Is Smoking Seriously Going to Affect My Arizona Car Insurance Rates?

Posted on December - 06 - 2009

Is Smoking Seriously Going to Affect My Arizona Car Insurance Rates?

There are plenty of myths rolling around in the auto insurance industry. For example, the idea that smoking’s going to kill your Arizona car insurance rates! Who comes up with this stuff anyway?

You’ll be happy to know that your personal smoking habits have absolutely nothing to do with how much it’s going to cost you to get a good Arizona car insurance coverage. As a matter of fact, you insurance agent isn’t even going to ask you if you smoke, or how often you smoke, or why you do it. They couldn’t care less!

If you’re really worried about how much your car insurance costs, why not take the time to find out what’s really going to affect your rates? Your Arizona insurance rates can go up because you’ve gotten a blemish on your driving record from being in an accident or being convicted of a traffic violation. (It’s important that you note the difference between a ticket and a conviction. It doesn’t show up until a judge makes it official.)

Your rates can also go up when you raise your coverage levels or add new coverage on (for example, adding comprehensive and collision coverage to a previously liability-only policy). You get what you pay for, after all. That doesn’t mean that you should slice and dice your policy coverage, but it does mean that if you find out after the fact you really can’t afford it you know where you can go back through and make some changes.

Certain cars cost more to insure, since Arizona car insurance companies pay attention to the data the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety publishes every year. Living in urban areas and making long commutes are going to raise your rates, since there’s a better chance you’ll be in an accident than if you’re living in cow country working from home. But none of these have anything to do with smoking.

Now, if you want to talk about insurance rates that are going to be negatively affected by you smoking habit, let’s talk about your Arizona homeowners insurance. You’d be amazed by the facts on household fires caused by cigarettes and people falling asleep with a burning butt in the ashtray. Since the chances of your home burning down your ears have a LOT to do with how much they’re going to charge you to insure it, it’s a sure bet they’re going to ask about your smoking habits: How much you smoke, how often, whether you smoke inside or outside, etc., etc.

So if you’re wondering if you’re going to save money on your insurance rates by giving up smoking, I’d have to say go for it. While most (I hate to say all, since I haven’t polled them all personally, but I’ve never met the exception) Arizona car insurance companies aren’t going to care whether you smoke or not, you’ll find quitting does great things for the cost of your health insurance, homeowners insurance and life insurance.

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Posted on December - 06 - 2009