The search for the best Greensboro car insurance coverage is made easier if you equip yourself with some knowledge about Greensboro, NC and some tips for finding the cheapest Greensboro auto insurance rates.

Greensboro, which was spelled as Greensborough up until 1895, is the third most populated city in North Carolina and a place where car insurance is a necessity. The popularity of automobiles in the early twentieth century was a major contributing factor to Greensboro’s urbanization, allowing people to move out to the suburbs and commute to their employment in the city. Out of the 257,997 people residing in Greensboro today, the majority of them are around 33 years of age, which means there are many people making the commute to work on a daily basis.

Several major interstate highways merge into Greensboro, including I-85 and I-40. There are over six million vehicles registered in the state of North Carolina, which requires liability insurance for all drivers and registered vehicles. Since North Carolina is prone to severe storms, additional insurance coverage is usually recommended.

Greensboro Car Insurance Requirements

The Vehicle Financial Responsibility Act of 1957 made auto insurance liability mandatory with current minimums of 30/60/25. This means that bodily injury liability is thirty thousand dollars per person and sixty thousand dollars per accident while property damage is twenty-five thousand dollars. If you cancel you coverage at any time your insurance company is required by law to notify the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

A new change that was implemented in North Carolina is its participation in the Central Issuance Program which is intended to reduce fraud. As of September 3, 2009, all drivers’ licenses (originals and renewals), learner permits, and state identification cards will be issued from a central location and mailed to the applicant’s home within five to ten days. In the meantime the applicant will receive a temporary driving certificate that will be valid for 20 days.

It is highly recommended that you renew early and you are given up to six months to do so before your current card expires. Since the purpose of this new program is to reduce fraud, it will ultimately help reduce your auto insurance as well.

Further Reducing Greensboro Car Insurance Costs

The Governor’s Highway Safety Program was established in North Carolina to promote highway safety and reduce the instances of crashes and resulting fatalities. 2009 has seen a decline from previous years, with total crashes totaling 140,863 by 8/31/09. Out of those crashes there were 68,814 injuries and 900 fatalities. The previous year’s crashes totaled 234,898 with 112,369 injuries and 1,451 fatalities.

Several factors are taken into consideration when auto insurance rates are quoted, including statistics of vehicle crashes where you live. If there is a significant decline in the number of crashes that occur in a particular area, that area could very likely see a decline in their car insurance rates as well. The North Carolina Department of Transportation is in charge of measuring the various incidents and working on ways to improve matters.

Greensboro Car Insurance for Tornado Coverage

While Greensboro is nestled beautifully among gently rolling hills, it is also prone to some very severe weather. Spring and summer seasons are often accompanied by thunderstorms and tornados are also known to make an appearance. Tornados are devastating air columns that rotate with enough force to cause winds of hundreds of miles an hour. They are strong enough to uproot homes and transport cars for many miles.

Driving during any severe weather is always risky, but tornados are even more dangerous because of their unpredictable travel patterns as well as their brute force. If you are in a vehicle when a tornado is nearby, you are encouraged to seek shelter immediately. Your best option is a storm shelter or a building with a basement so that if the structure gets ripped away by the tornado you’ll still be safe underground.

If you are unable to find shelter, you are encouraged to abandon your vehicle and place yourself in a low ditch, laying flat on the ground, and covering your head with your hands (in case of falling debris). Be sure to lie upwind of the car so that if the car gets blown by the tornado it does not roll on top of you. A ditch is safer than your car because the tornado may not pick you up out of the ditch, but it can easily pick up your car and throw it across the street if not further. Some people park under a bridge during a tornado believing that the bridge will keep them safe, but this is generally not a good idea because the tornado could cause the bridge to collapse.

Also, since flash floods often accompany tornados, you run the risk of suddenly becoming submerged in water. If this occurs, you need to evacuate the car immediately. If there aren’t any open windows, you will not be able to open the doors. You need to equalize the water pressure by breaking a window. If you have power locks, remain calm and try to open the window the traditional way. If the power fails, however, you will need to break the window before the car quickly fills with water.

For this reason it is a good idea to carry a car window hammer that is specially marketed for this use. It is small and lightweight but is designed to break the window when force is applied. Many of these hammers also have a built in safety razor in the event you need to slice through your seat belt. If you choose to carry this tool in your car, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. The hammer needs to be secured so that it does not become a dangerous flying object in the event of an accident and it also need to be fastened in a way to make it readily accessible for when you need it.

Glove boxes can often become damaged during various impacts and may not always be easily opened, so you should never store any critical first aid kit in this compartment.

Your personal safety is of the essence during these types of conditions, but that does not mean that when the storm clears you won’t be at a loss over the destruction that your car may have suffered. Unless you have full comprehensive coverage, you could be at financial risk in the event your car becomes damaged during a storm.

If your car is financed or leased then comprehensive coverage is mandatory by the lender, but if you own your car outright, comprehensive is optional. In order to determine if you should purchase this coverage, you need to consider the cost replacement value of your vehicle. If you are able to replace the car with no problem, then perhaps comprehensive is not an issue; but if you lose your car and are unable to afford another one to replace it, then you may need to seriously consider adding comprehensive coverage to your policy. You can always lower your premiums by raising your deductibles if that works better with your budget.

North Carolina requires minimum liability insurance, but that coverage alone may not be enough to provide you with all of the financial protection you need if you become the victim of a car accident or a natural disaster. It has been suggested that too much coverage is better than not enough coverage, and usually the people that will attest to that are the ones who needed it.

Find Cheap Greensboro Car Insurance Quotes Online

Greensboro auto insurance isn’t the kind of thing you can buy after the fact to cover previous incidents, so you have to have it in advance. Although insurance can be expensive, it is more expensive to not have it when misfortune strikes.

To find the best Greensboro car insurance rates for your needs, obtain multiple quotes using our independent rate tool, and compare your best options. Enter your zip code above to start finding the cheapest Greensboro car insurance quotes online today!