Does Driving a SUV Mean Higher Car Insurance Rates?

While you feel safer in an SUV because of its size and mass, those very elements increase the chance that your SUV will roll over or cause major damage to other cars and their passengers during an accident. Car insurance providers consider these factors and more when determining your car insurance rates.

What Determines Your Car Insurance Premium?

Auto insurance rates are based on the likelihood that you'll file a car insurance claim, and how much the claim may cost. Mature drivers with clean driving records have better car insurance rates than young, less experienced drivers. If you drive fewer than 10,000 miles per year in low-traffic areas, you'll have better rates than someone who drives more miles in congested cities.

The type of vehicle you drive also affects your car insurance rates. If you own a car that tempts thieves, is high in value or expensive to repair, your policy may cost more than average. Your car's safety record also affects your rates; this is certainly true in the case of the SUV.

Are SUVs Safe?

SUVs are three times more likely to roll over than a car, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That's because an SUV's height makes it top-heavy and prone to rollovers during sharp turns and quick maneuvering. Another downside to the vehicle's height is its bumpers. If your SUV crashes into a small car, its high bumper will hit the car's weak areas and cause greater damage to the vehicle and injury to the occupants.

For these reasons, drivers of some SUV models pay higher car insurance rates than drivers of smaller vehicles.

New Safety Features for SUVs

  • Many new SUVs are being redesigned with lower bumpers, and automakers are considering lower heights and reduced weight to make them less dangerous to other vehicles.
  • Electronic Stability Control, or ESC, reduces SUV fatal single-vehicle rollovers by 80%, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
  • ESC is an extension of antilock brakes, and works by continuously monitoring your vehicle's reaction to the steering wheel. If ESC sensors detect that your SUV isn't responding correctly to your steering, the system automatically brakes individual wheels to keep your vehicle on course and under control.
  • If you do lose control, new air bag technology would sense the impending rollover and inflate rollover side-curtain air bags as the rollover starts. The air bags would deploy down from the side of the roof and stay inflated longer than regular airbags, in order to prevent ejection and protect you and your passengers' heads during the rollover.

Will You Spend More on Car Insurance With a SUV?

Because your SUV doesn't have to meet federal government bumper standards, even small accidents can cause a lot of damage--and large claims. Its tendency to rollover also results in larger repair and medical expenses. Each of these factors contribute to the additional 10-20% that SUV owners pay for car insurance.

Keeping your driving record clean and comparing multiple car insurance quotes with InsWeb.com can help you find the most competitive car insurance rates.