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A popular vacation spot in Southern California, San Diego offers driving that is often anything but relaxing. With nearly 1.5 million residents and many more people coming and going year-round, freeways are often congested, and finding parking downtown can be quite difficult. It’s recommended that you allow extra time for any trips you’re making, particularly from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 7 p.m., as traffic is at its peak. Due to the sheer number of cars on the road, accidents happen often, so it’s important to enroll in auto coverage that keeps you protected.
The average cost of California car insurance will vary from city to city and between insurance companies. Insurify analyzed the latest insurance rates in San Diego, CA to find you the cheapest quotes in the area.
Here are the cheapest carriers in San Diego for the following user profile: a single, 30 year old male with a clean driving record who drives a 2012 Honda Accord and pays a $1,000 deductible for the state’s minimum liability insurance.
| Cheapest Companies | |
|---|---|
 State Farm | $61/mo |
GEICO | $67/mo |
 Nationwide | $120/mo |
 Mercury | $122/mo |
 American Family | $129/mo |
The Insurify Composite Score is calculated by analyzing multiple factors that indicate the quality, reliability, and health of an insurance company. Inputs to the score include financial strength ratings from A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, and Fitch; J.D. Power ratings, Consumer Reports customer satisfaction surveys, mobile app reviews, and user-generated carrier reviews. The following are the top rated carriers that offer car insurance in San Diego. For the complete list, see Insurify's best car insurance companies.
| Best Companies | ||
|---|---|---|
 Clearcover | $113/mo | |
Mercury | $161/mo | |
 Travelers | $129/mo | |
 21st Century | $135/mo | |
 National General | $173/mo |
| Los Angeles | $149/mo |
| San Jose | $100/mo |
| San Francisco | $132/mo |
| Fresno | $102/mo |
| San Diego | $100/mo |
| California | $117/mo |
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California effected a number of new traffic laws for 2018, including legislation on DUI policies for rideshare service drivers, seat belts on public transport, and smoking or ingesting cannabis in moving vehicles. Most significantly, a change in the California Department of Motor Vehicle's road rehabilitation and maintenance program signals that registration or renewed registration of a motor vehicle will now come with a fee of $25 to $175.
California's minimum liability car insurance limits are as follows:
Home to beautiful weather and busy freeways, San Diego tends to favor drivers when it comes to car insurance rates. As is common, those under the age of 20 pay the most for coverage at around $360. But this drops down to $148 by the time you reach age 30. As motorists in San Diego get older, their rates do fluctuate up and down by $20 to $30 each decade, with those in their 70s paying about the same as those in their 30s.
| Driver's Age | |
|---|---|
| teens | $361 |
| 20s | $230 |
| 30s | $149 |
| 40s | $164 |
| 50s | $236 |
| 60s | $172 |
| 70s | $149 |
| 80s | $183 |
| Driving History | |
|---|---|
| No Violation | $189 |
| Speeding Ticket | $238 |
| At-Fault Accident | $221 |
| Failure to Stop for Red Light / Stop Sign | $223 |
Anyone with a clean driving history should aim to keep it that way in San Diego, as their car insurance premiums will be the lowest around. Starting at $188 with no violations, rates will get a boost from an at-fault accident to $220 a month. Failing to stop at an intersection drives prices an average of $2 higher, yet the real increase comes if you’re involved in an at-fault accident. Motorists with that violation on their record pay up to $237 on average.
The majority of drivers in San Diego have excellent credit, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to great prices. Individuals in this tier pay an average of $191, while those slightly below them in the good category are charged $217. Having average or even poor credit won’t affect your rates much in San Diego, as residents often pay $169 and $115, respectively. Keep in mind that car insurance premiums are affected by a variety of factors.
| Credit Tie | |
|---|---|
| Excellent | $192 |
| Good | $218 |
| Average | $170 |
| Poor | $116 |
Drivers who need to visit a DMV office should plan ahead, as San Diego only has one location in the greater metropolitan area. Open Monday through Friday only, wait times can exceed an hour, depending on the time of day you visit. If you’re in a rush, it might be worth taking a 20-minute drive to a nearby suburb and visiting a DMV office there.
Given that San Diego is a hub of adventure, the city offers a lot of options when it comes to public transportation. Bus routes can take you to every corner of the area, while a waterfront shuttle is available between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Trains, trolleys, and pedicabs are also popular options if you want to do some sightseeing around the area. As is the case in most major U.S. cities, it’s easy to take Uber or Lyft to any number of destinations.
While driving in San Diego may not be as stressful as Los Angeles, this busy city certainly has its fair share of congested freeways. Before you hit the road, it’s best to familiarize yourself with California driving regulations and have a full understanding of what you can and cannot do on the road.
Whether you’ve just moved to San Diego and you need new auto coverage or you’re simply looking to change your current policy, it’s best to shop around for the policy that offers the most coverage at a rate you can afford. Visit Insurify today to see all of your options and have peace of mind that you’re adequately protected while on the road.
Drawing from their database of over 4 million car insurance shopper applications, the data scientists at Insurify have published various reports on driver behavior and car ownership — including how San Diego drivers measure up to their fellow California motorists in the rankings above.
From driver performance across different geographical locations and demographics to patterns in motor vehicle ownership and auto insurance coverage, Insurify Insights publishes data-driven articles, trend analyses, and national and local rankings each week on all factors related to cars and those who drive them.
While car accidents are a sadly unavoidable feature of time spent on the road, rates of accidents do vary from city to city and from state to state. San Diego drivers rank 82 in the number of car accidents per driver across all cities in California.
Exceeding the speed limit can endanger others and leave a permanent stain on your driving record. When compared to other cities in California, San Diego drivers rank 120 in the number of speeding infractions per driver.
While driving while intoxicated is never acceptable, it’s a more common offense than many assume. San Diego drivers rank 121 in the number of DUI’s per driver across all cities in California.
Some car models are just more popular than others and trends can vary from place to place. The most popular vehicle in San Diego is the Honda Civic.
The Insurify team classifies rude drivers as those who commit the following driving offenses: failure to yield or failure to stop, improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, or hit-and-runs. Among all cities in California, San Diego drivers rank 59 in rude driving infractions.
Having a squeaky-clean driving record is an accomplishment to be proud of. Some cities have safer drivers than others; San Diego drivers rank 43 in clean driving records across all cities in California.
Failing to yield the right of way isn’t just frustrating for other drivers; it’s dangerous, too. San Diego drivers rank 34 in failure to yield violations per driver across all cities in California.
Reckless driving refers to a specific traffic violation: when drivers willfully act dangerously in spite of the risks they’re imposing on both themselves and others. Among all cities in California, San Diego drivers rank 50 in the number of reckless driving offenses per driver.
As auto manufacturers increasingly turn towards producing greener car models, more and more motorists are embracing hybrids and EV’s. San Diego drivers rank 88 in hybrid and electric vehicle ownership across all cities in California.
The car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations on this page are derived from Insurify’s proprietary database of over 4 million car insurance applications from ZIP codes across the United States. Insurify’s data science team performs a comprehensive analysis of the various factors car insurance providers take into account while setting rates to provide readers insight into how car insurance quotes are priced.
