17 Mistakes First-Time Car Owners Make When Buying Insurance

7. Overlooking Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

First-time buyers focused purely on minimizing their monthly bill often skip this coverage entirely, not realizing how common uninsured drivers actually are in many areas. This coverage protects you specifically in situations you cannot control, namely being hit by someone without adequate insurance of their own.

This coverage is often only a small addition to the total premium, making it one of the more cost-effective protections a first-time buyer can add, especially given how financially vulnerable a new driver typically is after any unexpected expense.

Quick tip: Ask your agent for the uninsured motorist statistics in your specific area, since seeing the actual local numbers often makes this coverage feel far less optional.