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Ga. drivers paying some of nation's highest insurance premiums

ATLANTA — A new survey suggests Georgia drivers are paying some of the highest car insurance premiums in the country.

The report, released by insure.com, found Georgia’s premiums were the third-highest in the country behind Louisiana and Michigan, with drivers paying an average of $2,155 a year.  Maine came in with the lowest rates at $934 a year.

Driver Lichelle Harris told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik she’s felt the pinch on her pocketbook.

“I used to live in Cobb before I got married,” she said.  “Now we moved down to the south side in Fayetteville and my rates have gone up astronomically.”

Independent insurance broker Judd Lemming told Petchenik several factors could be contributing to higher rates.

“Your ZIP code that you drive in, your driving history, it’s all a factor,” he said.  “Prices across the board, as with every industry, they’ve gone up some.”

Lemming said many insurance companies are trying to recoup their losses after weather battered the state this past year.

“There’s a lot of vehicles being damaged by that and bad weather, more accidents,” he said.

Still, Lemming said the survey numbers seem somewhat high to him.

“For as many companies as we see taking a rate increase right now, we see just as many companies taking a rate decrease,” Lemming said.