Affordable Collision Auto Insurance Coverage (2024)

Affordable collision auto insurance coverage is one of the many types of auto insurance coverage that protects drivers from expensive accident bills. If you crash into another car or an object, collision insurance will pay for repairs up to your policy limit.

Read on to learn more about cheap collision insurance, from how it works to the best collision auto insurance company. If you want to start comparing rates for collision insurance today, take a look at our free quote comparison tool.

How Collision Auto Insurance Works and What It Covers

Wondering what will collision insurance cover? Collision auto insurance covers accidents with another vehicle or an object, such as if you crash your car into a mailbox. Some examples of accidents collision insurance would cover are:

• Someone hits your parked car in a parking lot.
• You rear-end a car in traffic.
• You back into a fence while pulling out of a driveway.

Collision coverage helps protect you in all these situations by paying for your car’s repairs. Without it, you would have to pay out-of-pocket for repairs after an accident that was your fault or an accident that was a hit-and-run.

Learn more: Does auto insurance cover hitting my own car?

The Difference Between Collision Insurance and Full Coverage

Full coverage auto insurance isn’t a type of coverage but rather an insurance policy that consists of liability coverage combined with collision coverage and comprehensive auto insurance coverage. It is called full coverage because these types of policies provide the best protection to drivers.

When it comes to full coverage vs. comprehensive and collision insurance, it is best to carry full coverage that includes both coverages rather than purchasing just comprehensive or collision insurance to go along with affordable liability insurance.

If you just carried collision insurance instead of full coverage, for example, you wouldn’t have comprehensive insurance to protect you from weather damage, animal collisions, and more. You can read more about comprehensive vs. collision insurance in our guide on the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage.

Finding Affordable Collision Auto Insurance Coverage by State

Some states have more affordable collision insurance than others, but most drivers should be able to find cheap collision rates as long as they have clean driving records and shop around.

In most cases, adding collision coverage in auto insurance policies will raise your rates by less than $40 per month.

Comparing Affordable Collision Auto Insurance Coverage by Company

Comparing collision auto insurance rates by company is the best way to find affordable coverage. Some companies will be significantly cheaper than others, so comparing quotes is the only way to know for sure which collision insurance company is best for you.

Continue reading to learn about which companies are the best for collision insurance based on driver factors.

Best Collision Auto Insurance Company by Age and Gender

Besides a driver’s driving record, a driver’s age and gender are two of the biggest factors that affect insurance rates. Below, you can see how collision insurance rates change by age.

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Younger drivers pay more for collision auto insurance as they are less experienced and statistically more likely to file a collision claim. However, some companies are cheaper than others. State Farm has some of the cheapest rates for younger drivers.

In addition to age, gender also affects rates. Because male drivers are statistically more likely to file claims, they pay slightly higher rates for collision insurance.

The rate difference by gender is much less significant than the rate difference by age, with Geico being one of the cheapest companies for both genders.

Best Collision Auto Insurance Company by Driving Record

Your driving record will have a significant impact on your minimum collision coverage cost. A major violation can double your collision insurance rates, as you can see in the table below.

For minor violations, Travelers and American Family offer some of the cheapest rates. However, drivers with major violations will find some of the best rates at Geico and USAA.

Insurance Deductibles and Collision Auto Insurance Rates

An auto insurance deductible is the amount you agree to pay out-of-pocket for car repairs after an accident. For example, if you have a $500 collision deductible and an accident caused $2,000 worth of damages to your car, you have to cover $500 of repairs while insurance will cover the other $1,500.

While a zero-dollar deductible means you have to pay nothing towards repairs, most drivers choose a deductible amount. This is because the higher your deductible, the cheaper your collision auto insurance is. However, we caution not to increase your deductible beyond an amount you can pay. Otherwise, you may be stuck without a car after an accident until you can afford the collision insurance deductible.

Deciding If You Need Collision Auto Insurance Coverage

While you may be tempted to drop collision coverage to save on insurance, it is good coverage to have for the majority of drivers. Otherwise, you will have to pay out of pocket for hit-and-run accidents or if you hit another car or object. Raising your deductible can help make your collision auto insurance more affordable, but the best way is to shop around for collision insurance quotes.

If you want to get started on finding cheap collision auto insurance, use our free quote comparison tool. It will help you find the best collision auto insurance quotes in your area.