yellowroom

How would you answer the question "have you had any tickets or violations in the past X years"?

Just because your insurance company allows you a pass doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Bermudashorts

I think this has already been covered on the thread. The insurance company is not going to look into the Californian driving history at the time of issuing a policy. They are very likely to in the event of a claim, especially any kind of sizeable one (and by sizeable I mean anything more than a few grand).

Their investigative rights are not the issue. They will put the burden of proof on the insured party to prove facts. As per my example, I had to produce UK veterinary records of my UK born cat for an Australian pet insurer before they would consider paying my claim. The Australian insurer did not hire a private detective to investigate my cats medical history.

Burden of proof on me. They didn't have to prove I was lying, I had to prove I was telling the truth.

Pulaski

Might I ask what personal experience you have of paying for insurance in the US or the UK? I am paying barely more per vehicle now in the US than I was in the UK fifteen years ago, but then I didn't, and still don't, have a drink-driving conviction, because with one of those on your record you will paying out of the wazoo for your insurance, and with a very high excess/deductible.

Bob

He's kind of right though, more often than not, insurance is much higher here than in the UK and it's mostly because of the liability/health costs.

When we lived in Maine, the premium was pretty similar to that of mine in the UK. 10 years more US driving history and the same level of cover in MA is still three times more expensive than my premium was in Maine pretty much. No speeding or DUI's.

petitefrancaise

Teenagers though?

I heard all kinds of expensive horror stories about insuring teen drivers in the UK and to a lesser extent, in France. My teen daughter hasn't made that much of an impact here though. Waiting to see what happens when teen son makes his driving debut..

Giantaxe

What part of "right turn on red after stop" doesn't your husband understand

petitefrancaise

I know, right!
and he had to take the driving test too.

Pulaski

Agreed, but he's also a high school kid in Canada!

Bob

I think I paid a smidge under £200 in '98 for full comp as a 18 year old. I paid $600 in Maine for full comp on a UK license in '02, went down to $400 and some odd change with a Maine license and a years US experience.

We're paying around $1200 now.

Gozit

Yeah, this... I just know from hearing it on here and anecdotally from people we know that have lived in the UK and the US, and now here in Canada.

And how does that limit what I know or don't know about car insurance I do drive. I also realise you may be just taking the piss at my expense.

Gozit

Is your daughter still on a learners? Here in ON the learners didn't impact my parents' insurance at all, it was when I passed the road test and was able to take the car on my own that the insurance went up.

petitefrancaise

She's passed her test. It didn't make any difference here either when she had her learner permit.

I took out an umbrella policy and was told the cost without having her would have been about $250 but with her it was $350 for the year.

Bob

It doesn't, because it already goes up as soon as they're old enough to get a permit whether they do or not.

petitefrancaise

No, we specifically excluded her and her brother from the policy. Had to sign an affidavit saying that they would not be driving at all.

In Texas, in order to do parent taught drivers ed you must have had a US driving license for 3 years. We hadn't, still don't for another few months. So we waited until our daughter was 18 before she started learning to drive. Way easier and cheaper. My son will do the same.

Gozit

That kind of puts a hindrance on their learning though, doesn't it? Now they have to wait until they are adults to go through the learner permit business and all that. What I tell people is even if you don't want to drive, get your learners to start the clock towards being eligible for your intermediate license, and then your full adult license. Its going to shoot you in the foot one day when you need to be able to drive.