third party reimbursement perpetuates inflation because those providing the product/service base their prices on a big faceless evil corporation and not a person paying out of pocket or what the local market could bare other than insurance claims.

For taxes miles driven doesn't necessarily reflect wear and tear on roads. Heavier vehicles do the most damage. People who say I have every thing delivered in theory also contribute because those deliveries are done by heavier vehicles wether it's a big rig at the starting point or smaller truck/van at the local level the heavier vehicles place more wear and tear on road than a car or light suv. Listen to the traffic go over a bump or sink hole and darn near every time the loudest noise and most vibration come from the bigger vehicles. That vibration can shake stuff loose, generate cracks which turn allow water to get in and create more damage. Heavier vehicles can also grind up the road like sand paper on glass by dragging debris like stones or pushing it into the road surface which in turn can create small hole that can turn into big holes.

Perhaps more flat fees even if temporary for road users or vehicle owners. It's not as clear cut as it seems
 
The costs for auto insurance are all over the place. I've had the same insurance company for my entire life...except when I was overseas in the military...and none of these "As Seen on TV" offers can come close to matching my premiums. Our carrier offers a nice discount if we keep our annual mileage under 7,000 miles a year, per vehicle...and now that we're retired, that is easy to do. I had a cracked windshield replaced last year, and it cost $210, out of pocket....no need to pay 20 or 30 dollars a year more to cover glass, when I have only had 2 windshields replaced in almost 60 years of auto ownership.

Most road maintenance, etc., is funded by fuel taxes. However, those taxes haven't risen much in decades...and meanwhile, cars have doubled their fuel mileage, and now hybrids are becoming commonplace. A fuel tax is no longer sufficient to keep up with the beating the roads take. Taxes based upon vehicle weight, and miles driven, etc., are the Only sensible alternative, if we want to continue to have roads that don't bounce us around from pothole to pothole.
 


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