Wouldn’t it be so easy if you could just magically know the one auto insurance company that has the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with accidents? It’s just not that easy, however, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements such as whether you are male or female, what deductibles to use for physical damage coverage, and the level of liability coverage you want, that all have an effect on the price of a policy. We will try to cover some of these things and will hopefully give the reader a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance in California.
For drivers with at-fault accidents, one of the more important considerations that aid in calculating insurance cost is where you normally keep your vehicle in Sacramento. Larger areas likely pay more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates benefit from lower coverage costs.
The next table sorts the most expensive areas in California for drivers with accidents to buy car insurance in. Sacramento ranks #5 having an annual price of $1,652 for the average policyholder, which is approximately $138 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 15 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 16 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 19 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 21 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| 22 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,298 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Premium amounts are approximated as the specific garaging location can revise auto insurance rates greatly.
Finding cheap auto insurance is confusing at best, and determining which companies quote the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with accidents involves additional perseverance.
Each insurance company has a proprietary formula for determining rates, so we need to take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in California. It’s important that readers know that California car insurance rates are impacted by many things that may substantially change the cost of coverage. Getting older, moving across town, or having an accident may generate price changes that can now make some companies much cheaper than others.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes for Accident Prone Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,186 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 12 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||
USAA may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,121 annually. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the cheaper Sacramento, CA car insurance companies.
In this example, if you are a customer of Century National and switched to USAA, you could realize yearly savings of around $105. Insureds with Nationwide might save as much as $129 a year, and 21st Century insureds might cut rates by $217 a year.
Be aware that those premiums are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and are not factoring in a vehicle location for drivers with accidents. So the company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
The car, truck, or SUV driven is a large consideration when looking for the best car insurance for drivers with accidents. Vehicles with economical engines, advanced safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The list below features coverage prices for a number of the more affordable vehicles to insure in California.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $2,973 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $3,109 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $3,205 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,232 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $3,300 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $3,338 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $3,484 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $3,522 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $3,528 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $3,522 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $3,559 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $3,705 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $3,710 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $3,735 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $3,745 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $3,735 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $3,743 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $3,752 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab Harley 4WD | $3,778 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $3,806 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Prices based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, two at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can alter auto insurance rates noticeably.
Looking at the numbers, you can conclude that cars like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, and Toyota Prius are some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for drivers with at-fault accidents. Auto insurance rates will be more expensive because of the fact that there is more liability exposure for drivers with accidents, but in general those models will probably have the lowest insurance prices that you’ll find.
Ratings for Sacramento car insurance companies
Selecting the highest-rated insurance provider is difficult considering how many choices you have in Sacramento. The company information displayed below can help you pick which auto insurance companies you want to consider when buying insurance for drivers with accidents. The rankings below only include large insurance companies, so companies with more of a regional focus are not taken into consideration for this list.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Providers in Sacramento Ranked by Claims Service
- AAA of Southern California
- State Farm
- Esurance
- AAA Insurance
- Progressive
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- Allstate
- Titan Insurance
- The Hartford
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Providers in Sacramento Ranked by Value
- USAA
- American Family
- The Hartford
- AAA of Southern California
- Titan Insurance
- The General
- AAA Insurance
- State Farm
- Mercury Insurance
- Nationwide
Get discounts on Sacramento insurance rates
Car insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for drivers with accidents may additionally offer special discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% or more if you qualify. A few popular companies and some of the discounts are included below.
- Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, multi-vehicle, and online quote discount.
- MetLife may offer discounts for accident-free, multi-policy, claim-free, good student, and defensive driver.
- Mercury Insurance includes discounts for type of vehicle, location of vehicle, professional/association, multi-policy, and multi-car.
- Nationwide offers discounts for Farm Bureau membership, anti-theft, family plan, multi-policy, defensive driving, and accident-free.
- GEICO has savings for military active duty, emergency military deployment, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, and membership and employees.
- AAA has discounts for AAA membership discount, good student, anti-theft, education and occupation, multi-policy, good driver, and multi-car.
The example below compares car insurance rates with and without discounts. The information is based on a female driver, no violations and two at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with multiple policy, passive restraint, marriage, multiple vehicle, paid-in-full, and continuous coverage discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, theaverage amount saved on car insurance for drivers with accidents is 28% or $1,144.
Why you should be shopping around
Sacramento car insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially change the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply improving your credit, buying a home instead of renting, or having an at-fault accident may cause policy rate changes that may make certain companies more affordable than the competition. Additionally, car insurance companies change rates as often as every three months as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Unexpectedly high claims can result in more expensive prices, while a lower level of claims can produce lower-priced Sacramento car insurance rates.
For example, the bar chart below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and a good credit rating. If we estimate rates based on her current rating profile, USAA might quote the most affordable car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,452 a year. This is $199 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are also included in the best Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver from the first example a claim surcharge, less-than-perfect credit, and an imperfect driving record. Since each company has a different formula to set their prices, comparing prices most likely will result in a different set of cheap Sacramento auto insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest insurance rate in Sacramento with Allstate, GEICO, Allied, and Mercury also having competitive pricing. This example demonstrates why it is critical to take the time to shop around when trying to get the lowest car insurance quotes for drivers with accidents.
Insurance prices can be determined by many different factors and change substantially, so the cheapest rate when you last compared rates may now be priced much higher than other options.