When it comes to telling their insurers about how many miles they drive each year, the average U.S. policyholder underestimates the total by more than 6,000 miles, according to Federal Highway Administration data reviewed by Insurify. The average U.S. driver travels around 13,450 miles each year. However, the annual miles traveled reported to insurance carriers averages out to 7,589, or 44% less than the actual miles traveled. The amount a policyholder drives is one of the things that carriers take into consideration when writing an auto policy, although it doesn't weigh as heavily into underwriting decisions as factors such as vehicle type, driving history and the motorist's age. Insurify reported that drivers see an extra $3-$5 on their monthly premium for every additional 2,000-3,000 miles traveled annually. While it is important for policyholders to accurately report the amount they drive, most carriers do not penalize insureds that accidently underreport mileage, which can be checked using telematics, DMV records or information collected during repairs, according to Buddy Parkhurst, a licensed insurance agent at Insurify. Of course there are also instances where a driver might underreport their mileage, like when a commute becomes shorter. If the actual mileage driven is significantly fewer than the reported miles, drivers could potentially see lower premiums. "Most [companies] will allow you to submit proof of mileage and may possibly backdate the low-mileage discount to the inception date. Of course, they're going to require proof of your lower mileage," Parkhurst said in a report. The above slideshow reviews the 10 states with the biggest differences between the miles policyholders report to insurance companies and the miles actually driven, according to Insurify. Related: |

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