I Hardly Drive. Why Isn't My Insurance Cheap?

WV & OH ONLY

"I'm retired and barely put any miles on my car. Why does my car insurance still cost this much?"

If your car barely leaves the driveway, I understand why that bill feels unfair.

Mileage matters, just less than most people expect. A car that barely moves can still be stolen, hit in a parking lot, flattened by a tree or lost in a garage fire, and when you do drive, you carry the same liability as everybody else. Your record, your location and how the car is used usually matter more than the number on the odometer.

If I ran things, every low-mileage driver would pay next to nothing. Until then, my job is getting you the lowest rate I possibly can.

Companies treat mileage very differently. Some give it real weight and some care more about how the car is used. If you really don't drive much, that's a good reason to compare companies, because the one that rewards it may not be the one you have.

No sense hiding it, I want you to call. If you hardly drive, let's find the company that gives you credit for it.

WV & OH ONLY

The best public look I know of is a study of 2.87 million Massachusetts car-years. More miles did mean more losses. But mileage alone explained about 9% of the differences between groups of drivers, while driver class and location explained about 57%. That study covered liability and injury coverage from 2006, in one state, so take it as a guide and not a rule.

In that same study, the losses didn't fall to zero at zero miles. A car has risks just by existing:

• Theft and vandalism
• Trees, hail and flood
• A house or garage fire. I've seen more than one spread to where the vehicles were kept and total them
• Someone backing into it
• The one trip you do take, with the same lawsuit risk as a longer one

They can. Odometer readings end up in service and inspection records, and driving apps measure it directly. Be accurate. If what you told the company doesn't match, your premium can be corrected, and it's a bad thing to be arguing about after a claim.

For comparison, the average light-duty vehicle in the U.S. travels around 11,000 miles a year.

• Tell your agent if your work situation changed, or you retired. Your commute may be gone.
• Look at whether a driving app makes sense. Good drivers can benefit, but it isn't for everyone.
• Look at your deductibles on an older car.
• If the car is truly parked for months, ask before dropping anything. In West Virginia especially, a registered vehicle has to stay insured.

You told me you hardly drive. Let's go see who'll give you credit for it.

WV & OH ONLY

Next in the series: Part 4, Will Getting a Car Insurance Quote Hurt My Credit?