Wondering how you might be able to reduce your Mesa car insurance rates? Some data that insurance companies use to calculate your rates are related to the area in which you live. Things like automobile theft rates and traffic safety statistics for your area are taken into consideration when it comes to determining what your policy will cost. There are some things that you can do to lessen the effect of factors that may work to your disadvantage when it comes to getting the best possible car insurance rate. After doing what you can to reduce any premium elevating factors, getting rate quotes from a few different insurers can let you rest easy that you have obtained the lowest possible premiums.

Mesa, Arizona got its name when a group of settlers from Utah and Idaho, called the First Mesa Company, decided not to settle in Lehi but to move south onto the nearby mesa. Mesa City was registered as a one square mile town in 1878 and then incorporated in 1883 when the town had three hundred residents.

In the early 1940s Mesa began to grow with the influx of military personnel that occurred with the opening of both Falcon and Williams Fields. The population swelled again after the invention of air conditioning made tourism in Mesa’s hot desert climate more appealing. As recently as 1960, half of Mesa’s residents made their living in agriculture, however this has decreased since then as Aerospace companies that moved into the area in the 1950s and 1960s began shaping Mesa’s commerce and industry landscape.

Today, Mesa is home to some 447,541 residents, covers 124 square miles and has a population density of approximately 3,000 people per square mile. Twenty percent of the United States aerospace industry is located in the Phoenix-Mesa area. Its aerospace companies include aviation training schools like Arizona Aviation, Eagle Roost Aviation Services, and Professional Flight Instruction; TRW which manufactures vehicle safety equipment like seat belts, airbags and crash censors; and Boeing who manufactures aircraft control panels and develops new military aircraft.

Mesa Car Insurance Requirements

The amount of coverage you elect to have on your vehicle will effect what your policy will cost. The more coverage you get the higher your premiums will be. Arizona state law requires that automobile operators show proof of financial responsibility. That means that they can cover the costs associated with having had an accident. Purchasing liability insurance is the most common way to meet this requirement.

The minimum amounts of liability coverage required by Arizona state law is $15,000 for bodily injury to one person in one accident, $30,000 for bodily injury total per accident, and $10,000 for property damage in any one accident. If you have more than ten vehicles you can chose to self insure. The process of becoming self insured is complicated and designed for those who have fleets of vehicles like car dealerships and limousine services. It requires filing a certificate of self insurance, providing a large amount of documentation and a surety bond of one million dollars. Drivers who can not provide proof of financial responsibility face license suspension and fines.

Traffic Safety and Mesa Car Insurance

In 2008, Arizona recorded 937 traffic fatalities. When corrected for population this number is slightly higher than that of the United States as a whole. The cost of damages that were the result of car crashes in 2003 in the United States was $170 billion.

These costs are covered by a variety of entities. Private insurers pay about half of these costs, the individuals involved pay about 25%, other parties like health care companies pay about 15% and state, federal and local governments pay about 10%. Of course, government agencies and insurers pass these costs back to taxpayers and customers in the form of higher taxes and premiums.

There are ways to manage those costs. Many times, drivers with good driving records can get discounts on their automobile insurance policies. If you have points on your license, getting them removed can lower your insurance premiums. Arizona has a traffic school called Defensive Driving Diversion that is overseen by the Arizona Supreme Court. It is designed to assist those who have committed civil traffic moving violations like speeding or failure to yield to improve their driving record. The program is voluntary and covers topics like Arizona traffic laws, accident avoidance and defensive driving.

The cost to take this class varies and depends on which court handles your point reduction and which school you attend. A state fee of $20 and a surcharge of $45 also apply. If you have multiple civil traffic citations, they may not all be dismissed upon completion of the course and commercial drivers are not eligible to take this course.

Mesa Car Insurance and Auto Theft Rates

Mesa ranks higher than the national average for property crime, burglary and larceny and has a motor vehicle theft rate that is twice the national average. In 2006, Mesa recorded more than 1,800 cars stolen during the first six months. The result is that living in Mesa puts you at a higher risk of auto theft, which in turn will causes you to pay higher auto insurance premiums.

Still, there are some things you can do to counter that risk. First, not all cars are considered equal to car thieves. There are definitely some models that they prefer and steering clear of the ones they like when purchasing a vehicle can save you money on your insurance. The cars most often stolen in Arizona last year were the Honda Accord, Dodge Ram Pickup, Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Ford F150, Chevy Full-Size Pickup, Dodge Neon, and the Nissan Ultima.

If you happen to own one of these highly coveted models and choose to install anti-theft devices, you could get a discount on your insurance rate. Some examples of anti-theft devices are car alarms which make noise and draw attention to the car thief, wheel locks like a boot and steering wheel locks like a club which renders the vehicle inoperable, and the Low Jack which allows the vehicle to be tracked in the event of theft and can lead to recovery of the vehicle.

It is not all bad news. Mesa was rated lowest in the nation for natural disaster risk. The rating was based on the likelihood, frequency and severity of hurricanes, major flooding, tornado super-outbreaks, earthquakes and catastrophic hail. Mesa's low rating reflects its lack of geographic proximity to large bodies of water, and the absence of geological factors like fault lines and atmospheric conditions that create major natural disasters. The ratings did not take into consideration chances for drought since the effects of a drought can be eased by conservation or importing water, and also excluded urban wildfires since these usually effect only limited areas. Living in an area with a low risk of natural disaster should lower your insurance rates.

Get Mesa Car Insurance Quotes Online!

No matter where you live you can save money on your Mesa car insurance policy by making Mesa auto insurance companies have to compete for your business. Be sure to get at least three quotes from comparable companies so that you know you have the best possible premiums. Taking advantage of an independent quote retrieving device makes it easier for you to submit your data once, and get comparable rates in return.

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