Best & Cheapest Car Insurance in NY 2020

Filing an accident claim means you are likely to pay more for your car insurance coverage. However, how much more you pay depends on several factors, and your car insurance company plays is one of those significant factors. Each company assesses risk differently, so that's why the increase after an accident will vary among insurers. Here is how major carriers compare after at-fault accidents for the average New York driver with a full coverage policy:

If you get a speeding ticket, chances are you'll see an increase in what you pay for car insurance, upon your policy renewal. Typically, you'll pay more for three years. But even with a traffic ticket, comparison shopping can save you money. For instance, you'll see that the difference between the highest rate and the lowest in the table below is $582, on average, according to CarInsurance.com's rate analysis. That's how much you can save by comparing car insurance companies

No matter where you live, adding a new driver to your family policy will hike your rate significantly. In New York, you can expect your rate to go up by an average of 176 percent when adding a driver age 16 to your coverage, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. You'll see in the table below how much it costs, on average, to add a teen driver in New York, and how major insurers compare on price. Geico had the lowest auto insurance cost for adding a driver age 16 to a full coverage family policy, among insurers surveyed.

Enter an age from 18 to 25 to see who has the best rates for young drivers in New York, by company. You’ll see in the chart below which car insurance companies have the lowest rates for young drivers buying a full coverage policy. Average car insurance rates by age data shows that drivers typically pay higher rates until age 26, when rates begin to drop as drivers gain more experience on the road. But even young drivers can save money by comparing car insurance rates to see which company has the lowest rates, by qualifying for student discounts and by staying on their parents’ policy as long as possible.

Below you can see average rates by company, from least to most expensive, for drivers age 65 and over, buying a full coverage policy. In addition to comparing rates, qualifying for a mature driver discount can also trim costs.

In the Empire State’s urban areas, many people don’t drive much – if at all – because they are able to use public transportation and taxis to commute, do errands, get to appointments and social activities and so on. For that reason, it’s not unusual for New Yorkers in the city to become new drivers at a mature age, as opposed to during their teen age years, as is common in many other states. That’s why cheap car insurance in New York for first time drivers differs a bit from other states.

Rates for teen drivers are significantly higher than those for older drivers, because car insurance companies deem them as high-risk motorists due to their lack of experience behind the wheel. Rates start to decrease a bit as the driver matures and by age 25 are more in line with costs for mature drivers. But if you have no experience and are newly licensed at any age, you will also still pay more for coverage. So, the advice for finding cheap car insurance as a new driver is the same as it would be for teen and young drivers – comparison shop to find the lowest rate. An analysis of rates for first-time drivers in New York showed that Geico had the lowest costs, among the companies researched.

Drivers must have minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/10 under New York car insurance laws. This coverage pays for others’ injuries and damage to other drivers’ cars when you cause an accident.

Personal injury protection (PIP) is also required. It covers you, your passengers and other authorized drivers of your car who are injured while in your car. PIP also covers you and your family members if you are injured while riding in someone else's car or if struck by another vehicle while on foot. PIP is sometimes called “no-fault insurance” because it kicks in regardless of who is at fault. You must have $50,000 in coverage.

Uninsured motorist bodily injury covers medical expenses for you and your passengers if injured when hit by a driver with no insurance. You must have 25/50 coverage. This means your insurer pays up to $25,000 per person and $50,000 in total if there are two or more people injured.

We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:

• less than $50,000, choose at least 50/100/50
• between $50,000 and $100,000, choose at least 100/300/100
• more than $100,000, choose at least 250/500/100

If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.

These are optional coverages and fairly affordable to add to a policy. Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. New York drivers pay an average of $700 a year for collision and $145 for comprehensive, according to CarInsurance.com rate data. If your car is:

• less than 10 years old, you should strongly consider buying collision and comprehensive.
• more than 10 years old, only buy collision and comprehensive if your car is worth $3,000 or more, if you couldn’t afford to replace your car if it’s wrecked, or if you just want more protection on your policy.

If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.

These coverages are required in New York and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.

Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, up to $25,000. MedPay is optional in New York and not a must-have coverage, because your PIP protection takes care of the same expenses as MedPay. However, one benefit of MedPay is that there is no deductible and it can help defray health insurance costs. MedPay does the following:

• Covers you and your passengers’ medical expenses
• Pays for expenses after health insurance limits are exceeded
• Offers additional protection to insured drivers who are hit by a car while walking or biking

If you and your passengers:

• Don’t have health insurance, or have a plan that doesn’t cover car accidents or has low limits, we recommend that you add medical coverage of at least $5,000 to your car insurance policy.
• Do have health insurance, it’s still a good idea to have medical coverage if you want the best protection in your policy, as it can pay out after your health benefits are maxed out.

If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.

• If you’re financing your car, your car is less than one year old and you’ve put less than 20 percent down on it, you should buy gap insurance. If not, you don’t need gap insurance.
• If you’re leasing your car, it’s a good idea to buy gap insurance if you aren’t already required to in your lease agreement.
• If you own your car outright, you don’t need gap insurance.

Here are the highways and roads where the most fatal accidents happened in 2017, according to the most recent data available from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System research compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

No-fault doesn't mean that no one is found at fault for an accident, but instead that someone who is injured in an accident looks first to his or her own coverage to pay for expenses. If PIP limits are exceeded, then the at-fault driver's liability coverage can kick in.Basic no-fault PIP coverage includes:

• Reasonable and necessary medical and rehabilitation expenses
• 80 percent of lost earnings (up to maximum of $2,000 per month for three years)
• Up to $25 per day for replacement services (e.g. household help)
• Death benefit of $2,000, in addition to the $50,000 in liability death coverage

Most New York car insurance policies say that a person may be ineligible for PIP benefits if the individual was:

• Driving while intoxicated or impaired by drugs and that contributed to the accident
• Riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or motorcycle as driver or passenger
• Intentionally causing his or her own injuries
• Injured while committing a felony
• Injured while in a stolen vehicle
• An owner of an uninsured vehicle

The New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) uses a license point system to track high-risk drivers. The DMV assigns points for certain traffic violations. If you get 11 points in an 18-month period, your driver license may be suspended. Points stay on your record for 18 months. Points are counted from the date of your violation, not from the date of your conviction.Keep in mind that car insurance companies don’t use the DMV point system when assessing your rate. However, they do review your driving record periodically, usually upon policy renewal time, and then will use their own demerit system to hike your rates based on your infractions.

The Point and Insurance Reduction Program (PIRP) in New York lets drivers take DMV-approved accident prevention/defensive driving classes to get a car insurance discount. You can get a 10 percent discount on the base rate of your liability and collision premium if you complete a PIRP class. The discount lasts for three years. You may also be able to take four points off your driving record.Once you complete the class, you will receive a certificate within 45 days that proves you passed. You have to give your insurer a copy of the certificate within 90 days after completing the course to get your discount.The NY DMV has a list of companies that offer approved online accident prevention/defensive driving courses at its PIRP website.

New York law requires insurance companies to give you a discount if your vehicle has the following safety features:

• “Passive restraint” system, which means either automatic seat belts or air bags
• Factory-installed anti-lock braking system (ABS)
• Factory-installed daytime running lamps (DRL)

Of course, insurance companies also offer many additional discounts, even if not mandated by state law. These  include good student, safe driver, low-mileage and anti-theft device discounts, among others.

An accident normally remains on a New York motor vehicle record (MVR) during the year that the accident occurred and for the following three years. The accident is then removed on Jan.1 of the fourth year after the accident

There is no grace period allowed in New York before you renew your insurance or obtain insurance on a new car. In fact, the law requires that you mail your insurance renewal forms at least 15 days before your cancellation date.

If you are a minor, insurance companies normally require that a parent or guardian need to sign on your insurance policy since it is a legal and binding document. The New York DMV allows only ages 16 and up to apply for a title and registration.