Like all other states, Arkansas car insurance providers also have their fair share of challenges and regulations. So if you are a resident of the State of Arkansas, you may want to take note of these issues as they can have a big impact on what sort of premiums and coverage you will be facing once you begin picking your options.
In 2009 for example, the NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts annual report pointed out that there 585 fatalities in Arkansas as a result of traffic related accidents and collisions. Although this figure is lower than the national average, it also has a big impact upon Arkansas car insurance companies, who are forced to change their policies and premiums to help them deal with the situation.
The good news is that finding a good insurance policy is much easier in Arkansas than in many other states. For one thing, you won’t have trouble picking out the right options, as all major car insurance companies operate in Arkansas, such as Esurance, Allstate, State Farm, Progressive and Nationwide
Before you can start considering your options however, you will first need to know the most basic laws in Arkansas in regards to car insurance. This usually involves learning about the Minimum Insurance Requirement for Arkansas Car Insurance Coverage. And as with most liability insurance requirements, Arkansas basic minimum is relatively low, and which of course, offers very little financial compensation in the event of a real traffic accident.
Nonetheless, it’s still important to know exactly what sort of car insurance policy you wish to get for yourself and your car. And although you could easily end up buying a very large policy, it still helps to learn how much the bare minimum in Arkansas will cost you. Remember also that the minimum liability requirement is mandatory for all car owners and drivers in the state of Arkansas, so there’s no going around the issue. Learning about them is necessary.
All Arkansas drivers are required to carry liability insurance that does not fall below the following levels:
- A minimum of $25,000 for the medical expenses of one injured person, typically the driver of the other vehicle.
- A minimum of $50,000 for the combined medical coverage of all people who were injured during the accident, usually passengers of the other vehicle.
- $ A minimum of 25,000 for property related damages that have occurred during the accident. This usually covers the injured party’s car, but it can also cover road signs, mail boxes or any other property that may have been damaged aside from the vehicles themselves.
Once you have complied with the minimum liability requirements you’ll be clear to start driving your car. However, in addition to the minimum liability requirements, you might also want to familiarize yourself with other options which are common to Arkansas car insurance. After all, the minimum liability insurance requirements are usually not enough to deal with the expenses which arise from a real driving accident.
Moreover, you will also need a wider coverage. Liability insurance simply lacks the coverage necessary to deal with your damages and medical expenses, nor does it cover any car loans that you may have or the book value of your vehicle. It will only cover the expenses of the other party, and nothing more. So if you are serious about your own protection, you will need to consider other types of car insurance.
Here are a few examples:
- Collision/Comprehensive Insurance
- Rental Car Reimbursement
- GAP Insurance
- Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage
You don’t have to buy them all immediately, but if you have some extra money to spare then they can be a very good investment, especially if you’re the kind of person who drives very often.
Now that we’ve touched on the most important parts of Arkansas car insurance, it’s now time to tackle how the state’s laws handle people who drive around inebriated. If this were to happen to a person in Arkansas, he will receive a DWI conviction or Driving While Intoxicated. Other than the differences between their names, a DWI is pretty much the same as a DUI.
Arkansas’ state laws prohibits people who have blood alcohol contents (BAC) of .08% or higher to operate a vehicle. This law also extends to minors, who will be convicted if they are found driving with any alcoholic or controlled substances in their systems.
Given the higher risk of traffic related fatalities, they are taken rather seriously by many Arkansas car insurance providers. So when an Arkansas motorist receive his driver’s license, he will also have to give his implied consent to comply with chemical testing for the presence of alcohol and controlled substances whenever he is requested to do so by a police officer. Refusal to comply with these requirements can lead to penalties, regardless of whether or not the person is truly intoxicated.
As you might guess, DWI can have a big impact on the cost Arkansas car insurance. A first offense in Arkansas involves several different penalties, some of which will affect a person’s car insurance premiums. Another consequences is that the offender will lose his license for six months and will be forced to endure jail time for 24 hours up to one year.
The offender may also be required to pay $150-$1,000 in fines for the first offense. In certain cases, the installation of an ignition interlock device on one’s car may become a prerequisite for the return of the offender’s license. And to prevent such offenses from repeating themselves, drivers who are charged with DWI are required to “a victim impact panel and a treatment or educational program for alcohol abuse.”
Take note that penalties become more severe for each additional DWI a person receives. If a person were to receive 4 DWI’s, for example, he will be charged with a felony that can range from 1 to 6 years of imprisonment and fines that will cost thousands of dollars. In worse cases, the repeat offenders vehicle will be seized. Given the way Arkansas treats these kinds of offenses, it’s easy to imagine how most car insurance companies will react. Motorists who have a DWI on their criminal record can expect substantially higher premiums than the average motorist.
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