Cheap car insurance
Like most of the states in the United States, Iowa driving and traffic laws are quite strict about traffic violations and accidents. In Iowa, the Office of Driver Services situated at Des Moines tracks the driving record of all the drivers in the state. The Office of Driver Services tries to ensure that the drivers in the state are responsible and safe drivers on the roads. According to the state driving law, the license could be revoked under the following circumstances.
Death of a person resulting from an accident caused by you
Using a vehicle for committing a felony
Failure in stopping at the accident scene when you are involved in an accident
Failure in assisting an injured person or reporting fatality when you had been involved in the accident
Providing false information about the vehicle registration
Eluding a police vehicle after a signal to stop your vehicle had been given by the police vehicle either by lights or a siren
Driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both
Refusal to undergo chemical test when a police officer requests such a test
Having more than 0.08 alcohol concentration while driving in a chemical test (For persons under the age of 21, the alcohol concentration should not exceed 0.02)
Second conviction for reckless or negligent driving
Racing on Iowa roads
Conviction in Iowa or any other state or federal court for drug-related offenses
If the driving license is revoked, you should undergo a reinstatement process that would include passing certain tests, paying stipulated fees, and showing proof of financial responsibility such as adequate auto insurance. The civil penalty for reinstatement of the driving license is $200 for persons above the age of 19 and $50 for persons below 19.
Like many other states in US, Iowa also follows points systems for traffic violations. If you exceed the maximum speed limit by 16 to 25 mph, you would get 5 penalty points in your driving record. If you exceed the speed limit by more than 25 mph, then your license would be immediately revoked. Other penalty points are listed hereunder for each offense.
Perjury or false statement to the Department of Public Safety 2
Driving while facing license revocation, denial, or suspension 2
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs 3
Driving when barred by the Department of Transport 4
Driving with alcohol concentration of more than 0.08 4
Committing a felony using a motor vehicle 5
Failure to stop in an accident site or leave information 5
Failure to render assistance in an accident site 5
Eluding law enforcement officers or attempt to elude 5
Causing serious injury to others by driving a vehicle 5
Manslaughter and death caused by operating a vehicle 6
The accumulation of 6 to 7 points would last for 2 years, while 8-9 points would be on the driving record for 3 years. Points between 10 and 12 would remain for 4 years, 13 to 15 would be on the record for 5 years and points above 16 years would be on your Iowa driving history for 6 years. If you had been declared as a habitual offender and still drive, you could be imprisoned for a period up to 2 years.
Accidents can occur at any time and are not really planned events. Hence dealing with a collision is always an uphill task as it takes you by surprise. However, it is important to know a few things with regard to auto collision and the measures to be taken. This will be of great help while filing for insurance claims. The first few minutes after the accident is the most crucial time and what you do at this juncture will have a significant impact on the insurance claims that are paid as well as the insurance rates in future.
Firstly, never leave the scene of the accident. Try to maintain your cool irrespective of who is at fault and do not have any arguments or accusations. Don’t admit anything either. If the vehicles involved in the crash can be moved, then bring it to the side of the road to ease oncoming traffic.
Call 911 without any delay as this will make sense if there are medical emergencies and the police officers will also arrive on the scene of the crash quickly. This is the quickest way to get both these people at the crash site.
Always ensure that you get the details of the opposite party. The contact details are very important irrespective of who was at fault. It is essential that both parties exchange their contact information in order to file for claims with their respective insurance providers. The type of insurance that both parties have can help decide the carrier with whom you wish to file your claim. If the opposite party does not have sufficient coverage then it is understood that you will have to file through your insurance provider.
If there are any third-party witnesses then record their statement as well as this will help in case you have any dispute with the insurance claims and settlement amounts. You will also require the statement of the witness in case you plan to sue for damages. Get the contact information of the people who witnessed the accident. A brief written statement from the witness will carry a lot of weight.
Get an estimate of the extent of damage from an accredited and reputed auto collision repair shop. It would be worthwhile as you will get the add-on services such as filing for claims as well as free towing.
Contact your insurer immediately and get the necessary paperwork done. Always study your policy and the coverage beforehand and don’t wait until there is an accident.
Since all auto drivers are statutorily required to purchase auto insurance coverages, it becomes necessary to save as much as possible in yearly insurance costs, which could be substantial. The major cost is the initial deductible that you would be required to pay on the auto insurance policy. Many people do not know that insurance companies offer discounts on the deductible for various reasons. The insurance companies consider your driving history, the number of persons listed in the insurance policy, the make and model of your vehicle, and the policy limits to decide on the deductible, the discounts that could be offered to you, and the monthly insurance payments against the auto insurance policy. Hence, you should know how you could obtain discounts and reduce your deductible.
Combine your Insurance Policies One way of getting discounts on your auto insurance policy is to combine the home insurance and your personal insurance with the auto insurance. If you have more than one vehicle, combining the policies of both would also get you a good discount. Similarly, if you add another driver to your policy, the coverage of that driver along with yours would help you in obtaining a discount from the insurance company. Combining more than one vehicle would normally help you save up to 20%. If you combine your life insurance and auto insurance, the insurance company would offer you up to 5%.
Higher Deductibles If the insurance company informs you about the minimum deductible that you are required to pay and you voluntarily offer to pay a higher deductible, you would be able to negotiate with the insurance company to give you a discount. Even if the insurer does not give you a direct discount, still the company would agree to reduce your monthly insurance payments proportionately.
Safety and Security Discounts If you apply for auto insurance, the insurance company would not only check your personal details but also inspect the condition of your vehicle. The inspection would include the make and model of the car, the safety devices like seat belts, air bags, etc. in the car, and the security devices such as burglar alarm, anti-theft device, etc. If you have such devices installed, you would be able to obtain a discount on the deductible for your auto insurance from the insurance company.
Driving History Discounts Insurance companies look at your driving history before offering a quote on your auto insurance. If you have a minimum of 5 years of driving experience and you do not have any chargeable accidents in these 5 years, you would be able to get a discount up to 10%. Even if you had been involved in accidents but they were not due to your fault, you could explain this to the insurance company and get some discount.
Federal Employee Discounts In District of Columbia, Federal employees above the age of 55 are eligible for auto insurance discounts up to 10%.
Hence, you should try to obtain as much discount as possible from the insurance company by presenting your strengths and explaining your weaknesses when you purchase your auto insurance policy.