Cost of longer commute: Higher insurance premiums


4 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — People in Price, Utah, enjoy Utah's best commute times, and Eagle Mountain residents endure the state's worst commute times, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

While many commuters factor in gas and wear-and-tear on their cars as commuting costs, few realize the more miles they commute, the more money they'll likely have to pay for their auto insurance premium, an industry expert said.

With less than 14 minutes for the average drive time, it's easy to see why people in Price love their commutes. But why are people in Eagle Mountain willing to put up with a nearly 38-minute drive to their jobs every work day?

"They can get more for their money (living in Eagle Mountain) — more acreage, more square footage," said Rachel Drake, a community manager at insurance firm Obrella. "It's just close enough to the urban hubs that the daily commute is manageable."

Drake said the possibility of increased insurance premiums is all about risk.

"Insurance companies do not believe someone who drives 37 miles a day is a worse driver than someone who drives 10. They're just interested in the opportunity for your vehicle to get exposed."

Motorists who move or get a new job and increase their commute time may see their premiums rise, Drake said. Even if the drive time doesn't change, a change in geography can impact the rate.

"If you move to a better area with a lower crime rate, you may see a decrease in your car insurance premium," Drake said.

Drake noted other problems with longer commutes.

A recent study in Sweden found if one partner in a marriage commuted more than 45 minutes a day, a divorce was 40 percent more likely, she said. And a Cal State-Long Beach and UCLA study found the commute time to be the No. 1 predictor of obesity, according to Drake.

Photos

Related links

Related stories

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Bill Gephardt

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast