International Driver’s License and Auto Insurance
Reader’s Question:
I’m from Tennessee. My friend from Italy borrowed and drove my car. He got involved in an accident which caused $1,200 damage to my car. When I submitted the claim, my agent asked for my friend’s international driver’s license. My friend is reluctant to give his driver’s license since he is worried that this will affect him in terms of denied auto insurance coverage in the future since he is planning to eventually work here. Would this really be the case?
Carl
Knoxville, TN
Before a foreign visitor can drive legally in the United States, he or she is required to get an International Driver’s License (IDP) from his or her home country before even setting foot in America. An IDP verifies that the foreigner has a valid driver’s license in his or her country of origin. This license then allows them to legally operate a motor vehicle on the public roads of the United States before they obtain their US license.
In your case, your auto insurance company in Tennessee may be demanding to see your friend’s international license to verify if he was legally permitted to drive in the United States. It is not probable that this claim will be attributed to him when he applies for a US driver’s license and car insurance coverage in the future. This particular claim is under your auto insurance policy, so his insurance rates in the future should not be affected.
It is unfortunate, though, that a claim this big will definitely mar your insurance record. This information will be used by auto insurance companies as a basis to raise your premiums. You may see an increase in your future auto insurance rates because of this particular claim even if the accident was your friend’s fault.
Lower Auto Insurance Premium Rates in Tennessee
Reader’s Question:
Just one question: How do I get lower auto insurance premium rates here in Tennessee?
Bruce
Nashville, TN
That was my first question when I got my first car and had to get my own auto insurance coverage. To get lower premiums, you need to consider a lot of factors. First: the car. Stay away from fast or high powered cars. Car insurance companies tend to believe that fast cars or high powered cars will be used in racing, and they are usually right. If you race around Tennessee, you would be considered a high risk driver. We don’t want to be considered a high risk driver as this would mean that you’ll be getting a higher auto insurance premium. A high tech car with high tech parts would appear to be great and, well, high tech, but these cars would also give you high insurance premium as these cars are more expensive to repair because of the complexity of its parts. Stay away from SUV’s and cars that are listed in the frequently stolen list. You may go online to check this infamous list.
Your neighborhood will also affect your auto insurance premium. If you live in an area where vandalism is rampant, that’s going to hurt your auto insurance rate, after all that’s where you park your car. Living in an area with a high rate of vandalism will increase the chance of your car being vandalized.
Stick to regular sedans and cars with more safety features. You may also take certain driving classes, like defensive driving classes. Auto insurance companies like responsible and safe drivers.
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