You have surely seen all the ads from auto insurance companies like GEICO, The General, and State Farm that say if you switch you’ll get the cheapest rates, so you should just pick the company with the best ad, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are a ton of unknown elements like if you have a spouse, your credit rating, the safety ratings of your vehicle, and the miles you drive each year. We will try to teach you about these types of topics and also should give you a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
For high risk drivers, one of the big components that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where your residence is. Regions with larger populations or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion profit from lower rates.
The illustration below rates the most expensive cities in Ohio for high risk drivers to purchase auto insurance in. Cleveland shows up at #2 with a yearly cost of $1,259 on average, which is approximately $105 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo | $1,279 |
| 2 | Cleveland | $1,259 |
| 3 | Columbus | $1,247 |
| 4 | Youngstown | $1,235 |
| 5 | Cincinnati | $1,210 |
| 6 | Akron | $1,169 |
| 7 | Cleveland Heights | $1,166 |
| 8 | Euclid | $1,164 |
| 9 | Hamilton | $1,146 |
| 10 | Dayton | $1,142 |
| 11 | Canton | $1,102 |
| 12 | Middletown | $1,066 |
| 13 | Newark | $1,063 |
| 14 | Lakewood | $1,063 |
| 15 | Fairfield | $1,063 |
| 16 | Springfield | $1,061 |
| 17 | Beavercreek | $1,058 |
| 18 | Mansfield | $1,032 |
| 19 | Strongsville | $1,031 |
| 20 | Kettering | $1,020 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
Rate information is comparative as the specific zip code location can raise or lower coverage prices significantly.
Determining which company offers the most affordable insurance rates for high risk drivers will require a tad more effort than just getting one or two price quotes. Each insurance company uses a slightly different approach for establishing rates, so we’ll take a look at the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Cleveland, OH.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Risky Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $654 |
| 2 | Erie | $687 |
| 3 | Frankenmuth | $687 |
| 4 | Allied | $697 |
| 5 | USAA | $711 |
| 6 | Travelers | $712 |
| 7 | Cincinnati Insurance | $756 |
| 8 | Merchants Insurance Group | $771 |
| 9 | Motorists Mutual | $800 |
| 10 | Grange Mutual | $804 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $805 |
| 12 | Central Mutual | $840 |
| 13 | Hastings Mutual | $858 |
| 14 | State Farm | $867 |
| 15 | Atlantic States | $904 |
| 16 | Westfield | $936 |
| 17 | Progressive | $953 |
| 18 | Western Reserve | $961 |
| 19 | Auto-Owners | $968 |
| 20 | Nationwide | $988 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
Utica National offers some of the lowest car insurance rates in Cleveland at around $654 a year. Erie, Frankenmuth, Allied, and USAA would also make the list of some of the more affordable Cleveland, OH insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are insured with Frankenmuth and switched to Utica National, you could earn annual savings of in the neighborhood of $33. Policyholders with Allied could save as much as $43 a year, and USAA insureds might reduce prices by as much as $57 a year.
To find out how your current rates compare, click here to get a free quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Be aware that those policy prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in a specific zip code for high risk drivers. So the company that fits you best may not even be in the top 33 companies in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
The information below demonstrates how deductible levels can raise or lower annual premium costs when quoting cheap insurance for high risk drivers. The price estimates are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could pocket $178 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $272 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the 20-year-old, could save up to $456 each year by choosing a larger deductible amount. If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it’s a good idea to have enough in a savings account to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one disadvantage of using higher deductibles.
Price comparison of only insuring for liability
Buying cheaper insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and a great way to save on the cost of insurance for high risk drivers is to not buy comprehensive and collision coverage. The information below shows the comparison of auto insurance rates with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premiums are based on no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Averaged out for all age groups, full coverage costs $1,200 per year more than just buying liability insurance. That touches on the question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no clear-cut formula of when to stop paying for comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are some situations where only buying liability is not recommended. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.
How to get discounts on Cleveland car insurance
Insurance providers that sell policies for high risk drivers may also offer rate discounts that can lower rates by 40% or more if you qualify. Popular insurance companies and some of the discounts are included below.
- State Farm offers discounts for driver’s education, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, defensive driving training, good student, accident-free, and Drive Safe & Save.
- GEICO offers discounts including anti-theft, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, and driver training.
- Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for new move discount, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, preferred payment discount, good student, new graduate, and exclusive group savings.
- The Hartford discounts include anti-theft, bundle, good student, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, and driver training.
- MetLife includes discounts for defensive driver, claim-free, accident-free, multi-policy, good student, and good driver.
- Progressive may offer discounts for good student, homeowner, online quote discount, multi-policy, and online signing.
The chart below shows the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts applied. Data assumes a female driver, three traffic citations and one accident, Ohio state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multiple vehicle, multiple policy, marriage, anti-theft, continuous coverage, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theamount saved on insurance for high risk drivers is 28% or $788.
If you aren’t clear which coverage you need and would like to get some professional input when trying to find lower insurance rates for high risk drivers, the agents below are a good start to help you decide which insurance coverage you need.
To locate a Cleveland auto insurance agent close to where you live, click the link at the bottom or click here to compare prices now.
- Washington and Co Insurance Agcy
2565 Noble Rd – Cleveland, OH 44121 – (216) 691-9227 - Jinisha Patel – State Farm Insurance Agent
4342 Ridge Rd – Brooklyn, OH 44144 – (216) 741-6100 - Nationwide Insurance: Hec Wyatt Hixson
15705 Lorain Ave – Cleveland, OH 44111 – (216) 941-4400 - Nationwide Insurance: James F Greer Jr
16700 Chagrin Blvd – Cleveland, OH 44120 – (216) 752-7100 - Tower Insurance
15887 Snow Rd – Brook Park, OH 44142 – (216) 267-4466
Find a Cleveland, OH insurance agent near you
How to find low-cost auto insurance for high risk drivers
It is possible to find better rates, and here are some of the recommended money-saving solutions that can help Ohio drivers quote cheap coverage.
- Higher credit scores can equal lower rates
- Buying car and homeowners insurance together can save money
- Vehicles with good safety ratings are usually cheaper to insure
- Increase your deductibles
- Do not waste money insuring older vehicles for full coverage
- Avoid filing small claims
- Ensure you have the best deal by shopping around regularly
That last idea is extraordinarily valuable, as was discussed in this piece. Prices charged by car insurance companies in Cleveland can change in a short period of time, so don’t be afraid to buy from a new company if a lower price can be found. Many consumers stick with the same company and that’s fine, but is isn’t recommended if that devotion results in you overpaying a small fortune. It takes less than five minutes to compare prices and find cheaper auto insurance for high risk drivers.