Oregon auto insurance
Compare, shop and customize quotes from top-rated insurance carriers.
Oregon auto insurance buyer's guide
Oregon traffic deaths cost residents of the state more than $6 million in medical costs and $634 million in work loss costs in 2018. With fatalities on the state's roads increasing in the past several years, these costs have likely only gone up.
Law enforcement blames an increase in aggressive driving on major roadways, such as U.S. 101, Highway 97 and I-5. If you must travel on these dangerous roads, protecting yourself with Oregon auto insurance is critical.
Oregon traffic accident statistics
After hitting a 30-year high in 2021, Oregon traffic deaths decreased in 2022. But pedestrian deaths, particularly amongst the state's unhoused population, continued to rise. Of the 608 traffic fatalities in 2022, 128 of the people who died were pedestrians.
Officials say most traffic deaths are preventable. Wide roads, drivers running stop lights and excessive speed contributed to the rise in pedestrian fatalities.
The top five driver errors that contribute to crashes in Oregon include:
• Failure to avoid stopped or parked vehicles.
• Failure to yield the right of way.
• Driving off the road.
• Driving too fast for the conditions.
• Inattention.
Pedestrian errors, such as crossing between intersections, not yielding the right of way and inattention also contributed to accidents.
January is the worst month for crashes, with approximately 4,300 crashes happening in the first month of 2020. With more than 6,300 crashes, Friday is the worst day and with 3,440 crashes, 5:00 p.m. to 5:59 p.m. is the worst hour. Multnomah county had the most crashes — nearly 7,000 — in 2020.
In 2020, the majority of the state's crashes occurred on city roads. Highways other than interstates had the second most crashes. County roads came in third, and interstates had the fourth most. While city roads had the highest number of crashes, the rate of fatal crashes was higher for highways and county roads, particularly those outside the city limits.
Types of Oregon auto insurance coverage
Oregon law mandates that drivers and vehicle owners have car insurance policies that meet certain minimum requirements. Most insurance companies also provide Oregon auto insurance quotes for several optional coverages.
Liability insurance
Oregon drivers must purchase these coverages:
Bodily Injury
Suppose you or someone you allow to drive your car causes an accident that injures one or more people. In that case, your Bodily Injury Liability coverage pays for the injured person's medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other related expenses. It does not pay for your own injuries.
Property Damage
Property Damage Liability pays for damage you or another covered driver causes to someone else's vehicle or other property. It does not pay for damage to your vehicle.
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist
Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage is a required coverage that pays for your medical and other expenses if someone who does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance causes an accident that injures you or your family members.
Personal Injury Protection
Personal Injury Protection is a required coverage that pays for the medical expenses or funeral costs of the occupants of your vehicle who are hurt or killed in an auto accident. It may also cover lost wages resulting from the accident.
Collision Coverage
Collision Coverage is an optional, no-fault coverage that pays for damage to your vehicle if you hit another vehicle or object or are hit by an uninsured driver.
Comprehensive Coverage
If someone steals or vandalizes your car, or weather, animals or falling objects damage it, optional Comprehensive Coverage pays to repair or replace your vehicle. Additionally, if something other than a collision causes damage to your car's windshield or other glass, this coverage will pay for the repairs.
Oregon minimum insurance requirements
Oregon drivers and vehicle owners must purchase at least the minimum coverages that state law requires:
• $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for Bodily Injury Liability.
• $20,000 per accident for Property Damage Liability.
• $15,000 for Personal Injury Protection.
• $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for Uninsured Motorist coverage. This coverage pays for expenses when you are hit by an at-fault driver who didn’t carry insurance.
You may want to consider purchasing higher limits for these coverages to protect yourself against catastrophic losses.
Average cost of Oregon auto insurance
Oregon drivers pay an average annual premium of $1,375 for full coverage. Nationally, the average annual premium is $1,775 for full coverage.
Oregon drivers who want to save money on their car insurance rates should compare the prices of different insurance companies. You can easily compare multiple auto insurance companies by requesting Oregon auto insurance quotes from VIU by HUB.
Factors that affect Oregon auto insurance rates
Oregon insurance companies consider a variety of factors when determining insurance rates.
Location
Insurance companies consider location-specific factors, such as crime statistics, population density and claim frequency, when determining rates. Drivers in densely populated areas pay higher premiums than drivers located in more rural locations.
Age
Age is another major determining factor in insurance rates. Young, inexperienced drivers tend to pay the highest rates. An 18-year-old driver pays an average of $1,927 for minimum coverage and $4,280 for full coverage. By age 25, the average rates start to drop and continue to drop until drivers approach 70 years of age.
Driving record
No matter what age you are, you can keep your rates low by avoiding accidents and tickets. A speeding ticket can increase your rates by 25%. An accident may cause a 50% increase and a DUI conviction can drive your rates up by 75%.
This information is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
Sources:
Auto insurance in Oregon by city
Understand risks, minimum state coverage requirements, average costs and other specifics that can impact auto insurance policies and premium rates in your city.