Wouldn’t it be easy if we could just tell you one specific company that has the best auto insurance prices for drivers with a DUI? Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknown factors such as your date of birth, if you own a home, what level of deductibles you need, and where you live in Jersey City, that all influence how much you pay for auto insurance. We will try to cover these things and will hopefully give you a good start in finding the cheapest car insurance in New Jersey.
The type of vehicle you are trying to insure is probably the most important factor when trying to find low-cost coverage for drivers with a DUI. Vehicles with lower performance, good safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models. The table below outlines auto insurance prices for a number of the more affordable vehicles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $2,321 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,371 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $2,480 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $2,487 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $2,585 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $2,592 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $2,618 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $2,638 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $2,665 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $2,696 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $2,715 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $2,724 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $2,790 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 Super Cab 4WD | $2,840 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $2,848 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $2,840 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $2,879 |
| Kia Optima SX | $2,893 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $2,915 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,943 |
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Data based on single female driver age 40, two speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and New Jersey minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates substantially.
Based on these rates, we can conclude that cars like the Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, Ford Edge, and Chevrolet Silverado will definitely be the cheaper vehicles to insure after getting a DUI. Prices will trend higher just because there is more exposure for drivers with a DUI, but in general those vehicles will have the cheapest car insurance rates available.
One of the more important components that are used to help calculate auto insurance rates is where you live in Jersey City. Areas with increased crime or more people will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural receive better rates.
The following table shows the highest-priced places in New Jersey for drivers with a DUI to purchase auto insurance in. Jersey City is ranked #9 with a yearly premium of $2,345 for the average insurance policy, which is about $195 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark | $2,572 |
| 2 | East Orange | $2,521 |
| 3 | Elizabeth | $2,470 |
| 4 | West New York | $2,431 |
| 5 | Union City | $2,426 |
| 6 | Paterson | $2,400 |
| 7 | Clifton | $2,368 |
| 8 | Hoboken | $2,353 |
| 9 | Jersey City | $2,345 |
| 10 | Passaic | $2,325 |
| 11 | Bayonne | $2,274 |
| 12 | Kearny | $2,266 |
| 13 | Linden | $2,185 |
| 14 | Perth Amboy | $2,165 |
| 15 | Camden | $2,133 |
| 16 | Fort Lee | $2,123 |
| 17 | Atlantic City | $2,044 |
| 18 | Trenton | $1,954 |
| 19 | Hackensack | $1,940 |
| 20 | New Brunswick | $1,932 |
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Rate quotes are approximated as the garaging address in Jersey City can change coverage rates noticeably.
Get discount Jersey City auto insurance
Insurance companies that sell policies for drivers with a DUI may have premium discounts that could potentially reduce rates by 25% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. A list of companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.
- State Farm offers discounts including good student, safe vehicle, multiple policy, anti-theft, Drive Safe & Save, and multiple autos.
- Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new vehicle discount, exclusive group savings, safety features, preferred payment discount, hybrid vehicle, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- American Family offers premium reductions for accident-free, bundled insurance, early bird, mySafetyValet, and Steer into Savings.
- Progressive may have discounts that include homeowner, multi-policy, good student, online quote discount, continuous coverage, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for switch companies, mature driver, teen driver, homeowner, good student, and youthful driver.
- Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include mature driver, teen driver, student away at school, multiple vehicles, company car, and paid in full.
- SAFECO has discounts for anti-theft, bundle discounts, homeowner, drive less, and teen safety rewards.
The example below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without policy discounts. The data assumes a female driver, no accidents and three traffic tickets, New Jersey state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, paid-in-full, paperless filing, vehicle safety, passive restraint, and marriage discounts applied. When discounts are applied, the average amount saved each year on insurance for drivers with a DUI is 28% or $1,091.
Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only
Finding the cheapest insurance is important to most vehicle owners, and one common way to save on the cost of insurance for drivers with a DUI is to buy liability only. The illustration below illustrates the difference between yearly insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The premiums assume a clean driving record, no claims, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
On average, physical damage coverage costs an additional $3,679 per year more than insuring for liability only. That is a significant amount which raises the question when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no clear-cut formula that is best for determining when to drop comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your vehicle’s settlement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $4,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $400 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.
How to find more affordable auto insurance for drivers with a DUI
Here are some penny-pinching solutions that can help Jersey City drivers find lower-cost coverage.
- Higher credit scores can equal lower rates
- Safe vehicles generally have lower rates
- Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
- Bundle car and home insurance and save money
- Avoid accidents and claims
- Shop around for lower rates once a year
That last tip is certainly necessary, as we hit on in this piece. Rates fluctuate constantly, so don’t hesitate to buy a different policy if a lower price can be found.
Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but it’s not a good idea if your bullheadedness ends up costing you a small fortune. Spend a few minutes and shop around to find cheaper car insurance for drivers with a DUI in Jersey City.