Best Auto Insurance rates in Buffalo, New York

Compare Auto Insurance in Buffalo

Friday, November 9 2018 By Shantae Young

Buffalo, New York, is home to the professional football team the Buffalo Bills. From watching Tyrod Taylor throw a touchdown scoring pass to disappointing flag calls, this city has a lot of action to offer resident sports fans.

One thing we know for sure is there should never be a "flag call" on affordable car insurance. Avoid that by letting QuoteWizard help you find car insurance coverage that fits your needs as well as your budget.

Average Buffalo Car Insurance Rates

How much is car insurance in Buffalo, NY? Residents shouldn't be surprised to hear car insurance costs more in Buffalo than it does in many other parts of the US. Average insurance rates in New York are a bit higher than the national average. The average cost of auto insurance in New York is $1,234.84 per year. The national average cost is $889.01.

Prices vary depending on zip code, so you may pay less.

The graph below shows the change in average New York insurance rates from 2011 to 2015, the most recent year the data is available. According to the III, New York car insurance rates increased from $1,111 in 2011 to $1,234 in 2015, a jump of $123, or 11.12 percent.

QuoteWizard helps consumers compare quotes from both national insurance companies and local independent agents. Comparing quotes can help you find cheap car insurance rates near Buffalo, New York and save up to 40% on your premium.

Last year, 10,968 people used QuoteWizard to get an auto insurance quote comparison in Buffalo, NY from multiple companies.

Best Car Insurance Companies in Buffalo, NY

This is our list of the most common car insurance companies reported by QuoteWizard users living in Buffalo, New York last year. Of the 10,968 people who used QuoteWizard last year, only 450 wee uninsured.

Other popular Buffalo, NY car insurance companies: Erie, USAA, Safeco, MetLife, AIG, Mercury, Hartford, and American Family.

Top 10 Vehicles

These are the most common car makes and models owned by Buffalo, NY drivers requesting quotes through QuoteWizard last year.

Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo, New York has a minimum coverage requirement known as the 25/50/10 rule. This means each policy must include at least the following three components:

• Individual Bodily Injury Liability (BIL): $25,000.
  The maximum amount insurance companies will pay for an individual person injured in a car accident.
• Total Bodily Injury Liability: $50,000.
  The total your provider will pay in total for every person injured in a car accident.
• Property Damage Liability (PDL): $10,000.
  The most your insurer will pay for property damage caused by a car accident.

Buffalo Drivers

Allstate Insurance recently published a report ranking cities by how safe their drivers are (or are not, in some cases). Buffalo drivers ranked 152nd out of 200 cities. While most US drivers go ten years between accidents, drivers here are involved in car accidents every 7.6 years. That’s much worse than the national average. In addition, out of all the QuoteWizard users in Buffalo, 217 reported incidents on their driving records.

Driving Conditions

Factors that affect insurance rates  in Buffalo are the weather and road conditions.

Weather

Summers in Buffalo are warm and bright. Residents enjoy as many as 155 days with at least partial sunshine annually. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year, with around 166 days seeing measurable precipitation. Snow is very common here; Buffalo receives around 82 inches in a typical winter.

Road Conditions

According to a recent study by TRIP, 47% of the major roads in and around Buffalo are in poor or mediocre condition. These pothole-filled streets cost drivers $390 a year in extra vehicle operating costs.

Traffic Congestion

Traffic data provider Inrix has created a traffic scorecard that ranks US cities by traffic congestion. Buffalo ranked 49th for yearly traffic delay. Commuters here were delayed 40 hours last year, which cost them 21 gallons of gas and about $918.

Moving Violations

Some of the moving violations that will give you a bad driving record and raise your insurance rates: speeding tickets, running red lights, accidents, and drunk driving.

Traffic Tickets

The City of Buffalo Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency website lets you pay non-criminal traffic citations, tells drivers how to request a hearing to contest a ticket, and provides helpful traffic court information.

Drunk Driving Accidents and Fatalities

Erie County recorded 74 traffic accidents involving alcohol in 2014. Of those accidents, 37 resulted in injuries, and nine resulted in fatalities.

SR-22 DWI Insurance

A DWI conviction will require you to obtain an SR-22 form. To get the lowest rate for the most expensive type of coverage, get a quote and compare rates from top companies that specialize in Buffalo DWI insurance.

Car Accident Statistics

Buffalo officials reported 5,419 auto crashes in 2016 resulting in 4,002 injuries.

Traffic Fatalities

Fourteen people died due to motor vehicle crashes in Buffalo in 2016. That means the fatality rate here is 5.44 per 100,000 residents. All traffic deaths are tragic, but considering Buffalo’s estimated population of 256,902, this is a safe US city in terms of such fatalities.

Vehicle Theft

Buffalo reported 983 motor vehicle thefts in 2016. That’s a rate of 3.81 per 1,000 residents--well above the national average of 2.20 per 1,000.

Car Insurance Discounts

Are you looking for affordable car insurance? Discounts are one of the best ways to lower your rates. These are some of the many auto insurance discounts available to drivers in Buffalo, NY depending on your carrier.

1. Bundle your auto policy with your homeowners, renters insurance. Bundling your policies together can knock 20% off your premium
2. Drive less. Live close to work and get the low mileage discount
3. If you're 55 or older you could qualify for either the senior discount or the 55 and retired discount
4. Keep your driving history clean. Drivers without tickets or accidents on their record pay lower rates
5. Get a new car to qualify for the new car discount. If the car has safety features like anti-lock brakes or electronic stability control, you might be entitled to additional discounts
6. Take a defensive driving course from an accredited driving school

Sources:

• City of Buffalo, NY
• Buffalo Traffic Violations Agency - City of Buffalo
• United States Census Bureau - Buffalo, NY
• Buffalo New York Crime Rates

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