North Dakota Car Insurance Information And Statistics

North Dakota is located along the Canadian-U.S. border, in the Midwest. It is a sparsely populated but economically strong state. The auto insurance regulations are strictly enforced and should be understood before registering a vehicle here. This information, along with useful North Dakota auto insurance ratings, can be found through the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

North Dakota Automobile Statistics

North Dakota boasted a population of about 647,000 people in 2009. Of these, over two-thirds of the population, 476,000 people, were licensed drivers. These were about half men and half women. Seat-belt usage is at about 80 percent of drivers, not as high as desired. Seventy-six percent of fatal crashes in North Dakota in 2006 involved people not wearing seat belts.

There are about 87,000 miles of road in North Dakota. This is broken up into 85,000 miles of rural roads and 2,000 miles of urban roads. Of these, 80% are local roads. Only .7% are interstate highways, and there are no freeways or expressways in this state. The average resident ends up spending 16 minutes driving to work each and every day. A highly detailed map of the conditions of the major roads can be found at the North Dakota Department of Transportation website, on the Travel Information Map. This zoomable map color-codes the roads by their conditions - green is good condition, blue is wet/slush covered, purple is snow covered, red is a blocked road, etc.

There were 859 automobile thefts in 2010 in North Dakota, which is about average for the state. Of these, some cars were stolen more than others. Here are the top five most stolen cars in the state:

Number 5 - 2001 Pontiac Grand Am

Number 4 – 1998 Dodge Ram 1500

Number 3 – 2005 Chevrolet Impala

Number 2 – 1998 Ford F-150

Number 1 – 1997 Chevrolet C/K 1500

Generally, the newer model cars are stolen and then resold as they are. The older cars are scrapped for their component parts, which makes them almost impossible to trace. North Dakota cheap car insurance plans may not cover auto theft, so a more comprehensive plan may be appropriate for some situations.

North Dakota Auto Insurance Requirements

Residents must be at least 16 years old to drive. All vehicles registered and operated in North Dakota must carry minimum insurance coverage consisting of five different types:

Body injury liability - $5,000 per person, $50,000 per accident minimum. This provides coverage for bodily injuries caused to other people.

Property damage liability – $25,000 per accident minimum. This provides coverage for damage caused to property belonging to other people, as well as cars rented for short-time personal use.

Uninsured motorist coverage - $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident minimum. This type of coverage is for situations in which the insured party sustains a bodily injury from a driver without insurance to pay for it.

Underinsured motorist coverage – The amount must be equal to the uninsured motorist coverage. This insurance provides coverage in situations where the insured is injured by a driver who has an insufficient amount of insurance coverage to pay for the damages.

Basic no-fault - $30,000 per person minimum. Also known as Personal Injury Protection, this type of coverage is for economic losses due to an auto accident, regardless of who is at fault. This can cover medical expenses, lost work time, and other legitimate losses.

These are the basic requirements, but many people choose to get more extensive coverage. North Dakota car insurance quotes will usually include all of these coverages unless specifically stated otherwise.

North Dakota Car Insurance Companies

The first place to being researching car insurance is on the insurance regulator's website, ND.gov/ndins/. This site contains all the information about the requirements for driving a vehicle, what to know about auto insurance, and how to get help from the state government if you need it. This organization regulates the insurance rates for the state, and companies must comply with its standards. North Dakota car insurance rates are generally lower than the national average, at around $1,200. The national average is about $1,400. These premiums are determined by a statistical analysis of the expected loss cost.

A good place to start looking for an insurance provider is the North Dakota Department of Motor Vehicles website. There are many providers of North Dakota cheap car insurance, so it is worth taking the time to compare prices and find the most appropriate insurance package available. This site provides an easy, all-in-one format to compare the rates of Geico, Esurance, Progressive, Travelers, and Nationwide Auto Insurance. Each of these companies have their own approval standards and rates.

The North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan

Some drivers are unable to be approved by these insurance companies due to a bad driving record. To provide these drivers with coverage, the North Dakota Automobile Insurance Plan was created; it is also known as the assigned risk plan. This insurance plan is available to any eligible driver, no matter what their driving history is. To be eligible for this plan, a driver must be a resident of North Dakota, have the vehicle registered in North Dakota, have a valid North Dakota driver's license, and have no unpaid auto insurance premiums in the past year. This insurance plan is more expensive than other third-party plans, but it is available to anyone who can't qualify for coverage by any other means.

North Dakota car insurance premiums are expensive, but they can be cut down by being a good driver and taking advantage of available discounts through your insurance provider. They can be reduced with a good credit score, so it is worth the time and effort to build up good credit. Careful, defensive driving will also save money because the insurance premiums of the person at fault in an accident will usually go up.

There are a number of discounts available from insurance companies to help reduce the premium payments. Drivers who attend a certified defensive driving course are eligible to receive a discount on their monthly or annual premiums. There are also good student discounts, good driver/accident-free discounts, anti-lock brakes discounts, and an anti-theft discount, among others. There's no doubt about it, North Dakota is a driver-friendly state.