Oregon Auto Insurance

The state of Oregon, like many other states has put laws regarding driving and cell phone usage into place.  Whereas some states target teen drivers with their cell phone and texting laws, Oregon applies their laws to all drivers.  It is against Oregon law for any driver to use any type of communication device while operating a motorized vehicle.  Individuals over the age of 18 may use a hands free device.  Individuals under 18 are not permitted to operate any type of communications device unless it is an emergency.  This law went into effect on January 1, 2010.

Under Oregon law, insurance companies may exclude a driver in your household from inclusion on your auto insurance policy.  In fact, the auto insurance company may refuse coverage if any driver in the household does not meet their requirements.  Other companies may exclude only the bad driver by name in the policy.  If a driver is excluded from the policy, they have no liability coverage but you still have the liability exposure if they drive one of your vehicles and get in an accident. Any exclusion will be listed in the exclusions section of your policy with all other conditions which release the insurance company from paying claims.

Insurance companies in Oregon are not required by law to notify the state in regard to the mandatory insurance coverage.  A lapsed insurance policy will not be automatically reported to the state but you can still get caught driving without insurance which will involve penalties which include fines and possible jail time.

Using your credit history to determine rates and renewals in the state of Oregon is a topic of controversy.  Your credit history cannot be used to raise your premiums or canceling or refusing to renew a policy which is already in force.  Your credit history can be used to determine if an insurance company will issue a new policy as long as they can prove that it helps them determine product prices and the cost of future claims.  They have to show that the credit history is used only for evaluation purposes and is used in connection with other factors which have a direct effect on insurance claims.  Insurance companies must inform their customers of how they intend to use the information before they can access the information.  If the information is to be used to determine if they will cover you or not, they must inform you of this fact before they use your credit history and they must give detailed reasons for any action resulting from the use of your credit history.  Keep in mind that insurance companies use several factors to make insurance decisions such as age, gender, marital status, driving record, and make, model, and year of vehicle to be insured.

Oregon is a tort state which means you can be personally sued for injuries, deaths, and damages beyond the amounts your insurance policy covers.  The individual found to be at fault will be responsible for the damages and injuries which result from that accident.  Most insurance companies will encourage you to carry more than the minimum liability insurance limits.  As of 2006, the average insurance premium in Oregon was about $726.00 and had the30th most expensive auto insurance premiums in the nation as of 2006.  There are 17 state licensed insurance companies in Oregon.  They are Allstate Fire & Casualty Insurance Company, Allstate Indemnity Insurance Company, American Commerce Insurance Company, American Family Mutual Insurance Company, American Standard Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Country Mutual Insurance Company, Country Preferred Insurance Company, Farmers Insurance Company of Oregon, GEICO General Insurance Company, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Liberty Northwest Insurance Company, Mid-Century Insurance Company, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, Progressive Direct Insurance Company, Safeco Insurance Company of Oregon, State Farm Fire & Casualty Insurance Company, and State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Company.

Some things you can do to reduce your premiums are to maintain a clean driving record, and drive a vehicle with a good safety rating.  Other things that can affect your insurance are the area where you live and work and the traffic volume in that area.  If you have a teenage driver, it may be less expensive to include them on the family policy.  Stress with them the importance of maintaining good grades and a clean driving record as these will help to defray the cost of premiums.  Your age, the age of your car as well as its condition and the type of vehicle you drive, your gender, and your marital status will play a factor in the cost of your auto insurance premiums.  Another thing to be aware of is the most frequently stolen cars in the state of Oregon.  The list below is from 2006

1. 1990 Toyota Camry
2. 1990 Honda Accord
3. 1991 Honda Civic
4. 1986 Toyota Pickup
5. 1995 Acura Integra
6. 1987 Toyota 4Runner
7. 1994 Nissan Sentra
8. 1991 Ford Escort
9. 1987 Toyota Corolla
10. 1993 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee