Having your car insured is a legal requirement for operating vehicles in all the states of the US. That's quite similar to having your driver's license when you get behind the steering wheel. And just like having problems with the law when you don't have your driver's license with you while driving, the same applies to vehicle insurance. Of course, most drivers think that they are responsible enough to drive safely and avoid any accidents on the road. But it's hard to predict anything when there are so many cars on the road, and you have to carry enough coverage so that any liability caused by an accident would be covered properly. Besides, while you're sure about your skills, can you say that other drivers in the traffic are as responsible as you are? There are many drivers out there who tend to get frivolous and aggressive on the road, and that's exactly what you should stay alert for.

Such drivers are considered as high risk drivers. There are many ways a driver can be labeled as a high risk, ranging from accidents to driving under influence and all the speeding tickets in between. If the person tends to break the common rules of safe traffic, he or she is automatically classified as a risky driver and this usually means higher car insurance rates. Moreover, some insurance companies won't be willing to deal with such drivers at all, denying their applications.

But it's not limited to bad driving. Many insurance companies take the driver's credit rating as an important factor for determining his or her risk grade. It was statistically proven that drivers with bad credit scores tend to files claims more often than car owners with good credit ratings. Other factors that significantly impact your auto insurance quotes are your age and sex. People who are younger than 25 and older than 70 are considered to be high risk drivers because these age groups have the highest claim rates compared to other age groups. And even if you have a perfectly clean record and are a safe driver, you're still considered as a high risk if you're a teen driver. When it comes to gender, women tend to have lower car insurance rates than men because female drivers are statistically safer and less likely to take risks behind the wheel.

The car itself can also put you in the high risk category. If you drive a powerful sports or performance car you are very likely to have higher rates than your neighbor who's driving a family minivan. Even if you don't have any speeding tickets or accidents on your driving record. That's because owning a fast and powerful vehicle gives you the temptation of using its power and speed, and insurance companies always assess their risks with adequate rates.

If you are classified as a high risk driver there's no reason to worry, though. Most insurance companies offer non-standard insurance policies that are designed to meet the needs of risky drivers. Moreover, there are a lot of options with non-standard policies, and by shopping around you can actually find a decent and cheap coverage option for your vehicle.