With miles of open roads, a low population density and a history of safe driving, older residents of Arkansas enjoy car insurance rates far lower than many other States. Indeed, the road safety statistics produced annually by the Arkansas State Police show a year on year decline of both fatal and non-fatal injuries – with the number of collisions reported to the police between 2006 and 2010 declining by over 50 per cent.

However, strict enforcement of laws concerning driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs has had little effect on the number of people under 21 years of age being killed and injured in road traffic accidents. This would explain why auto insurance rates in Arkansas are expensive for drivers up to age 25, and why it is advisable to shop around for the best Arkansas car insurance.

Arkansas Car Insurance Requirements

A further reason that residents of Arkansas enjoy inexpensive insurance premiums is that minimum liability limits are reasonably low. Many drivers feel that the liability limits are adequate for their needs, but you might wish to increase your coverage depending on the volume of driving that you do and whether it is in an urban or rural environment. Increasing your liability limits will only slightly increase your rates of insurance in Arkansas.

Minimum liability limits for auto insurance in Arkansas

$25,000 for injury/death to one person

$50,000 for injury/death to more than one person

$25,000 for damage to property

Arkansas Auto Insurance Laws

Proof of liability insurance is required when you first register a vehicle in Arkansas and, as you are legally obliged to present it to a police officer should he or she request to see it, proof of Arkansas auto insurance should stay in your vehicle at all times. If you cannot produce evidence of car insurance in Arkansas when requested, you will automatically be fined $25.00. If you have no car insurance, the fine could increase to $250.00, and repeat offenders can face up to a year in jail.

Arkansas takes its auto insurance laws seriously! In 2010, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration – the department responsible for policing auto insurance in Arkansas – reported that more than 63,000 driving violations in the previous year related to driving without insurance or not providing evidence of it when requested – almost as many violations as were recorded for speeding in the whole State (66,872)!

Recommended Arkansas Car Insurance Coverage

With low minimum liability limits for car insurance in Arkansas, one of the first recommendations is to increase the amount you are insured for to cover injury and death where you are at fault in a vehicle collision. Many personal injury claims after an auto accidents can result in settlements of compensation far exceeding the $25.000 minimum insurance liability in Arkansas, and you could find yourself in serious financial trouble if you are underinsured after an accident in which another driver was seriously injured and for which you were to blame.

Similarly, you may want to get an auto insurance quote in Arkansas for Personal Injury Protection, which provides you with medical coverage irrespective of who is at fault for the accident. With more than 63,000 violations for being uninsured – or for failing to provide evidence of Arkansas auto insurance – AND a low minimum liability limit, it is in your best interests to spend a little extra money on your Arkansas car insurance to avoid any excess medical costs.

Cheap Arkansas Car Insurance Quotes

The older you are and the more years of driving experience you have, the more likely you will be to get a cheap Arkansas car insurance quote, but there are ways of getting a better deal quickly and easily. Using a search facility to compare car insurance rates in Arkansas will enable you to see who is offering the best car insurance quote, and then you should ask them for any further discounts which may be applicable to you.

You should also consider increasing your deductable or investing in additional security devices to get the best deal on auto insurance in Arkansas, and young drivers – for whom car insurance in Arkansas can be expensive – should take an advanced drivers course or defensive drivers course to qualify them for auto insurance discounts. Whatever quote you are offered for car insurance in Arkansas, you should always ask about discounts.

If you are a low mileage driver, you may also benefit from enquiring about pay-as-you-drive auto insurance. These discounted car insurance policies in Arkansas will be of advantage to drivers who (say) leave their vehicle at the airport for days at a time when they commute long distance to work, or would be suitable for somebody with a second car that remains locked in the garage for most of the week.

Arkansas Car Insurance Ratings

The auto insurance quotes you receive will be calculated by Arkansas auto insurance companies using historical data (such as the Arkansas State Police report mentioned above) to determine what level of risk you present to them – or how much it might cost them should you be at fault in an accident.

This historical data is applied to many elements of car insurance in Arkansas, and your personal circumstances (including your credit rating) are also considered by the auto insurance companies in Arkansas before they arrive at your personal car insurance rating.

Other factors which may influence auto insurance quotes in Arkansas include:-

• Marital Status – As well as age being an important factor in obtaining low insurance rates in Arkansas, insurance companies believe that you are will be a safer driver if you are married. Female drivers are also considered to be of lower risk than their male counterparts.
• Your ZIP code – The reason that car insurance companies in Arkansas want to know your ZIP code is to determine whether the area you live in is classified as urban or rural. Even though urban areas in Arkansas are smaller than in some other States, the fact that you live in the country may lead to discounted insurance rates in Arkansas.
• Driving History and License Status – If you have been stopped by the police and been unable to show proof of auto insurance in Arkansas, the violation stays on your driving record for three years. More serious driving violations will require that you get SR-22 auto insurance in Arkansas.
• SR-22 Violations – Not all car insurance companies in Arkansas are prepared to issue SR-22 auto insurance, as an SR-22 violation indicates to them that you are a high risk driver. If you should need SR-22 car insurance in Arkansas, ensure your policy does not lapse, as this may result in a further violation and you could be paying expensive car insurance premiums for a further 5 years.
• Year, Make and Model of Vehicle – Auto insurance rates in Arkansas are influenced by the model and age of the car that you drive. Even though newer vehicles may be more valuable, they have more safety features for both the driver and other road users, and are less likely to be involved in a serious road traffic accident.
• Vehicle Usage – Even if you do not qualify for low mileage pay-as-you-drive car insurance in Arkansas, drivers who only use their vehicles for recreational purposes or at weekends will be quoted lower car insurance rates in Arkansas than drivers who use their vehicle to commute to work every day.

Most Stolen Cars and Vehicles in Arizona

Each year the National Insurance Crime Bureau produces a list of the most commonly stolen vehicles in Arkansas. Nicknamed “Hot Wheels”, if your vehicle appears on this list, you are likely to pay higher car insurance rates.

The list for 2009 was as follows:-

1.       Chevrolet Pick Up

2.       Ford F150 Pick Up

3.       Dodge Ram

4.       GMC Pick Up

5.       Honda Accord

6.       Chevrolet Caprice

7.       Oldsmobile Cutlass

8.       Ford Explorer

9.       Ford Mustang

10.     Chevrolet Impala

Where Your Car May Get Stolen in Arkansas

The National Insurance Crime Bureau also publishes a national list of the 360 districts in which your car is most likely to get stolen. This list is calculated on the number of car thefts per person resident in that area so, although Hot Springs (417) had fewer car thefts reported in 2009 than Little Rock (2,716), it appears at the top of the list for Arkansas car theft due to the size of its population.

Also, many cat thefts recorded as happening in Arkansas occur in towns which neighbor the State or straddle the State border. The figures in brackets indicate that district´s 2009 position in the national register of car theft.

1.       Hot Springs (29)

2.       Little Rock (41)

3.       Pine Bluff (44)

4.       Memphis (53)

5.       Texarkana (100)

6.       Jonesboro (147)

7.       Fort Smith (196)

8.       Fayetteville (251)

Typical Arkansas Car Insurance Rates

Car insurance rates in Arkansas vary considerably depending on your age and any recorded driving or insurance violations. The list below represents what the average car insurance policy cost in certain cities in 2009, but younger drivers should expect to pay more than the figures listed below.

Car Insurance in Fort Smith – $1,119

Car Insurance in Springdale $1,120

Car Insurance in Rogers – $1,218

Car Insurance in Fayetteville – $1,122

Car Insurance in Conway – $1,241

Car Insurance in North Little Rock – $1,270

Car Insurance in Hot Springs – $1,285

Car Insurance in Jonesboro – $1,287

Car Insurance in Pine Bluff – $1,304

Car Insurance in Little Rock – $1,431

Arkansas Car Insurance Companies

Even car insurance companies will admit that there is no such thing as the “best car insurance company in Arkansas”. Some Arkansas auto insurance companies will be better for older drivers, others will offer preferential car insurance rates for people in certain professions. The quickest way to compare car insurance rates in Arkansas is to insert your ZIP code into the box at the top of the page and get a free quote from a number of Arkansas car insurance companies.

Although you may be an older driver with no driving violations, you could still save up to 50 per cent on your Arkansas auto insurance rates by using our car insurance comparison tool. You could then use the savings to upgrade the insurance coverage on your car from basic liability to fully comprehensive – protecting you from theft, personal injury and acts of nature such as tornados.