Car Insurance for Seniors in Michigan

If you’re buying car insurance as a senior in the state of Michigan, first make sure you’re fulfilling the state’s minimum coverage requirements.

Minimum Coverage in Michigan

Michigan requires liability coverage, which is made up of bodily injury coverage and property damage coverage, plus PIP. You must get these liability limits at a minimum to drive on Michigan’s public roads legally:

Coverage Types

Let’s explain what those insurance coverages actually mean, along with some other coverages you should consider adding to your policy.

• Bodily injury coverage: Bodily injury coverage pays for other people’s medical expenses in accidents you caused. On the other hand, if you were injured when someone hit your car, their bodily injury coverage would pay your medical bills through a third-party claim.
• Property damage coverage: Property damage coverage works the same as bodily injury coverage, but it covers physical damage to someone’s vehicle or property, like a mailbox, rather than injuries.
• Personal injury protection: PIP covers not only medical expenses but also lost wages and child care costs you incur as a result of a car accident. Since Michigan is a no-fault state, each party is responsible for their own medical costs, regardless of who caused the accident.
• Uninsured motorist coverage: Did you know that an estimated 26 percent of Michigan’s drivers were uninsured in 2019?¹ As with its expensive car insurance, Michigan has the second-highest rate of uninsured drivers in the U.S. after Missouri. So what happens if someone without insurance hits your car? If you lack uninsured motorist coverage, you’d be responsible for your property damages and bodily injuries out of pocket, which is why we recommend getting coverage equal to your liability limits.
• Collision coverage: If you cause an accident, you’ll be responsible for your own property damage costs unless you have collision coverage.
• Comprehensive coverage: Comprehensive coverage covers damages to your vehicle from events other than collisions, including vandalism, theft, and weather incidents like hail.

Car insurance for seniors is any car insurance policy for those 55 and older. Normally in Michigan, these policies aren’t too different from regular car insurance policies, except for senior discounts and the dropping of PIP in some cases.

Car insurance in Michigan can look different for seniors in a few ways.

Senior Discounts

You may be eligible for discounts just for being an older driver, as we saw with Direct Auto.

Option to Drop PIP Coverage

Medicare Parts A and B recipients could drop PIP coverage, depending instead on their health insurance for the cost of injuries resulting from car accidents.

Higher Rates

In general, car insurance rates are highest for teenage drivers with little to no experience. They tend to decrease by the time drivers turn 25, as they gain more driving experience and are less likely to have covered claims. But by the time they reach 60 or 70, car insurance rates start to increase again.

As people age, health issues like hearing loss, glaucoma, and cataracts can make driving more difficult. As you can see below, there are more traffic fatalities by population percentage for those 75 and older than in any other age group.

The more risky insurance companies determine a person to be, the higher their rates will be, which is why, as a senior, you’ll pay more for car insurance than a 40-year-old, if all else is equal. Learn more senior driving statistics.

Here are some tips to drive safely, avoid accidents and tickets, and keep your rates low as an older driver.

1. Adjust your equipment or vehicle. You may want to get a steering wheel cover to make driving more comfortable. If you’re shopping for a new car, look for cars with large dials that are easy to read, backup cameras, and other safety features that make driving much easier.
2. Stay active. Keep yourself strong and flexible so you can check your blind spots and turn your steering wheel comfortably. Go on walks, stretch, and practice sitting and standing repeatedly.
3. Drive defensively. Defensive driving means leaving a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, scanning the road ahead, and leaving the road rage at home.
4. Drive in good conditions. Ideally, you’ll only drive during the daytime and in good weather. If you can help it, avoid driving at night or in bad weather with low visibility.
5. Get regular hearing and vision checks. Ask your doctor how often to schedule checks for your hearing and vision, looking out for signs of macular degeneration and other ailments.
6. Stay focused. Avoid distracted driving, like texting and driving or using any handheld device. Keep your eyes on the road.
7. Drive sober. Staying sober doesn’t just mean avoiding recreational drugs or alcohol before driving; you also have to avoid medications that cause dizziness or drowsiness before driving. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you’re not sure how a medication will affect your driving.
8. Take a refresher course. Taking a refresher course is not only a good way to brush up on the laws of the land, but may even get you a discount on car insurance.⁷ Look for programs from AAA⁸ and AARP.⁹

For more information on Michigan or any other states, read our state driving guide. More specifically for you snowbirds, view our guide to car insurance in Florida for seniors. As long as you take precautions and drive safely, you should be able to find car insurance you can comfortably afford.