The latest innovation in auto insurance is Pay As You Drive. As its name implies, Pay As You Drive sets your premiums on the basis of how many miles you drive. Drive less, pay less. Drive more, pay more. Pay As You Drive policies can be tailored to meet each driver’s specific needs.
There are several ways of computing Pay As You Drive premiums. You can pay a flat rate for a range of miles, pay on the basis of the number of miles you actually drive during a preset time frame, or pay by the number of hours you drive in a given time period. Pay As You Drive premiums may also be based simply on the miles you drive without a fixed time period.
Since driving distance or driving time sets your insurance rates, your driving has to be monitored. You can get periodic certified odometer readings, or your automobile may be fitted with GPS monitors that upload the vehicle’s computer data.
Mileage monitoring causes concern in some potential Pay As You Drive customers. Not without reason, some customers worry that the devices used to track distance or time used could also be used to track where the insured motorist drives, violating privacy. However, Pay As You Drive only uses the numbers of miles or hours driven and nothing else. Privacy is simply not an issue with this new form of insurance.
You can benefit several different ways by switching to Pay As You Drive coverage. Your insurance premiums will be based just on your miles driven, not on your age, gender, or where you live. Pay As You Drive gives you a real incentive to drive less. And when you drive fewer miles, not only do you pay less for your insurance, you save on gas and maintenance and the wear and tear on your car. Pay As You Drive plans are good for the environment, because fewer miles driven means less greenhouse gas emissions, and less congestion on the road.
In addition, low mileage drivers will no longer subsidize high mileage drivers under the Pay As You Drive insurance system. Under a traditional insurance system, drivers pay the same amount for insurance premiums if they drive a few hundred miles a year or if they drive several thousand. Pay As You Drive is a more fair and equitable way of determining insurance premiums. You really do pay for what you use under this system.
According to a report from the Brookings Institution, two-thirds of U.S. households would save an average of $270 a year on auto insurance under a Pay As You Drive insurance system.
If you are interested in learning more about Pay As You Drive insurance, or to see if it is available in your area, contact a qualified insurance provider. He or she can help you tailor a Pay As You Drive insurance program to fit your specific needs.
Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal.
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