Online Auto Insurance News

Auto insurance companies use perceived risk, in part, to determine what it will cost to cover a driver. Rates rise and fall, and one guaranteed way to increase them is receiving a DUI.

California has introduced a new way for drivers to avoid getting DUIs. Taxi Magic and the California Office of Traffic Safety have teamed up to encourage designating a sober driver. Taxi Magic, a free smartphone application, makes it simpler for consumers to get a taxi ride home. It will get in touch with, track, and can even pay for the cab ride.

Drivers under the influence of alcohol or other substances are responsible for the majority of California’s fatal crashes, according to the OTS. Christopher Murphy, OTS director, said that "while we have long advocated taxi cabs as a good alternative in the list of designated sober driving possibilities, the ease and extras offered through the technology of Taxi Magic make it a great service for those who shouldn’t be driving."

Efforts have been made over the last 25 years to prevent alcohol-related car crashes. There’s been a 37 percent decrease since 1982 of fatal auto accidents with drivers who are legally impaired, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.