Auto Survey Drops Location Comparisons

The state’s newest automobile insurance premium survey no longer includes side-by-side comparisons of what hypothetical consumers would pay in various California locations--a key feature of previous surveys. Instead, users pick their marital status and city from a list of options, and the Web site spits back a list of premiums charged by 28 major insurers. Consumer advocates argue this change conceals ZIP Code-based pricing, which was banned by Proposition 103. Insurance department officials says the change was made for consumer convenience. The site can be reached at https://www.insurance.ca.gov/SAB/Auto98/Intro.htm.