Last week the Ruston Daily Leader reported on a study done by ValuePeguin.com that revealed Ruston, LA as the second lowest-priced city for auto insurance in the state. ValuePeguin.com is a company helping to guide consumers in making purchase decisions based on in-depth research and analysis. The study done on car insurance rates in Louisiana required ValuePeguin.com to receive quotes from eight different auto insurance companies, including Allstate, State Farm, Encompass, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, California Casualty and Southern Farm Bureau. The study was not funded in any way by insurance companies, vehicles safety, or similar. They sampled the rates for a single 30-year old male driver, who drove a 2010 Toyota Corolla about 12,000 miles a year and had good credit and a safe driving record. ValuePenguin.com determined the average cost of car insurance rates for 40 cities in Louisiana.
Ruston, LA’s car insurance rates were determined to be as low as $1,404 a year for basic coverage. The city came in second to Minden, LA whose rates where the lowest in the state at $1,383 a year. The three most expensive cities included New Orleans, Arabi, and Kenner, with New Orleans leading the pack at $2,454 a year. Ruston’s rates were just under the state average, which were determined to be $1,656 a year.
There are a few factors as to why Ruston’s car insurance rates are so low in comparison to other cities in the state. As reported in the article, Davy Norris, executive director of enterprise and economic development at Louisiana Tech University states that the Ruston community is a much less congested area with shorter commutes and fewer accidents, thus leading to safer driving conditions. The city also exhibits good driving habits according to motor vehicle records. Additionally, accident and tickets rates are much lower and the city contains fewer uninsured motorists.
While the study shows that smaller cities, like Ruston do prove to have lower car insurance rates, there are still a number of elements that can cause prices to increase or decrease. This includes, the driver’s previous driving record, the type of vehicle being driven and the way the policy is set-up.