Did you hear about alligators living in the sewers of New York City? How about the dangers of consuming soda and Pop Rocks? Of course, you know these ridiculous urban legends are completely untrue.

But consider this: If those alligators were tooling around town in a brand new red convertible, would they be paying higher premiums for their auto insurance? No, but many people may think otherwise.

You’re not alone if you thought that was true, as many people have preconceived notions about auto insurance that don’t match up with the facts. While these “myths” don’t stir up primal fears, they can prevent you from making smart buying decisions—or even from getting the discounts you deserve. So let’s debunk the top five now:

Dreaming of the perfect summer getaway? You can see it now: Cruising on the open road, strolling on the beach or camping under the stars—but a trip to the ER or getting stranded at a service station? That’s definitely not part of the plan! Below are six pre-road safety tips to make sure nothing spoils your summer trip.

You’re ready for a new car. Great! But for every one friend who says buying a car is the way to go, you have another one telling you to lease. What to do?

Leasing is on the rise—more than one in four consumers now lease their ride in the U.S., and the number of women who lease is growing. LeaseTrader reports that 51.2 percent of the website’s current luxury car leasers under 30 are women—an almost eight percent increase from the prior year. And, more women are leasing cars overall. While leasing is on the rise for women, the question is—is it right for you?

At AskPatty, we keep a keen eye on social media as it relates to the auto industry, and it looks like we're not the only ones. Social media is an interesting venue - success here is not gained by spending money on ads - the big gains here come from out-thinking, not outspending.  So how are the big automakers doing in this new arena? This infographic courtesy of CarInsurance.org breaks it down for you.  It's pretty large, so allow it some time to load.  Hit the jump to be enlightened!

Security is important, and even though many cars are coming with anti-theft devices as standard equipment, have we become too complacent with our car security?  Our friends at Esurance.com break down the most common anti-theft devices in use in today's vehicles and make sense of it all - which devices do their jobs well, and which ones you may be placing a little too much faith in.  Read the entire very informative article after the jump, and maybe it'll help you feel a little bit safer.

I just spent about an hour staring at this image, and I just HAD to share it here.  I don't know the artist(s) who designed this thing, but kudos to whoever it was.  This thing is awesome!  It was commissioned by CarInsurance.org, and it's a representation of every Batmobile used in the Batman comics, television series, and films, from the original bright red 1930 Cord to the 1955 Lincoln Futura model famously driven by Adam West in the 60's television show to the jet-powered Tim Burton model (which, as it turns out, was built from two Impalas) to the "tumbler" model currently driven by Christian Bale's dark knight. It includes information such as the car that served as the "base" for each build, and detailed information for the more well-known and iconic Batmobiles. 

"Smurfette?"  "Little Red?"  "Chuck?"  Esurance is currently running a Facebook-based promotion and wants to know how your car got its nickname, and they're giving away a weekly cash prize of $522 to one lucky participant each and every week. Anyone who has a nickname for their car and a story to tell is eligible to win.  All you have to do is submit a photo of your car and tell us how it earned the nickname. The content began this month, and weekly winners will be chosen until March 11.  Make your story good, though - you can only enter once!

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As a tribute to the heroic public service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Allstate Insurance Company will honor four exemplary heroes who make a difference by giving back to the African American community. Allstate's 2011 Give Back Day Heroes program, now in its second year, encourages all Americans to be everyday heroes by volunteering locally on MLK Day 2011 (January 17), and throughout the year.

(via www.allstatenewsroom.com)

Helpful information from InsWeb.com

If you’re a woman on a tight budget, auto insurance probably puts a significant dent in your pocketbook. It would be cheaper to cancel auto insurance for a few months while you pay off credit cards and other bills, right?

Wrong.

With the recession hitting Americans hard, more consumers are choosing to eliminate insurance policies. But many drivers don’t realize that lapsed insurance policies make it more difficult—and expensive—to secure coverage in the future.

According to Timothy Gaspar, an insurance agent with FMS Financial Partners in Encino, Calif., a lapse in coverage will always have a negative impact for the consumer, especially when dealing with auto insurance.

“Many auto insurance companies give consumers a discount for what they call ‘persistency,’ which is a discount for the amount of time you have had continuous insurance,” Gaspar explains. “If you let this coverage lapse, the persistency credit will disappear, causing an increase in your rate.”

Don’t forget that auto insurance is required by law in 48 states, and the penalty for driving uninsured is steep. Offenders may face driver’s license suspension, vehicle seizure, misdemeanor charges and a multitude of fees. Additionally, uninsured drivers may be considered ‘high-risk’ by insurance companies and charged hundreds more per year—or rejected outright—the next time they apply for a policy.

But the financial headache doesn’t end there. Depending on the type of coverage, a lapsed policy could end up as a negative mark on your credit score, and the insurance company that carried your policy may be reluctant to insure you again.

So here’s the bottom line, ladies: If you’re having difficulty paying your auto insurance, it’s better to look for money-saving tips than to cancel the policy altogether. If you need help saving money on auto insurance, InsWeb.com's free, no-obligation car insurance quote form can help you shop and compare several low-cost auto insurance quotes in minutes.

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