How your car insurance rate is calculated may not be at the front of your mind on any given day, or at all. But you may notice that your car insurance bill keeps rising and rising. This is actually true across the nation, as a 20 percent increase in car insurance rates since 2011 has occurred. But the effect is acutely felt in Kansas City, where over the same time frame there has been a 32 percent average increase in car insurance premiums.
So what’s the deal? Why does Kansas City deal with far more increasing car insurance rates than the rest of the country? Part of it is the weather of the area, which is a year-round detriment to safety. Another part of it is that the city has seen its population go up in recent years, which means more vehicles and people out on the road — and thus, more accidents.
There are other elements to consider too, such as the crime rate of the city, the amount of fraud that occurs, the number of uninsured drivers on the road, and the laws of both the city and the state. Everything combined can lead to a vastly different pricing structure for Kansas City than, say, Toledo, Ohio.
The message here is to be aware of your car insurance policy and to be prepared to deal with them when a car accident occurs. This isn’t always a pleasant experience, but you will need to do it to ensure your claim is addressed appropriately.
Source: Kansas City Star, “Are you paying more for your car insurance in KC? Why yes, study says,” Kaitlyn Schwers, March 6, 2018