Insurance guide compares auto premiums of various companies

CARSON CITY -- If you're shopping around for low-cost auto insurance and live in Las Vegas, you might try United Services Automobile Association.

The state Insurance Division Tuesday issued its annual guide comparing prices of car insurance costs and United Services came out with the lowest prices in a majority of the examples.

The division said a national report found the average annual premium in Nevada in 1996 was $912, compared to the national average of $774. This book, available to consumers at no charge, is aimed at helping the car owner in shopping for motor vehicle coverage.

Insurance Commissioner Alice Molasky-Arman said, the guide "demonstrates the significant differences among premiums charged by insurers by showing 10 examples of auto insurance prices from various insurance companies."

For the comparisons, the division uses a 1997 four-door Ford Taurus GL Sedan with an automatic transmission. The mythical insurance policy would have personal liability of $25,000 per person and $25,000 per accident property damage; a $250 deductible for each collision and comprehensive; $5,000 per accident for medical payments; and $15,000 per person per accident for an uninsured motorist.

For example, in the Las Vegas zip code of 89107, a 62-year-old married retired couple with a clean driving record that puts less than 7,500 miles on their car annually would pay a premium of $621 for a policy from United Services Automobile Association. The highest rate for the couple would be charged by Dairyland Insurance at $2,572.

A 35-year-old married female who had one speeding ticket in the past 12 months and one at fault accident with damage of more than $1,000 in the past 21 months would find the lowest annual premium of $1,386 from United Services Automobile Association and the highest at $5,588 from Mid-Century Insurance Co.

The guide says a 25-year-old single male with a clean record who drives more than 12,000 miles a year would pay $1,070 to United Services Automobile Association and $3,847 to Dairyland for the same coverage.

The publication shows the rates for males are higher than females and that teenagers pay more. "Statistically males have more accidents than females," Molasky-Arman said. "Insurers also have statistics that show a higher number of claims for some age groups than for others. For these reasons, young men tend to pay more for insurance than young women, and a person under 25 will pay more for insurance than a person of age 35."

For a 17-year-old female with a clean driving record who drives more than 12,000 miles a year, the lowest rate would be $1,622 at United Services Automobile Association and the highest would be $6,366 at Progressive Casualty Insurance Co.

But for the 17-year-old boy in similar circumstances, the low rate is $2,569 at United Services Automobile Association and the high is $9,000 at Progressive Casualty.

The booklet shows that rates in Las Vegas are higher than in Reno, Carson City, Lake Tahoe and rural Nevada. For instance the low rate for the 62-year old married retired couple in Las Vegas is $621 compared to $512 in Reno and $479 in Carson City.

Molasky-Arman said, "Generally, more claims are made from urban areas with tendencies of busy traffic, thefts, vandalism, etc., than from rural areas."

The books can be obtained from the insurance division at 2501 East Sahara Avenue, Room 302 in Las Vegas.

Molasky-Arman said before signing up for an insurance policy, a consumer should call the divisiion to verify the company and the agent are licensed. "If you do business with an unlicensed agent or company, you have no guarantee that the coverage you pay for will ever be honored," she said.

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