Does your insurance go up if you drive more?

Asked by: Fredy Okuneva  |  Last update: June 10, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (20 votes)

If you drive back and forth on a long, daily commute to work or school, your rates may be higher than a person who drives their vehicle less or has a shorter commute. Generally, the more time and miles you put on your vehicle, the higher the chance you may be involved in an accident.

Will my insurance go up if I drive more miles?

The fewer miles you drive, the less likely you are to be involved in an accident. Driving fewer miles also reduces wear and tear on your vehicle, which can lead to fewer mechanical failure-related claims. Insurers often ask how many miles you drive. The more miles you drive, the higher your rate could be.

What makes your insurance go up the most?

Incidents such as accidents (even if you weren't at fault), speeding violations, reckless driving, and driving while intoxicated can increase premiums. If you've filed a claim in the past few years, this might also result in an increase to your premium.

Can drive easy make your insurance go up?

Comments Section Drive Easy, like any other driving monitoring with insurance companies, is an ongoing thing. The amount of the discount can change (up or down) based on your score over a given period. But keep in mind that, if you get a particularly bad score during a given period, it could actually raise your rate!

Why do you pay more for insurance if you drive a lot?

Drivers who clock more miles than the average — about 12,000 miles per year — pay more for car insurance because of the heightened risk of being on the road more often than a low-mileage driver. The odds of a high-mileage driver getting into an accident are higher.

Why Does My Car Insurance Go Up? - Car Performance Pros

18 related questions found

Why did my car insurance go up $100?

Reasons that might make car insurance rates go up

Common among them are speeding tickets, DUIs, credit and moving violations. But beyond that, insurers also consider specific risks like the rates of accidents, vandalism and theft in your area, which result in higher claim rates.

What mileage is the cheapest for insurance?

In general, you'll see the most savings if you drive less than 5,000 miles annually. According to Insure.com, someone who drives 10,000 miles annually will pay 4% less than someone who drives 12,000 miles. Driving 7,500 miles annually could reduce your premiums 10% compared with driving 10,000 miles.

Does car insurance increase the more you drive?

Many different factors can influence your insurance rates. Below are just a few examples of those factors. The car you drive, how often you drive it, and where it is kept are all factors used to determine your rate.

Can insurance companies see how fast you drive?

Driver monitoring—what insurers call telematics, or usage-based insurance (UBI)—typically utilizes a smartphone app, a device that plugs into your car's computer diagnostic port, or an electronic tag mounted inside your car to keep tabs on how you drive, measuring things like speed, braking, cell phone use (to observe ...

How does my phone know if I'm driving or a passenger?

Accelerometer. The accelerometer detects the acceleration of your phone, which plays a big role in determining whether you're driving in a car.

How do you lower your car insurance bill?

7 ways to lower your car insurance premium
  1. Qualify for insurance discounts. Getting more discounts that lower your car insurance premium might be easier than you think. ...
  2. Increase your deductible. ...
  3. Reduce your coverage. ...
  4. Compare rates. ...
  5. Try usage-based insurance. ...
  6. Take a defensive driving course. ...
  7. Get a car that's cheaper to insure.

Who normally has the cheapest car insurance?

Geico, Nationwide and Travelers are among the least expensive for car insurance. Americans are paying a lot for car insurance these days: Average annual rates for a full coverage policy are up to $2,638 per year, while minimum coverage averages $767 per year.

Why did my insurance go up by 50%?

Car accidents and traffic violations are common explanations for an insurance rate increase, but other reasons why your car insurance rate can go up include changing your address, adding a new vehicle or driver, increases to claims in your ZIP code, and increases to car repair/replacement cost.

What happens if you drive more than you told insurance?

If an insurer thinks you're driving more miles than you actually are, you might be missing out on lower rates. Some insurers offer a discount to drivers who log a lower-than-average number of miles per year.

What is full coverage insurance?

Having “full coverage” can mean having more than the minimum required coverage. For example, the minimum bodily liability limit in California is $15,000. A “full coverage” policy may have a bodily liability limit of $100,000. 3. Higher limits afford you greater protection for any assets.

Does miles driven affect insurance?

If you drive a lot, insurance companies will charge you higher premiums because they're taking on more risk. Generally, anything over the U.S. average annual mileage (roughly 14,000 miles) is considered high and will result in a rate hike.

What cars are hard to get insurance on?

Which Vehicles Are Difficult to Insure?
  • Exotic Brand Vehicles (e.g. – Rolls Royce, Bentley, Bugatti)
  • Limited Production or Limited Edition Vehicles (e.g. – anniversary or commemorative models, certain models of Ferrari, Corvette, et cetera)
  • Vans carrying 12 or more passengers.
  • Camper vans.
  • Cargo vans.
  • Flatbed trucks.

Does the car you drive affect insurance?

Your insurance prices are influenced by a number of variables in addition to the type and model of your car, such as your driving record, ZIP code (apart from California and Michigan), and the policy choices you select.

How does insurance track your driving?

UBI tracks driving behavior through devices installed in a vehicle or through smartphones. The devices can measure miles driven, time of day, where the vehicle is driven, rapid acceleration, hard braking, hard cornering, cell phone usage and airbag deployment.

Why does my car insurance keep going up with no accidents?

Car insurance rates can sometimes increase unexpectedly, even without being involved in an accident. This can be due to different factors, such as changes in the insurance company's rates, adjustments to your policy, or even external factors like inflation or rising repair costs.

Which gender pays more for car insurance?

On average, young men pay much more for car insurance than young women. This is because car insurance providers find men to be riskier drivers than women, especially when they are younger. When they are older, women start to pay slightly higher rates.

Is it better to drive more or less for insurance?

While several factors influence your car insurance cost, you may pay a lower premium if you drive less. That's because insurers may consider you a lower risk of filing a car insurance claim if you spend less time on the road. Many insurers incentivize low-mileage drivers by offering discounts on their premiums.

Does your car insurance go up if you drive more?

From California to New York, all states have varying car insurance rates because insurance companies look at geographic factors such as crime rate, number of auto accidents, and weather conditions to determine your premium. Miles You Drive: The more you drive, the more likely you will get into an accident.

Is 15000 miles a year a lot?

A wary buyer should use as a general rule of thumb that most cars are driven 12,000-15,000 miles per year. If a vehicle is 10 years of age, it should have between 120,000 miles and 150,000 miles on the odometer.

How many miles should I tell my insurance I drive?

For the most part, insurance companies consider under 12,000 miles a year to be lower than average. However, some insurers require that you drive less than 10,000 miles to qualify for low mileage, and they wait to hand out bigger discounts until you are under that number of annual miles.