Archive for September, 2009

Does a 15 year old with a learner’s permit need to be added to the policy? If so does your insurance charge you for this?

When a child obtains a learner’s permit to start driving you should inform your car insurance provider of their licensing status. Many insurance companies do not require that the child be added to the policy yet, or a premium paid for them yet, but will once they start to drive …

In New York, is the seat belt law a primary or secondary law?

In New York State the seat belt law is a primary law and thus you can be stopped by police purely because they see that someone is not properly buckled up. When a seat belt law is secondary it means that police must stop you for a primary offense, such as speeding, and then ca…

I live in Texas. I have not had a ticket for a moving violation in 10 years. The discount for a defensive driving course has fallen off of my auto insurance. I am no longer getting the 10% discount. If I take the course to get the discount reinstated, will I still be able to take it to dismiss a ticket if I need that in the next year? In other words, will taking the course for an insurance discount keep me from taking the course again if I get a ticket in the next year?

It is our understanding that per Texas laws you can only take a defensive driving course / traffic school once within a 12 month period and be able to dismiss a ticket. So if you took the traffic school class for an insurance discount and then got a ticket within 12 months you c…

My wife and I have three old Volvos (1988 to 1992) with liability coverage only. My daughter will be turning 16 and getting her NC drivers license soon, but for this first year (age 16 to 17) there isn’t any place she needs to drive to regularly. So is it possible to list her as an occasional driver, rather than principal? My current insurance company says NO, if you have 3 cars and 3 drivers then they ALL have to be principal drivers. Is this a law or just company policy? Are there any insurance companies in NC that don’t require this?

The North Carolina Department of Insurance notes that if your child does not own a car; make sure the insurer knows which car the teen will be driving and whether it will be primary or occasional use. Furthermore they say that your child does not need to be rated on the most…

In Virginia how long does a leaving the scene of an accident stay on your record?

According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) there are various levels of points assessed and different lengths of time a citation for failure to stop at the scene of an accident will remain on your driving record depending what occurred at the crash site. For …

Why would an endorsement be made on my insurance policy? I was sent a letter stating an endorsement credit was applied of x amount of money due to our request. But we never requested any changes. What is an endorsement and what has to happen for one to be made?

An endorsement with an auto insurance policy is basically a change. It has a document, which is attached to the policy and modifies or changes the original policy in some way. Some also refer to endorsements as riders. Endorsements are optional provisions you can add to your …

I have driver license of IRAN. At present time I am in the US as a exchange visitor and I will be there for almost one year or a little more. Can I drive with my home country (Iran) driver’s license and a IDP in Georgia?

It is our understanding that yes, you could drive with your valid Iranian driver’s license and with an International Driving Permit (IDP), which would translate your foreign license into English. We would advise you though to check with the Georgia Department of Driver Services …

I have a junior license in PA, Will I be able to drive into New Jersey with my junior license?

The Pennsylvania Driver’s Manual states that if you plan on using your junior license for driving outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to check with your insurance company and the other states’ Department of Transportation (or Department of Motor Vehicles ) to make sure y…

According to Texas law, if I don’t have car insurance when I am stopped, will my car be towed?

The state of Texas does have laws in place that allow for your vehicle to be towed if you do not have insurance. The TX Department of Insurance notes that there are penalties for violating the state’s financial responsibility laws. A first conviction will result in a fine betw…

In the state of Tennessee are you required to have PIP?

No, you are not required to have PIP ( Personal Injury Protection ) as part of your car insurance policy in the state of Tennessee. Tennessee is a tort state and does not require PIP as no-fault states, such as Florida, do. Tennessee state law requires minimum Bodily Injury L…