Drivers in Detroit pay the nation’s highest average car insurance premiums.
Let’s face it – Nobody LIKES paying car insurance. But if for those who live in Detroit, the pain of making that monthly payment hits a little harder. A recent study of average insurance rates nationwide shows that drivers in the Motor City pay more than drivers in any other city across the country – a full 165 percent more than the national average car insurance premium.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 most expensive cities for car owners, their average annual premium and what’s to blame, according to researchers:
- Detroit, Michigan: $10,723.22 – The city’s high crime rate, a territorial rating system that bases risk and premiums on zip codes, and Michigan’s no-fault insurance system – the only one in the nation that provides unlimited lifetime coverage for medical expenses for those injured in auto accidents.
- New Orleans, Louisiana: $4,309.61 – A 22.8-minute one-way commute to work on some of the worst maintained roads in the country and a state law allows drivers to directly sue insurance companies after an accident.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: $4,042.42 – Michigan’s no-fault insurance law and rough weather that deteriorates roads. Potholes alone cost Grand Rapids drivers over $1,000 a year, according to TRIP, a nonprofit national transportation research group.
- Newark, New Jersey: $3,525.43 – The state’s no-fault law, snow and icy roads, plus an average one-way commute of 31.1 minutes (higher than the national average of 25.4 minutes.
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana: $3,363.73 – Traffic congestion and way too many roads in persistent states of disrepair.
- Hialeah, Florida: $3,271.86 – Florida’s no-fault insurance law and hurricanes.
- Jersey City, New Jersey: $3,266.63 – No-fault insurance, icy winters, high congestion and an average 35-minute one-way commute to work.
- Louisville, Kentucky: $3,255.99 – No-fault insurance, a high rate of car theft and the fact that the city is more dangerous than 83 percent of all US cities.
- Miami, Florida: $3,168.75 – No-fault insurance, hurricanes, extreme congestion, a dubious ranking for having the ninth worst drivers in the US, according to an Allstate study, plus another for having the nation’s rudest drivers, according to an AutoVantage study. Can you say “road rage?”
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $2,930.53 – No-fault insurance, frigid winters and year-round high traffic congestion.
Check E3 Spark Plugs’ next blog for tips on keeping your insurance premiums as low as possible.
