Understanding Auto Insurance in Houston

Houston, Texas is the fourth largest city in the US and the largest city in the State of Texas. As of 2006, the population was estimated to be 2.14 million within an area of 600 square miles. Houston's economy has a broad base in industry from manufacturing and energy to technology and aeronautics. The area is also the leading center for the building of oilfield equipment.

Transportation in Houston is complicated. There are approximately 575.5 miles of freeways in expressways within the city and this means that you must protect your vehicle with the proper amount of auto insurance.

Houston, Texas Auto Insurance Laws

Before you can even register a car in Texas, you have to have the proper amount of auto insurance. Auto insurance will pay for damages to your vehicle, but will also cover any medical bills that arise from injuries caused in an accident. Texas motor vehicle insurance requirements are relatively simple and straightforward, making it easy for you to purchase exactly what you need.

For every vehicle that you own in Houston or elsewhere in Texas, you have to maintain insurance on it. Houston auto insurance policies must provide at least these minimum amounts of coverage:

Even though these are the minimum required amounts of coverage that you must have for owning a car in Houston, remember that they may not necessarily be enough to fully protect you from liability if you have an accident in Houston. These are just the minimums that the state requires.

If you don't own your car outright, for example if you have purchased and financed a new car, you will be required to also carry full comprehensive and collision insurance. This type of auto insurance coverage will insure that you will be fully reimbursed if you have a wreck. This is because the car is still considered partly under the ownership of the lender you financed the vehicle through and they want to ensure the proper amount of coverage. This type of coverage can dramatically increase your auto insurance premiums depending on the type of car you are driving.

Because the Houston streets are so busy and because the highway system is so complex, you're always at a risk for an accident in the city. Another type of coverage that many people consider carrying on their auto insurance policy is uninsured motorists. This coverage only costs you about $10 more per month, but is very much worth the additional costs. For instance, what if you were driving along Interstate 610 in Houston and you are hit and have an accident. You may be covered, but what if the driver who hit and totaled your car doesn't have insurance? With uninsured motorist insurance, you can be certain that you are covered in this type of an accident.
If you are driving through Houston or Texas, you must also meet their minimum auto insurance requirements. You must have insurance from your state that covers the minimums that Texas requires.

Penalty for Not Being Insured

No matter where you live in Texas, whether it is Houston, Austin, Dallas or Amarillo, you must have the minimum amount of liability auto insurance. All vehicles, even if they do not run, in Texas must be insured. Simply put, if it exists, insure it. The penalties for driving uninsured in the State of Texas are stiff. They begin with a fine between $175 and $300. If you have another instance where you are driving uninsured, then you the fines will dramatically increase for your second and third offense. The third offense can also result in your driver's license being suspended as well as the impoundment of your vehicle.
Another penalty that Texas imposes is a citation called "failure to maintain financial responsibility." This is an offense that is classified as a "surchargeable violation." A surchargeable violation is one in which you must pay the fine for the ticket and then pay an additional penalty for up to three years, each year. The penalty applies even if you have maintained auto insurance since you initially paid your fine.

Things to Do in Houston, Texas

Because Houston is such a large city, there are several things to keep you busy. Whether you live in Houston or you're just driving in for a vacation, you must carry the proper amount of auto insurance while you're driving in the city. If you do, then you'll have no worries while you visit Houston and all the sights that there are to see there.
Houston is a very multicultural city and it has a large growing international community. In fact, it is estimated that 1.1 million residents in Houston were born outside of the United States. Because of this, there are several unique cultural activities and events that take place in the city each year.
Houston has a very large visual and performing arts scene. Downtown you'll find the Theater District, which is home to nine major performing arts organizations as well as six performance halls. Houston is also one of only five US cities to have permanent and professional arts and theater companies. These include:

The Museum District is home to several popular exhibits as well and it is estimated that the area attracts 7 million visitors a year. The most notable facilities in this area includes:

The largest and longest running annual event in Houston is the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The event is 20 days in length and takes place from late February to early March.
One of Houston's main attractions is Space Center Houston. It is the official visitor's center of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's center, also known as NASA.
Space Center Houston is home to several pieces of history related to space travel including the Mercury 9 capsule, Gemini V capsule, Apollo 17 CM, Lunar Rover vehicle trainer and the Skylab trainer mock up. Other attractions include the Northrop Grumman Theater, which is an IMAX theater hosting movies such as "To Be an Astronaut" and "Inside the Space Station." There are also special tours available called Level 9 tours. These allow you to visit all of the above buildings and other areas of the center such as the Neutral Buoyancy lab.

Other attractions worth seeing in Houston include the Galleria (the largest shopping mall in Texas), the Old Market Square, SplashTown, Downtown Aquarium, Sam Houston Race Park, San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, and the USS Texas.
Going hungry in Houston is not an option either. Houston features thousands of excellent restaurants and many chains were established in Houston before spreading around the world. There are several excellent restaurants in Houston serving everything from seafood to Tex-Mex. REEF has been considered one of the top 10 restaurants in Houston for seafood, while Armando's is the ideal place for rubbing elbows with Houston's trendsetters.

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