Senior Auto Insurance Rates

Perhaps my age is a data selector for internet manipulators. Perhaps not. But I receive emails and Facebook ads for low premium auto insurance coverage for my age group. AARP touts very large discounts based on elder age, no DUIs for last 3 years, and low weekly mileage. All those points apply to me.

Social Security Services is also claimed to be a provider of auto insurance coverage for seniors with the same exact selector points. Then there are the big four insurers, they all claim legislation has required them to lower insurance premiums for elders above 60 years of age, with no DUI’s for the last 3 years and weekly mileage of less than 50 miles.

Then there are the special insurers who claim to focus on elders touting low premiums.

The premiums are all in the $20 to $40 monthly rates with full coverages or lean ones. The numbers are mostly the same, and message and selector categories identical. A person like me is supposed to believe that all of this is true.

But it is not. It is a scam. Participating in any of these ads exposes the customer to unending phone and email messages badgering them to take their offers and save money. However, money is almost always not saved. The connection does provide a sales opportunity for the insurers. And they pursue that connection insistently.

My driving habits have changed greatly since turning 80. I drive mostly locally doing errands like doctor appointments and lab visits, drug stores, grocery stores and of course gas stations. Church and a very occasional visit to a store for an odd thing or two, coaxes me out of my cocoon. 50 miles per week is a stretch. Both of my adult kids and families live about 13 miles from me, making for 26 mile round trips. That happens once a month or less. They visit me, too.

I’d like to travel again, but the walker makes that awkward. Always finding a motel with a ground floor unit available, or at least an elevator for higher floors, adds complexity. Lugging luggage is another bother. But the rest is quite doable. Portable oxygen units are at hand as well. My alertness and attention to detail continues as it always has. I’m more careful these days, anyway, and my safety record is quite excellent for someone who has driven about 2 million miles. I’m a safe bet for insurers. And the likelihood that travel will occur is very low. Besides, modern coverages charge by the mileage, so premiums rise accordingly.

The big question is this: Is there any truth at all about current advertising regarding elder drivers? Or is this truly a scam?

March 7, 2025

 

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