Survey shows many car insurance shoppers confused by terms
March 20, 2012
By: Carrie Van Brunt-Wiley
While auto insurance advertisements are very prevalent on television and other places, a recent survey found that many people are still very unclear about some of the more basic car insurance terms.
A recent poll conducted by Erie Insurance found that 48 percent of people incorrectly thought that liability or comprehensive coverage paid to fix their vehicle if they hit something while driving. The majority of people thought that additions to a policy were called affirmations or premiums, while the actual term is an endorsement.
Advertising only furthered that confusion, as more than 70 percent of people said that humorous advertisements had made them think less about the actual coverage they were buying.
"People are making very serious decisions about their financial well-being based on punch lines," said Cody Cook, vice president and product manager at Erie Insurance. "Insurance is complex. Making a decision based on price alone ... can have serious repercussions."
Letter: Hold off on Waltham Street project
As you may recall I have been speaking at the meetings and voicing my concerns against the Waltham St./Stanley Avenue project.
First and foremost I am a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and volunteer. I am not a lawyer, engineer or architect. If I have used the incorrect terminology, I apologize. My feelings come from my heart and the concern for the safety of my community and especially my immediate neighborhood. Neither our driveways nor streets were laid out for the vehicle usage that is being demanded at the present time.
Bromfield Street is a one- and two-family home neighborhood. In most of the homes there are multiple vehicles. I know that the town does not have an accurate number as some of these vehicles are registered out of state, and/or not in this community because of the high auto insurance costs. Fully realizing that is not under your jurisdiction, I know there is nothing you can do about that issue. I guess what I am pleading with you all is to consider the safety of the neighborhood to be your principal guide line to your vote. Stop signs do not cut it. Traffic lights do not stop accidents when someone chooses to run a yellow light.
Thirty-six percent of surveyed drivers who had read their auto insurance policies found them to be somewhat or very difficult to understand.” What causes this confusion? In some instances the terminology used in the policies can confuse policyholders. and more »
