OAI: Alabama Eases Road for Seniors to Get Insurance Discount

MONTGOMERY, Ala., Sept. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In Alabama, completion of driver education courses hosted online can now qualify participating senior drivers for insurance premium discounts, highlighting the mandated price reductions that such programs give to older drivers in most states across the U.S., according to Online Auto Insurance.

Recent changes to the state's motor vehicle code made online courses eligible for the discount and also reduced the number of required course hours from eight to six. Older drivers who complete such courses will find cheaper auto insurance quotes online.

Such courses often retrain the elderly in important skills behind the wheel that may have gotten rusty over time including defensive and nighttime driving; only drivers over 55 years old are eligible for the discount.

Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have state-mandated discounts for older drivers who complete courses like the one provided by AARP. According to the Insurance Information Institute, most states discount drivers' liability coverage but some states apply different regulations—like Massachusetts, where the discount for older motorists covers all coverage for drivers over 65 years old.

The size of the discount depends on the state and insurer. Also, different programs are offered in different states; Florida has eight eligible courses, two of which can be taken online.

 In California, drivers 55 years old and completing a Mature Driver Improvement Course approved by the state Department of Motor Vehicles in the past three years can save up to 1.9 percent on their policy, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

According to the AAA, older drivers can experience reduced vision, flexibility and range of motion skills important to driving.

"Unless seniors make adjustments, those changes may make older drivers less comfortable and reduce control behind the wheel," according to the organization's website. 

Alabama's recent changes came from a piece of legislation, HB 193, which was passed by lawmakers in May in a smooth route through the Legislature; the bill garnered two unanimous supporting votes.

For more on this and related issues, head to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/ for access to an easy-to-use quote-comparison generator and informative resource pages.

SOURCE Online Auto, LLC