If you've recently been involved in an at-fault auto accident, you may be dreading your next insurance bill. Being deemed at fault in an accident-causing injury or property damage can raise your insurance rates significantly, especially if you are in a high-risk group (like teen drivers or young men) or have been previously convicted of one or more traffic violations. What can you do to keep your costs from rising in the wake of an auto accident? Read on for several methods to handle this issue.

Investigate your local driver's education options

In some cases, your insurance company may be willing to drop your recent accident from your record if you enroll in and complete defensive driving school or another approved program designed to reduce your odds of being involved in a future accident. After you've provided proof of satisfactory completion of this course, your insurance rates will be permitted to remain at their present level. Because these defensive driving courses are relatively inexpensive (particularly when compared to the increased insurance costs resulting from a ticket), they can be a great investment into your future driving skills. Contact a company like Morgan School Of Driving Inc for more information.

Shop around

You're not required to remain with your existing insurance company following an accident, and in many cases, you may be able to find lower rates and better coverage elsewhere. This is especially true when you shop around immediately following your accident, before all the pricing companies have been able to enter your accident information into their databases. You might be able to take advantage of policies that offer accident forgiveness or a reduced deductible, rather than those that strictly penalize a driver for being involved in an accident (no matter how small or inexpensive).

Look into deferral programs for tickets

You may not have much control over how the auto accident itself will raise your insurance rates. However, if you received a traffic ticket in conjunction with the accident (for speeding, following too closely, or violating other traffic laws), this could increase your insurance rates even further. You may want to contact the issuing jurisdiction to see if any deferral programs are available that will allow the case to be dismissed after you've paid a fine or committed to safer driving. Having a ticket deferred (rather than a conviction entered on your record) can help keep your auto insurance rates low, as well as keep you out of any hot water with your professional licensing board.