The Full Oklahoma Auto Insurance Guide [Providers + Coverage]

Here at InsuranceProviders.com, we know that car insurance can be complicated.

There are technical terms like “deductibles” and “premiums.” There are acronyms like UM/UIM. And the rates can change by anything.

What if we told you there is a place where you can find almost anything about car insurance? Anything about coverages, anything about companies, anything about rates. You’d probably say, “That’s absolute nonsense.”

Welcome to this Full Oklahoma Auto Insurance Guide.

We cover four broad categories in this guide.

• Coverages: what they are, what Oklahoma requires, and how often companies are filling claims
• Companies: their financial ratings, customer satisfaction ratings, and overall rates
• State laws: everything from penalties for driving without insurance to laws about marijuana and driving
• Driving in Oklahoma: vehicle theft, the most fatal highway in OK, and fatalities

And much, much more. Get ready to start your engines. We’re heading onto stretch one.

Ready to compare rates? Try our FREE online tool!

Oklahoma Car Insurance Coverage & Rates

You may find yourself poring over legalese, trying to figure out Oklahoma’s minimum insurance requirements, or sifting through data trying to find exactly what percentage of your income will go to car insurance payments.

Or even what the different coverages are and what you need for your situation. It may give you a headache.

We understand. We cover all those situations and more.

Let’s head out onto stretch one.

Oklahoma’s Car Culture

This information about the state of driving in Oklahoma comes from The Hartford, in conjunction with the AARP.

Oklahoma has a rich driving history, home to a stretch of legendary U.S. Route 66, and has ample space to go trucking or muddin’ through the crags and plains.

Oklahomans also have the second-highest driver mileage total at 18,891, according to the Federal Highway Administration. As such, they pay a higher amount annually on maintenance costs.

This is especially true as the Reason Foundation ranked the condition of Oklahoma’s highway system bad or 33rd in the country, which also can increase vehicle upkeep costs.

It’s not all bad, however. Oklahomans are said to be polite drivers, and the landscape is full of lakes, mountains, and prairies, perfect for a road trip.

Read more: AARP Hartford Renters Insurance

Oklahoma Minimum Coverage

It’s the first question you might want answered, as someone searching for insurance in OK. What are the minimum insurance requirements?

25/50/25, according to NOLO, a legal authority.

• $25,000 for bodily injury per person
• $50,000 for total bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 for property damage

This is referred to as liability insurance. It is there to pay for any damages in an accident where you are found at-fault.

If, for instance, you rear-end someone and it causes the other driver whiplash. Your liability insurance would pay for the damage to their car and any medical bills they have.

There are circumstances where you might want more than the minimum insurance. Those are covered later in this section.

Take a look at how state minimum car insurance rates vary from state to state.

Forms of Financial Responsibility

According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), proof of insurance must be shown at any vehicle registration or law enforcement stop in Oklahoma.

In line with the Compulsory Liability Insurance Law of 1976, proof of insurance consists of three options.

• Insurance ID cards (including an electronic ID card according to Allstate)
• A policy binder, which is what you receive after you sign your policy but before you get your cards
• Letters from an insurance company or agent with a letterhead

Someone who doesn’t have proof of insurance may be given a no proof of insurance ticket, according to Wirth Law Office.

The crime is a misdemeanor and the person is subject to court costs and the cost of a ticket. If proof of insurance is shown within 48 hours, the charges would be dismissed.

Premiums as a Percentage of Income

You may be wondering about rates right now. And rightly so. The cost of the rates is important. But so is how much those rates are taking out of your paycheck.

We call this premium as a percentage of income. It’s the amount of money coming out of your income for car insurance. It works by dividing your premium by your income.

Oklahomans are close to the average in the U.S. for premium as a percentage of income.

They are both higher and lower compared to residents of surrounding states.

Oklahomans pay less on insurance as a percentage of their income than Arkansas and Texas residents and much higher than residents of Kansas.

To figure your premium as a percentage of income out, plug your information into the calculator below.

CalculatorPro

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates in OK (Liability, Collision, Comprehensive)

Core coverage consists of three insurance coverages that protect you and your car in the majority of situations.

• Liability: protects you financially in at-fault accidents
• Collision: protects your car in an accident, at-fault or not
• Comprehensive: protects your car in any event that is not a car accident (like weather damage)

Liability is generally the most costly and typically the only one included in minimum car insurance requirements. Collision is the next-most expensive coverage of the three.

Comprehensive is the cheapest, as it’s used in rarer and more unusual situations.

What are the costs of these insurance coverages in Oklahoma and how do they compare to the national averages?

To get these answers, we turn to our partner Quadrant, which has the inside track on the insurance industry. Any raw numbers you see about car insurance rates come from it unless otherwise noted.

Overall, Oklahomans pay about the same for core coverage as the average U.S. resident with two big differences. Liability is about $80 lower in Oklahoma. Comprehensive is $80 higher.

The rise in comprehensive rates might be due to the number of storms in the Sooner State.

Because weather damage is covered under comprehensive insurance, insurance companies might raise rates based on the higher likelihood that Oklahomans will submit claims.

Let’s take a look at the average monthly car insurance rates.

Additional Liability

Medical payments (MedPay) and uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) are two additional coverages that are considered major auto insurance coverages.

MedPay covers your medical bills if you’re injured in an accident. UM/UIM covers the damage to your car if you’re hit by someone who doesn’t have insurance.

10.5 percent of Oklahoma’s drivers are uninsured, making this a possibility. Oklahoma is ranked 31st in the nation in that regard. If you’re hit by an uninsured motorist, both insurances can help.

UM/UIM can help repair the damage to your car. MedPay can help pay for your medical bills.

However, you might ask, “How many claims are being filled for these two coverages?”

For that, we turn to the National Alliance of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). It is comprised of all the insurance commissioners from all the states, who act as regulators for companies.

It has a statistic called a “loss ratio.” It is the ratio between the number of premiums written and the number of claims fulfilled.

If the loss ratio is above one, the companies are losing money. If it’s below 0.5, the companies might not be fulfilling claims. To get this number, we looked at an NAIC report covering 2013 – 2015.

The loss ratios are in the sweet spot between 0.6 and 0.8.

10.5 percent of Oklahoma’s drivers are uninsured, with Oklahoma ranked 31st in the nation. If you’re hit by an uninsured motorist, you’ll want either UM/UIM or collision. Both protect your car in the event of an accident.

Add-Ons, Endorsements, & Riders

Companies have additional coverages, as well, for particular situations.

They don’t cost as much as the core or primary auto coverages and can be useful in unusual circumstances.

• Guaranteed Auto Protection (GAP)
• Personal Umbrella Policy (PUP)
• Rental Reimbursement
• Emergency Roadside Assistance
• Mechanical Breakdown Insurance
• Non-Owner Car Insurance
• Modified Car Insurance Coverage
• Classic Car Insurance
• Pay-As-You-Drive or Usage-Based Insurance

Average Monthly Car Insurance Rates by Age & Gender in OK

Rates vary according to numerous factors. One of those factors is demographics.

Whether you’re male or female affects your rates. Whether you’re young or old affects your rates. Whether you’re married or single affects your rates. Why?

Companies look at those factors and determine how likely you are to file a claim. If you’re a worse driver, an inexperienced driver, or a more responsible one.

The rate difference between the top, 17-year-old male, and the bottom, 60-year-olds, is over $12,000. The gap between males and females grows smaller with each age bracket.

In some cases, the trends don’t fit. Some companies have higher rates for women than men at age 35.

State Farm is a little unusual as well, with rates locked between genders after the age of 25.

Age and gender will affect your car insurance. Younger drivers are often in a high risk class. See if the gender stereotype (males pay more) holds true in Oklahoma.

Cheapest Rates by Zip Code

The Consumer Federation of America completed a study analyzing zip codes from six major carriers in 10 large cities. It found that identical neighbors were sometimes charged rates differing in the hundreds of dollars. Why?

Residents in different zip codes may have different likelihoods to file claims. Zip codes might vary in terms of the number of accidents, vehicle thefts, and tickets.

Search for your zip code in the box below.

Let’s take a closer look at how ZIP codes affect car insurance in Oklahoma.

Cheapest Rates by City

Rates vary by city as well. Cities may have different vehicle theft statistics, accident statistics, or driving challenges.

Use the box below to find your city.

Rates in Oklahoma’s 10 Largest Cities

Often, larger cities will have higher rates than smaller cities. This can be from the challenges drivers face in large cities, including traffic and more arterial roads.

Seven of Oklahoma’s largest cities are in the top 10 of the highest average car insurance rates.

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Best Oklahoma Car Insurance Companies

Then there were companies. We’ve covered rates by four different factors, explained a little bit about coverages, and talked some legalese. Now, we’ve got an integral section.

The top companies in Oklahoma.

• Which ones are the cheapest?
• Which ones are the strongest financially?
• Which ones have the most (or fewest) complaints?

We’ll answer these questions and more.

Let’s get started. We’re heading into stretch two.

The Largest Companies’ Financial Rating

First, we’ve got to figure out which companies are financially strongest. After all, there’s no point in signing up for a company if they’re on the brink of bankruptcy.

Even a moderate financial rating can expose businesses to change in economic climate.

These financial ratings come from A.M. Best, which is a worldwide credit rating agency. It issues ratings on a scale of D to A, with notches like + to indicate ranking within the ratings.

So, how do the companies in Oklahoma fare?

Geico, State Farm, and USAA are the highest, with A++ ratings. Allstate isn’t far behind with an A+, and Farmers and Safeco bring up the rear with A’s.

Overall, every company scores an excellent or higher, according to the A.M. Best rating methodology. No tornadoes touching down here.

Who are the largest car insurance companies in Oklahoma?

Companies with Best Ratings

Financial ratings are one part of the picture. How about their customer satisfaction ratings?

For this, we turn to J.D. Power. It is a major force within the insurance industry and conducts a study every year analyzing customer satisfaction for insurance companies.

We’ll be looking at the central region.

Only Allstate, Geico, and USAA rank better than most. Most are clustered in the middle, about average. Safeco and Farmers are below average.

Now let’s see who is the cheapest car insurance company in Oklahoma.

Companies with Most Complaints in Oklahoma

To look at complaints, we turn back to the NAIC. It collects the complaint data from state departments and puts them into a statistic called a complaint index.

This complaint index is the number of complaints weighed against the number of premiums written. Lower is better.

There are three companies with high complaint indexes, three in the middle, and a clear winner.

• Three companies with a high index: Safeco, Allstate, USAA
• Three companies in the middle: Farmers, Geico, Progressive
• Clear winner: State Farm

State Farm (the lowest) and Safeco (the highest) are remarkable in that they share another connection between Oklahoma car insurance companies.

Price.

Cheapest Companies in Oklahoma

We know that financial ratings, customer satisfaction ratings, and complaint indexes are important for making a decision about car insurance companies.

But still. Rates matter.

Better customer service, financial ratings, and fewer complaints are always good. But at the end of the day, keeping that premium as a percentage of income down is good too.

Of the companies in Oklahoma, some have really high rates and some have really low rates.

There’s a $4,000 difference between the most expensive company and the least.

• Safeco: $6,875
• State Farm: $2,817

Allstate, Geico, State Farm, and USAA all have rates below the average. Farmers’s rates are about average. Progressive and Safeco both have rates well above the average.

This spread generally means the companies at the top are so much higher priced than the others that it drives up the average overall rate for all companies.

This is true in the case of Safeco, with an average rate of $2,732 above the overall average.

Safeco also has the highest complaint index of all companies, tied for the lowest financial rating, and is below average in customer satisfaction.

The three companies with the lowest rates are State Farm, USAA, and Geico.

All three have the best possible financial ratings, average to excellent customer satisfaction ratings, and relatively low complaint indexes (except for USAA).

Commute Rates by Companies

Car insurance rates may average according to commute time and annual mileage. The more you drive, the more likely you are to get into an accident, get a ticket, or have to file a claim. But rates don’t vary for all companies.

It turns out the lower-priced companies change their rates, but not by much. The mid-level and higher-priced companies keep their rates the same for these two commute distances.

Take a look at these 6 major factors affecting auto insurance rates in Oklahoma.

Coverage Level Rates by Companies

Rates can vary according to coverage level, as well. What is a coverage level, you might ask? It’s based on two factors.

• The number of coverages you have: if you add collision and comprehensive to liability, you’ll have a higher coverage level
• The coverage limits: a $100,000 bodily liability plan will increase your coverage level compared to a $50,000 bodily liability plan

Costs for different coverage levels vary with each company. Some vary by just a couple hundred dollars. Some vary a lot more than that.

Most are between $300 – $500. Liberty Mutual and Progressive have the largest differences, both around $730.

Credit History Rates by Companies

Your credit score influences rates as well.

Companies believe your credit score indicates the likelihood that you will file a claim. To get this credit score, car insurance companies don’t use the FICO score.

Instead, they have their own models, into which they add dozens of items from your credit history. The results are significant. A poor credit score can cost more than a DUI.

This, all according to a Consumer Reports study.

Some companies have relatively small differences in their rates for poor and good credit histories, while some vary in the mid-thousands.

Liberty Mutual has the largest difference in rates between a poor and good credit history, at about $5,000. USAA and State Farm have the next largest at $2,600 and $1,900, respectively. Farmers and Progressive have the smallest differences, around $1,000 and $1,100, respectively.

Averaging each category out shows the average rate difference in those categories for all companies.

There’s an average $2,300 difference in rates between a poor and a good credit history.

Driving Record Rates by Companies

Your driving record also affects your rates. The logic is straightforward. If you have accidents or violations, you’ll have to file claims or get dinged. Your rates will get raised.

But the opposite is true, as well. Many companies are now offering driving apps that can reduce your overall rate if you practice safe-driving techniques.

Still, when it comes to infractions, some companies raise your rates more than others.

State Farm is the clear winner with the best rates for all three infractions. The only place it loses is with a clean record. USAA is the cheapest for someone with no infractions.

A quick look at the averages shows something unusual.

Getting into an accident impacts your rates more than getting a DUI. Usually, the reverse is true.

A big reason for this difference is Progressive. It has an average rate for 1 Accident at $6,992. Its average rate for 1 DUI is $4,154.

Largest Car Insurance Companies in Oklahoma

Often, one company will have a larger market share in a state than they do nationally. That’s the case with two major companies in Oklahoma.

State Farm and Farmers each have 17 percent and 5 percent national shares respectively. They have 25 percent and 11 percent here. On the other hand, Geico has a 13 percent market share nationwide but just 7 percent here.

Number of Insurers by State

There are 31 domestic insurers in Oklahoma and 873 foreign insurers. What does this mean?

A domestic insurer is a company who was formed in a state and does business solely in that state. Your mom and pop insurance companies, for instance.

A foreign insurer is a company that does business in a state but was formed in another state. Your Geicos and State Farms, for instance.

There is no legal difference on your end. The only situation you might want to keep in mind is if you’re moving out of state.

In that case, you’d probably need a foreign insurer to keep your auto insurance plan.

Oklahoma Laws

We understand how confusing state laws can be. There’s the porous research, the collections of statutes, the legalese, seeing if they even apply to you.

It can be frustrating.

That’s why we’ve put together this section on Oklahoma’s laws, to take the frustration and searching away from you and present all the laws you need to know about driving and insurance.

Here, we’ll cover laws about car insurance, vehicle licensing, rules of the road, and safety. We’ll take the complex and make it simple. Legalese will be kept to a minimum.

Get ready. We’re about to take a four-course meal in state laws. Pick up that fork and knife.

Let’s dig in.

Car Insurance Laws

Car insurance laws are like the barbecue chicken of state laws. They are nutritious, taste good, and build muscle.

Here, you’ll find topics for specific situations, like if your windshield is damaged, if you need to report someone for insurance fraud, or if you want to sue someone for personal injury.

They’re useful and applicable.

We know you might feel full at the end of this course, so we’ll take it relatively light and easy. Tuck in that bib and prepare your fork and knife.

Con pollo, hay el mundo.

How State Laws for Insurance are Determined

You’ll be happy to know there are checks and balances when it comes to car insurance rates. Car insurance companies can’t just charge whatever they want.

Although part of this is the competition from other companies, a large part has to do with the state insurance departments and insurance commissioners.

According to the NAIC’s Auto Insurance Database Report for 2015/2016, states use one of seven methods for regulating car insurance rates.

• Determined by commissioner
• Prior approval
• Modified prior approval
• Flex rating
• File and use
• Use and file
• No file

Oklahoma seems to use a mixture of methods, according to the NAIC document. The rate filings and form filings are under the jurisdiction of the commissioner, as is the file and use.

The file and use is a self-certification option, which means the insurance company must file their rates with the insurance department, but they don’t have to be approved.

The other two seem to be more along the lines of the prior approval methods, where the rates have to be approved before putting them into use. It might also be determined by the commissioner, who would set the rates.

Either way, Oklahoma likely has some stringent standards.

Windshield Coverage

Carwindshields.info is a website that pulls together state legislative data from states across the country to answer the question, “What do I do if my windshield is busted?”

The answer, for most people, is to repair it. But what if you have insurance? The site writes that “[Oklahoma has] nothing unique to windshields. Insurers may require a specific repair shop.”

Insurers may also use after-market products like sheet metal or plastic parts if they’re mentioned in the estimate.

High-Risk Insurance

If you’ve gotten a DUI, into an accident without insurance, or had too many reckless violations, you might have heard of high-risk insurance.

And it might worry you. After all, SR-22’s are supposed to be expensive.

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry if you live in Oklahoma. The Sooner State is just one of six that don’t require SR-22s. However, there are two exceptions to this.

If you received an SR-22 from another state and have moved to Oklahoma, you must still pay it off. It’s a matter of honoring your agreement with the other state.

If you get too many violations, DUIs, or accidents, companies might decide to price you out. In that case, you’ll want to try the Oklahoma Automobile Insurance Plan.

It’s a last-ditch market that pairs high-risk drivers with car insurance companies.

Low-Cost Insurance

There is no low-cost insurance plan in Oklahoma. Only Hawaii, California, and New Jersey have one.

Automobile Insurance Fraud in Oklahoma

The Insurance Information Institute writes that 10 percent of the insurance industry’s losses come from fraud every year. From 2013 – 2017, that amounted to $30 billion per year.

Fraud from claimants can come from faking claims, embellishing the amount of damage on a claim, or misrepresenting income or other factors on applications.

But it’s not just claimants or applicants that commit fraud. Insurance agents and other employees can, as well.

Oklahoma takes this issue seriously, creating an anti-fraud unit that is the “law enforcement arm of the Oklahoma insurance department.”

Fraud punishments are serious in Oklahoma, with a single fraud conviction carrying up to three years in prison and a fine up to double the amount gained through the fraud.

If you suspect fraud, you have three ways to report it.

• Through the anti-fraud unit’s website
• By calling 1-800-522-0071
• Or emailing the anti-fraud unit at [email protected]

Statute of Limitations

If you’re in an accident in Oklahoma, generally you’ll report it to your insurance company. However, there may be some situations, like if a claim’s denied, where you might want to sue.

To recoup damages, you must abide by the statute of limitations.

According to NOLO, the statute of limitations for personal injury and the statute of limitations for property damage are both two years. The clock starts ticking the moment the accident happens.

State-Specific Laws

Like many other states, Oklahoma has an act that prohibits companies from messing around with claims so that you don’t receive your deserved money.

It’s called the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act and was introduced because insurance companies can be a little stiff with money. Even when it’s legally yours.

The Act has 17 items, with violations stemming from everything from investigations to release waivers.

• “Knowingly misrepresenting to claimants pertinent facts or policy provisions relating to coverages at issue”
• “Denying a claim for failure to exhibit the property without proof of demand and unfounded refusal by a claimant to do so”
• “Not attempting in good faith to effectuate prompt, fair and equitable settlement of claims submitted in which liability has become reasonably clear”

As has been said, fraud can occur on both sides.

Vehicle Licensing Laws

Vehicle licensing laws are like the potatoes of state laws. They are kind of tasteless but full of nutrition and a staple of diets. They can keep you healthy.

In this section, we cover topics like teen driver laws and license renewal procedures. They may not be the flashiest, but they serve a purpose: to keep everyone safe.

And for two of these laws, if you don’t follow them, you could be heading to prison.

Put down that fork and knife and get a spork. Time to chow down on some potatoes.

REAL ID

The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005, the result of a fight against terrorism. With it, the Department of Homeland Security coerced states to adopt stricter licensing requirements.

That means you need to get a new license or face the consequences. What are the consequences?

Starting on October 1, 2021, anyone living in the U.S. needs a REAL ID–compliant license to fly domestically or enter federal buildings like courthouses.

Oklahoma was not happy with the DHS or REAL ID, specifically passing a law in 2007 prohibiting the Department of Public Safety (DPS) from complying with the REAL ID Act.

That was lifted in 2017. Now, the DPS says REAL ID–complaint licenses and ID cards will be available to all Oklahomans by August 31, 2020.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance

This data on penalties for driving without insurance comes from NOLO. If you’re caught driving without insurance, you face consequences. The penalties are steep, including jail time.

Of course, if you’re in an accident without insurance, the other person can sue you for damages. If you believe you can’t afford insurance, try our free tool to compare rates.

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Teen Driver Laws

If you’re a teenager, getting a license can be a great moment. If you’re a parent, it can be slightly terrifying. But take comfort. There are rules and regulations to make everything safer. This information comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Once you get a license, that isn’t the end. It’s considered a restricted license, meaning you are prohibited from doing certain things.

Stay safe. Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive. But we’ll talk about that all later.

Older Driver License Renewal Procedures

Older drivers face challenges that most younger drivers don’t face, according to the National Institue on Aging.

• Stiff muscles and joints
• Trouble seeing
• Trouble hearing
• Slower reaction time and reflexes
• Medications

So, do they have separate licensing procedures than the rest of the population?

This information and the information two sections down about license renewal procedures comes from the IIHS.

We’ll find the answer to that question two sections down.

New Residents

You’re a new resident in Oklahoma. Congratulations. Soon, you’ll be able to take a drive down U.S. Highway 66, watch the Sooners play football, and see the varied landscape of the Sooner State.

However, before then, there are two things you must do. They are government procedures.

The first is to get your car registered with the Department of Public Safety. Then, once you have your new plates, you’ll need to get your license.

To transfer a license from another state, you don’t need to take the written or driving test. All you need are some forms that are typical when applying for a new license.

• Primary ID (examples here)
• Secondary ID (examples here)
• Out of state license
• Proof of social security number
• Any documents that show a legal name change

If for some reason you need to take a test, the DPS has locations all across the state. When you’re finished, you can drive anywhere in the state, including on the famed U.S. Highway 66.

License Renewal Procedures

Back to that question, “Do older drivers have separate licensing renewal procedures than the rest of the population?”

No.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving can be tough to define but we know it when we see it. For Oklahoma, some general definitions and penalties are given in its statute 47-11-901.

In it, reckless driving is defined as driving in a “careless or wanton manner without regard for the safety of persons or property”.

But what does that mean exactly?

Hasbrook & Hasbrook, a law firm based in Oklahoma City, has some speculations. They list eight driving practices that are generally considered reckless driving.

• Tailgating (following too closely)
• Flashing high beams when unnecessary
• Drunk driving (DUI) or driving while intoxicated by drugs
• Running red lights and/or stop signs
• Not using turn signals
• Excessive weaving in and out of lanes
• Passing in a no-passing zone
• Racing with other vehicles

Violating speed limits or driving too fast for certain weather conditions also can be considered reckless driving.

The first offense penalties are between five and 90 days in jail and a fine between $100 – $500. The second and subsequent offenses penalties are between 10 days and six months in jail and a fine between $150 – $1,000.

Rules of the Road

Rules of the road are the minestrone of the state laws. It’s tasty, goes down easy, and there’s a little something for everyone. And all keep you healthy and safe.

From fault versus no-fault to automation on the road, rules of the road covers vast topics, simplified and made easy.

Set down that spork and pick up a spoon. It’s time to get down, Italian style.

Fault vs. No-Fault

Oklahoma is considered an at-fault state. What does this mean?

When you’re in an accident in Oklahoma, the at-fault person is responsible for all the damages. This includes the property damage to your car and surrounding area and you and your passengers’ medical bills.

Generally, the person who decides who is at-fault is the police officer assigned to the scene. If there’s a dispute, the insurance companies will then review the information.

This information includes the accident report, each driver’s statement, and any witness statements of what occurred.

Insurance is handy if you’re found at-fault in an accident. Otherwise, you’d be responsible for thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Your liability insurance keeps you from a financial catastrophe.

Seat Belt & Ccar Seat Laws

Seat belts protect from catastrophe, too, just a different kind. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 14,955 lives were saved by seat belt use in 2017.

This, through around a 90 percent usage rate. What are the seat belt laws in Oklahoma?

This information about seat belt and car seat requirements comes from the IIHS.

They require anyone nine or older in the front seats to be belted. Now, what are the laws for children and infants in vehicles?

Quite a few. The fine for violating the seat belt law is $20. The fine for violating the car seat law is $50.

Keep Right & Move Over Laws

No one likes a squatter in the fast lane. The Sooner State defines its keep right and move over laws in Statute 47-11-301. All cars should be driven in the right lane except for a few exceptions.

• When overtaking or passing another vehicle
• When there’s an obstruction in the right-hand lane
• Upon a roadway divided into three marked lanes of traffic
• Upon a one-way road
• When a four- or more-lane road allows for two-way movement of traffic

Even if there is a four- or more-lane road, left lane driving is prohibited if traveling under the speed limit. Squatters beware.

Speed Limits

In 2017, speeding contributed to 9,717 deaths, accounting for over a quarter of all traffic fatalities. This, according to the NHTSA. What are the laws in Oklahoma?

70 mph or higher overall. This may change in certain cities.

Ridesharing

If you’re a rideshare driver, you may have wondered what will happen to your car in an accident.

• Will your car be covered?
• Will your insurance company deny your claim because you’re rideshare driving?

The answers can get a little tricky. Generally, you should be okay with your liability insurance and general insurance package. However, some companies are offering more protection.

These protections come in the form of rideshare coverages. These offer an extra layer of protection. Six companies are offering them in Oklahoma.

• Allstate
• Farmers
• Geico
• Mercury
• State Farm
• USAA

Some are usage-based, meaning they’re only active when you turn on the app. Some cover only specific instances when you’re working, so make sure to talk to your agent and find out particulars.

Automation on the Road

There are no laws in Oklahoma regulating automation on the road. However, the future is pretty cool.

Safety Laws

We’ll cover three big topics here, ones that have a great deal of weight, and two of which cost a lot of lives every year. They’re not the prettiest topics, but they contain good information.

DWI Laws

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, there are 300,000 incidents where someone drives drunk each day. This translates to 10,876 deaths and around 290,000 injuries per year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration backs up the total drunk driving fatalities statistic.

In Oklahoma, the formal name for the offense is Driving While Intoxicated or DWI. Thel ower limit for the general offense is .08, while .15 is the lower limit for the more serious offense.

The first conviction is considered a misdemeanor. The subsequent offenses are considered felonies. The penalties are steep in Oklahoma for DWI convictions.

Everything escalates quickly. The lookback or washout period is 10 years in Oklahoma, meaning that the offense stays on your record for 10 years before it’s wiped out.

In general, Oklahoma is in the middle of the pack when it comes to drinking and driving.

The rate for DWI arrests in the Sooner State is 3,137 people per 1 million in 2016. This ranks for 25th in America.

When it comes to DUI arrests as a percentage of total arrests, Oklahoma shoots up to 17th on the list. Arrests as a percentage of the population are still right around even.

Marijuana-Impaired Driving Laws

Marijuana can also impact driving performance. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), marijuana is the drug most often found in the blood of drivers in fatal crashes.

According to the NIDA, marijuana “significantly impairs judgment, motor coordination, and reaction time, and studies have found a direct relationship between blood THC concentration and impaired driving ability.”

According to Responsibility.org, Oklahoma has a zero-tolerance policy for THC and metabolites.

Because Oklahoma’s DWI laws are not alcohol-specific, you can still be convicted of one while driving after smoking marijuana. The same penalties still apply.

Distracted Driving Laws

According to the NHTSA, 3,166 people were killed in crashes where distracted driving played a role.

The Insurance Information Institute takes it a step further, writing that there were 2,935 fatal crashes related to distracted driving in 2017. That’s 9 percent of all fatal crashes.

While distracted driving can include eating, talking to a passenger, or changing the radio station, cell phones are often a culprit. What are the laws about cell phones and driving in Oklahoma?

There is a complete texting ban, and there is a complete handheld ban for those with a learner’s permit and intermediate license as well.

Oklahoma takes it seriously and has released a couple of videos about it.

Driving Safely in Oklahoma

Here are InsuranceProviders.com, we know that staying safe on the road is important. Issues with speeding, drunk driving, and reckless driving all threaten your welfare, and your family’s as well.

That’s why we’ve put together this section. It’s an overview of the dangerous parts of Oklahoma’s roads.

We’ll cover vehicle theft, the most fatal highway, and fatalities broken down statistically in seven ways. By the end, you’ll know which types of crashes occur the most and where.

Lastly, we’ll cover traffic congestion in Oklahoma City and Tulsa.

Here, we’ll provide details about congestion in those two cities and resources for monitoring traffic. A sort of how to find the quickest route to your destination part.

Ready? We’re heading into the last stretch.

Vehicle Theft in Oklahoma

Vehicle theft can be scary, even if you’re not in the car. There’s the stress, the fear of never getting your car back, and the headache from insurance.

So what are the vehicle theft statistics in Oklahoma?

First, the top four vehicles stolen in 2015 (our most recent data) were trucks. And the first-ranked truck that is stolen is a doozy with 1,100 thefts, 50 percent more than the second-ranked.

Now, which cities in Oklahoma have the most vehicle thefts? This 2017 crime statistic data comes from the FBI.

The top five cities with the most vehicle thefts are also some of the most populous.

• Broken Arrow: population 108,823 | 229 vehicle thefts
• Lawton: population 94,134 | 314 vehicle thefts
• Norman: population 124,074 | 277 vehicle thefts
• Oklahoma City: population 648,260 | 2,800 vehicle thefts
• Tulsa: population 404,868 | 3,460 vehicle thefts

Tulsa has the most thefts and they are disproportionate compared to its population.

Road Fatalities in Oklahoma

In this section, we break down road fatalities in seven different ways. We talk about EMS response times, teen drinking and driving, and the most fatal highway in Oklahoma.

Most Fatal Highway in Oklahoma

Geotab is a company that uses telematics and technology to solve problems.

Dating back to 2006, it combined data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The purpose?

A full-scale analysis of the most fatal highways in America. For Oklahoma, that’s I-69. From those 10 years, there were 132 crashes on I-69 for 155 fatalities. That’s a fatal crash rate of 1.1, making it the 16th most dangerous highway in America.

There are about 13 fatal crashes on that highway each year.

Fatal Crashes by Weather Condition & Light Condition

According to Pines Salomon Injury Lawyers, more than 40 percent of all fatal car accidents occur at night, though there is less than 60 percent of the traffic on the road.

Is this the case for Oklahoma?

More crashes in Oklahoma occur during reduced visibility conditions than those during daylight. Pines Salomon has some thoughts about why this occurs.

• Drunk driving
• Drowsy driving
• Reliance on man-made forms of light
• Troubles with the contrast between headlights and darkness

There are some tips for those who drive frequently at night, including keeping your windshield and windows clean.

As we’ll see later, this might affect rural drivers more than urban drivers as well.

Fatalities (All Crashes) by County

The following data and the data in the next six sections come from the NHTSA’s crash fatality statistics resource.

First, we’ll look at total traffic fatalities in Oklahoma by county. As you’ll see, Oklahoma, Tulsa, and Cleveland Counties have the highest totals.

They are also the counties with the largest cities.

Rural vs. Urban Fatalities

Rural fatalities far outnumber urban fatalities for these 10 years, 4,602 to 2,290. This is even higher than typical rates. As the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) writes, “Although 19 percent of people in the U.S. live in rural areas and 30 percent of the vehicle miles traveled occur in rural areas, almost half of crash deaths occur there.”

In Oklahoma, far more than half of car crash deaths occur in rural areas.

The spread is generally very consistent, with no big changes in the ratio. Although it might be said that urban drivers face more challenges, rural drivers have a set of unique challenges when driving.

These include poorly lit collector roads, debris, roads without markers, winding roads with little visibility.

The IIHS notes that there are at least a couple of factors that contribute to rural deaths.

• Speeding: there are higher speed limits in rural areas
• Seat belt use: rural drivers are less likely to have a seat belt on

We’ll get into the types of crashes that occur most in Oklahoma in two sections. There, we’ll cover the epidemic of road departures, which affect rural areas the most.

Fatalities by Person Type

Passenger cars are most often involved in vehicle fatalities in Oklahoma, followed by pickup trucks.

Motorcyclists and pedestrians are fourth and fifth on the list, with 419 and 344 fatalities respectively.

Fatalities by Crash Type

The top three fatalities by crash types are road departure, single vehicle, and involving a rollover.

Single vehicle accidents and roadway departures may seem to go hand in hand. Roadway departures are a type of crash that disproportionately affects rural areas.

The FHWA notes that between 2015 – 2017 there was an average of 19,233 fatalities from roadway departures each year. This accounted for 52 percent of all fatalities in the U.S.

The FHWA has started an initiative to reduce roadway departure fatalities called Focus on Reducing Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD).

The idea is to keep drivers on the road, make sure there’s a safe way to return the road if they start leaving it, and reduce the severity of crashes if they go off the road.

Five-Year Trend For the Top 10 Counties

For total traffic deaths, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties have the most by far. Cleveland and Candian are somewhat even. The rest are pretty even after that.

As for a trend for all five years, 2016 had the most fatalities with 687, followed by 2013 (678), 2014 (669), 2017 (665), and 2015 (645).

Oklahoma always beat Tulsa. And Tulsa always beat the rest.

Fatalities Involving Speeding by County

Speeding is a serious issue, regardless of whether it’s in a rural area or an urban area. Search for your county in the box below to see its speeding fatality statistics.

Fatalities in Crashes Involving an Alcohol-Impaired Driver by County

The same goes for alcohol-impaired fatalities. Search for your county in the box below.

Teen Drinking & Driving

When it comes to adult drinking and driving arrests, Oklahoma is right in the middle for all states. How is it for teenage drinking and driving?

In 2016, there were 107 arrests for a DWI. That ranks Oklahoma for 18th in the United States.

According to Responsibility.org, under-21 drivers had a 1.3 fatality rate per 100,000 people. This is squarely in the middle tier of states.

EMS Response Time

EMS response times are often slower in rural areas. Is this the case in Oklahoma?

Very much so. There’s over a half-hour difference in the time someone in a rural crash gets to the hospital versus someone in an urban area. The rural time is over an hour. This can be due to several factors, including communication issues and rough terrain.

Transportation in Oklahoma

Imagine this. You’re on your way to work, humming along to music, when the brake lights start flashing in front of you. 60 miles per hour turns to 20 miles per hour, then zero.

Traffic is one of those everyday issues we deal with. Fortunately, we have some data that might make it a bit easier.

In this section, we cover traffic congestion in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the two largest cities in Oklahoma. Also covered are general transportation topics.

These include car ownership and commuter transportation.

Last section, last call. We’re pulling into the exit bay.

Car Ownership

American households on average own two cars, followed by three cars, then one car. Does this hold true in Oklahoma?

The following data here and in the next two sections comes from Data USA, which is a team of data scientists that put together profiles of cities, counties, and states.

Oklahoma is in orange.

Pretty much. Oklahomans own two and three cars more than average and five and zero cars less than average.

Commute Time

A commute can be a hassle, leading to headaches, missed meetings, and lost time. What is the average commute time for Oklahomans?

Oklahomans mostly have a commute times between five minutes and 24 minutes, with a big chunk also between 30 and 34 minutes.

The average commute time? 20.9 minutes, which is much shorter than the 25.5-minute average commute for U.S. workers.

Commuter Transportation

Most Americans drive to work alone. Is this true for Oklahomans?

Very much so. More Oklahomans drive to work alone than the national average. Fewer Oklahomans work from home, and much fewer take public transit or walk.

Traffic Congestion

For this study of traffic congestion in Oklahoma, we looked at major traffic index TomTom for data. It had Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the two largest Sooner cities, listed.

Oklahoma City was ranked 384th as part of the worst cities for traffic in the world. TomTom studied over 1 billion kilometers worth of roads in OKC for data.

When you go to TomTom’s Oklahoma City page, it pulls up a live tracker for OK traffic, including congestion levels and the number of traffic jams.

Scroll down and you’ll see some general statistics.

• Average highway congestion: 8 percent
• Average non-highway congestion: 19 percent
• The best day for traffic: December 25th
• The worst day for traffic: February 21st
• Morning peak congestion: 20 percent, +6 minutes on a 30-minute commute
• Evening peak congestion: 32 percent, +10 minutes on a 30-minute commute

Tulsa is ranked 389th in the world. For Tulsa, TomTom studied around 580 million kilometers worth of roads for its data. If you look at Tulsa’s traffic index page and scroll down a little, you’ll see the congestion level graph.

It shows the trends in congestion during different periods over 48 hours or 7 days.

Scroll down further and you’ll see some statistics.

• Average highway congestion: 4 percent
• Average non-highway congestion: 18 percent
• The best day for traffic: December 25th
• The worst day for traffic: February 21st
• Morning peak congestion: 15 percent, +5 minutes on a 30-minute commute
• Evening peak congestion: 28 percent, +8 minutes on a 30-minute commute

If you want to monitor traffic, there are a few websites you can use.

• An interactive map at OKTraffic.org
• PDF maps of traffic issues from the Oklahoma DOT
• An interactive map from INRIX

In addition, TomTom has a navigational map similar to Google Maps. It provides real-time information on traffic jams from traffic cameras.

Some might say it’s better than Google Maps, but you have to pay to use it.

Before making any final decisions on your insurance company, it is important to learn as much as you can about your local insurance providers, and the coverages they offer. Call your local insurance agent to clear up any questions that you might have. Questions to consider asking include, “What is the best coverage plan for me/my family/my situation?” “What are the minimum coverage requirements in my state and what form of coverage do you recommend?” “Do you guys offer any bundle discounts if I take out both my auto insurance and home insurance with you?” and “What is the average rate of insurance quotes you guys offer?”

Before making any big insurance decisions, use our free tool to compare insurance quotes near you. It’s simple, just plug in your zip code and we’ll do the rest!

Great! Now you should have all the information you need to make a decision about car insurance in Oklahoma. Clear eyes, full hearts. Happy driving.

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