Is it More Expensive to Drive in South Carolina or North Carolina? 

Driving might seem like it’s the same no matter where you are, but the truth is a little more complicated than this. It is important to make sure you understand the differences presented between states when you are looking to be a driver and make the most of driving. Now, there are some states that are married to one another, but that do things very differently. For instance, there are plenty of differences between the Carolina’s, though they may seem similar.

North Carolina is known for Mount Mitchell, barbecue, and Ryan Adams. South Carolina is the home of shrimp, palmetto trees, and is known for its role in the civil war. Now, hoth of these wonderful Southern states also have very different costs of driving, and it seems important to be au fait with these differences, and look at how they can affect and impact you as a driver, especially if you’re traveling cross-state. There is no question that the main cost you are going to need to think about when it comes to this is the cost of car insurance. This is something that plays a massive role in the process, and you have to do as much as possible to look at the differences, and figure out which state is the cheapest, as well as the things that impact and affect your insurance rates. 

Your Driving History Plays a Role 

As you might imagine with most insurance policies, your driving history has a big bearing on the amount you can expect to pay in these states. Of course, there are a lot of things to think about, but, for the most part, you want to try to be as good a driver as possible. There are so many things that play a role in helping you secure a reduced insurance premium, but one of the best is to make sure you drive safely and sensibly, and avoid accidents. In North Carolina, in particular, if you get a ticket or commit a violation, you can expect your premiums to shoot up. Indeed, the state even has a Safe Driver Incentive Plan that increases premiums for 3 years after a violation, so make sure you stay safe! History can also affect your insurance rates in South Carolina too, but they take other factors into account as well, such as your credit. 

Credit Matters

Another of the factors that matters a lot when it comes to your car insurance is your credit history. Now, this is not a typical factor to keep in mind when you are trying to assess your premiums. Both North and South Carolina allow insurance companies to use your credit history as one of the determining factors when it comes to setting and determining your insurance premiums. The difference is that in North Carolina, an adverse credit rating doesn’t really impact your insurance rates too much. However, in South Carolina, your credit history has a profound impact on the amount you can expect to pay as a driver, even more than something like a DWI! So make sure you keep this in mind as much as possible moving forward right now. 

There are Minimum Requirements

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are minimum requirements to consider when it comes to your insurance premiums as well. And this is something that plays a big part in allowing you to try to reduce the cost of your premiums. Every state will set its own car insurance minimum, which represents the minimum insurance someone can carry and still legally drive. There are numerous breakdowns for these minimums, but the important thing to note is that South Carolina’s are cheaper. 

Discounts

If you are dead set on scooping discounted car insurance then North Carolina is the place to be for you. This is because the state regulators actually cap car insurance rates statewide, and this drives the prices down so that company’s can be more competitive. This is not to say that South Carolina doesn’t offer some good discounted rates, but they are not quite as good as the ones that you get to enjoy in North Carolina. You can find plenty of great discounts when you are looking for some of the most competitive car insurance premiums across the two states. And this is something you are going to have to get right moving forward. 

Who is Cheapest?

So, now we come to the million dollar question of who offers the cheapest car insurance premiums between the two states. Well, South Carolina has a lot of perks, but it simply cannot compete with North Carolina when it comes to providing cheap and affordable car insurance. This is due in large part to the tighter regulations in place, making North Carolina the 6th cheapest state in the entire country for car insurance. What’s more, of the 10 cheapest cities for car insurance across the nation, 6 of them are found in North Carolina. 

As you can see, there are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind moving forward, and there are a lot of elements that play a part in this. You have to assess the differences between premiums state to state, and look at what you can do to reduce yours. It is significantly more expensive to drive in South Carolina than North Carolina, and this is due largely to the expensive insurance found in SC.