Bumpers That Bump Up Your Car Insurance Rates

You're at a stoplight. You glance in your rear-view mirror and see the car coming up behind you isn't stopping. Before you have time to think, your vehicle jolts forward, leaving black skid marks on the crosswalk. You've been rear-ended. Various words you can't say in polite company come to mind, but instead you get out to survey the damage to your car's shinny back bumper.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs crash tests, and rates cars according to the amount of monetary damage incurred on the vehicle. Last year they started releasing the results of low-speed collision tests, to measure the damage to bumpers. These tests are made to simulate everyday crashes common in commuter traffic and parking lots. So far they have tested midsize cars, luxury cars and minivans.

Average Costs to Repair Bumpers

The IIHS' test results showed the average costs for low-speed crash bumper repairs are:

• Midsize cars: $6807
• Luxury cars: $8740
• Minivans: $6151

After 4 tests, only 3 of 17 midsize cars had costs of less then $1500, only 3 of 11 luxury cars had less than $6000. All of the 6 minivans tested had over $5000 worth of damage.

Cars with Poor Test Results

The cars were tested 4 times-front and rear full-width crashes at 6 mph, and front and rear corner crashes at 3 mph. The IIHS says that good bumper performance requires not only hitting the test barrier dead-on, but also strength to absorb the low-speed crash.

Of the midsize cars tested, all headlights were damaged in the corner tests, basically making the headlights act as bumpers. Luxury cars were also tested, but in the IIHS' opinion, luxury car makers are sacrificing functionality and safety for style, leaving drivers vulnerable. Most recently, minivans were put through the crash tests. The results were hit or miss-some of the minivans did well in rear-impact crashes but poorly in corner tests. Others did fine in frontal crashes but had extensive damage in rear-impact tests.

The IIHS would like for all cars to perform well in each test, by either improving the impact absorption of bumpers or by making them wider so that the corners are better protected.

How an Accident Affects Your Car Insurance Rates

Even fender-benders can affect your car insurance rates. If you have a car accident and it goes on your driving record, car insurance providers will see you as a higher risk to insure, which usually translates to higher car insurance rates. If this has happened to you, comparison shopping is the best way to find a new car insurance policy. InsWeb.com can make this process easy by providing you with multiple car insurance quotes.