We all know that it’s not exactly cheap to drive a car these days. As gas prices fluctuate up and down and incomes fail to keep pace with inflation, it seems most of us are looking for ways to cut costs.

All you have to do is just ask anyone who’s been involved in an accident lately. The costs can mount quickly. The financial liability for yourself and the persons involved also mount quickly.

Here are some tips to help you cut some corners. You still get protection from your auto insurance carrier but take on more financial liability. This can work in your favor because if you are a safe driver then your liability will be minimal.

1. Comparison Shop. If you have a good driving record and buy a safer car, your premium rate should go down.

2. Find out what your insurance will cost before you buy that new car. Auto insurance companies typically charge more for cars that are expensive to repair or don’t fare well in accidents.

3. Ask your insurer for discounts. These cost-savers can lower your insurance premiums more than you might think. Combining two or more cars on one auto insurance policy.

Buying a car with airbags or other safety equipment and take the highest deductible you can afford. Your deductible is the amount you pay out-of-pocket, in case of a claim, before your insurance company starts paying its share.

The higher you’re deductible, the lower your premium, it’s as simple as that. Just be sure you’re able to absorb a larger portion of your loss in case of an accident.

4. Make serious attempts to improve your driving record. The more tickets and accidents you have, the more your auto insurance costs will rise.

So take some advice and start to drive cautiously. This will help you improve your motor vehicle record, and when you do inform your auto insurance company of the change. They’ll reclassify you as a safer driver, and hopefully lower your auto insurance rates in the process!

5. Consider dropping comprehensive and/or collision coverage if you drive an older car. Physical damage coverage’s like these reimburse you for damages to your own car. All this depends on the state in which you live in.

Obviously rates are different if you live and drive in NYC compared to Philadelphia. Your best bet like always is to shop around and compare rates and services from many carriers.

6. Review your policy regularly, and keep your coverage updated. Your auto insurance rates may fluctuate due to adding or removing a driver from your auto insurance policy and replacing an older vehicle with a newer one.

For those of us who drive, auto insurance is a necessary requirement enforced by law. Though we hate paying what we feel are high and ridiculous premiums, the financial protection we gain from those policies is a trade-off we just can’t afford to live without.

Don’t Be Mystified By The Different Premiums Charged

Many people that want auto insurance can often be mystified with the different policies and may have trouble understanding why the company is charging them the premium they are charging and how the type of car has an effect on such premiums.

It is thus important for you, as a car insurer to understand that you can get lower insurance premium costs by falling in a lower car insurance group and this can best be achieved by purchasing a car that falls in a lower category or group.

These auto insurance groups classify cars in a certain level of insurance and each car is assigned a group starting from one and ending at twenty. Such grouping allows each model of car to be banded with cars having similar features and a particular model of car can be spread in many groups.

There are many factors that come into play when classifying a car into a particular car insurance group, and these include the cost of repairing a car and costs of damage and parts, time required to repair the car, new car values, availability of body shells, performance of the car including acceleration and top speed, and the security features fitted as standard equipment by the manufacturers of different automobiles.

These auto insurance groups are not arrived at by individual companies, but by an association that represents car insurance companies in full. However, individual auto insurance companies may vary the groups based on their own experience. It is usual for family cars to fall into the six to twelve car insurance groups if they do not have high-powered engines. On the other hand, sports cars as also high-risk cars fall into the higher auto insurance group ratings and that would mean having to pay extra for your car insurance premium.

Among the lower auto insurance groups you would find cars such as Citroen, Toyota and Renault, and in the middle groups you can find cars such as Ford Focus, Mercedes A+ class as well as VW Polo. The higher group cars include BMW and Audi A4 while the highest group cars include Aston Martin and BMW M3 series. With these models in mind, you can get a rough idea as to which car insurance group your car falls into and when buying a new vehicle you can keep this in mind.

The facts are stark:

Per mile of driving, the risk of an accident involving injury or death is about seven times greater for 17-20 years old than for those aged 40 or over.

Young drivers under 21 are involved in 15% of all car accident deaths.

New drivers make up just 10% of license holders, but are involved in 29% of accidents.

The following tips will help reduce the cost of young drivers car insurance:

1) Take the Pass Plus driving exam. This is an intensive training course that aims to make new drivers better drivers. Successfully pass the Pass Plus and you will receive a discount of up 35% off your car insurance. The Pass Plus costs around £100 but given the high cost of car insurance it a still a worth while investment. Ask your driving instructor for details.

2) Volunteer to pay a higher excess. Insurers will insist on a minimum amount that you have to contribute to any car insurance claim. The standard amount is £100. As new and young drivers if you volunteer a higher amount you could save on your car insurance premium.

3) Pay your car insurance annually. It is cheaper to pay your years car insurance in one lump sum rather than in monthly installments. Most car insurance companies charge interest of around 15% APR (some up to 30%) to allow you to pay your premium in monthly installments.

4) Adding a named older driver to your car insurance policy, i.e. your parents, can save you 10% on your insurance premium. Likewise, avoid having younger named drivers on your policy.

5) Enhance your car security. Thatcham approved car alarms are recognized by all insurers and most will discount your premium if you have these fitted. If you have a garage then use it. Your car is less likely to be stolen from your garage or from your drive than if it is parked in the street. Insurance companies will recognize this and offer cheaper premiums.

6) Buy your car insurance policy online. Most car insurance companies offer a discount if you buy online via their web site.

7) Be born a woman. Car insurance for women is cheaper. Why? Because the average female is a safer driver than the average male.

According to the Association of British Insurers it is possible to save 35% on a car insurance premium by simply comparing several insurance companies against each other. As young drivers such a discount can be considerable. So get as many insurance quotes, online or otherwise, as you can. It will save you money.

Tip 1: Hike up your deductible

Stop trying to get the ‘lowest deductible’, instead go in for a comfortably higher out of pocket payment plan. ‘Deductible’ is the amount that you would pay before your insurance policy kicks in. This is an easy way to reduce your periodic premium amount, however, be warned, in such a case, if something happens to your vehicle – you need to shell out more to cover the initial expenses, prior to going in for a claim.

Tip 2: Park your vehicle in a garage

One of the simplest ways to cut down on insurance premium is to park your vehicle in a garage, personal or commercial establishments. This helps in knocking off, in some cases, close to 20% of the premium. In a garage, the chances of your vehicle getting stolen or sideswiped are considerably lower. From a transaction perspective, parking in a garage could mean a difference between a preferred rate and a standard rate.

Tip 3: Shop around and bargain

Nothing beats the traditional ‘shop around to bargain’. Make sure you at least have three to four price quotes with you, prior to fixing on the service provider. Ensure that you are not shopping for price alone, but the whole deal.

Tip 4: Take a Defensive Driving Course

Not many people are aware of this. By volunteering for a state-approved defensive driving course, you can avail discounts in premium of up to 10%. However, do cross check with your insurer on this.

Tip 5: Downsizing Coverage

Well, downsizing coverage is perhaps the easiest way to lower your auto insurance premium. However, we suggest you to be careful and prudent, while taking this decision. This might save money, but, would also limit coverage.

There are so many ways that you can use to keep your auto insurance rates down and some of them you can use at the same time as other discounts to maximize your savings.

Here are some things that you can ask your auto insurance company for:

- Ask if you can receive a discount if you have more than one type of insurance with their company. For instance, you may find that you can have your auto insurance and your homeowner’s insurance with this company and they will provide you with a combined discount. Carry all of your insurance policies with them, such as auto, home, and life and you may find that you can get even more money off.

- If the driver of the car is a student or is listed as a driver on the car, you may find that you can get a good student discount. This is where the student maintains at least a B average on their report card. You may be required to take that report card to the automobile insurance company each time it comes out, but it really pays off. If grades go down, the discount may disappear until the grades go back up.

- See if there are any safe driver discounts available. When you haven’t had a ticket or an accident, you may find that there are discounts available for you.

- If you are a senior citizen and you’ve not had any accidents in a specific amount of time, there may be discounts available to you.

- You can always raise your deductible to cheaper car insurance premium online from auto insurer. However, you need to keep in mind that doing so will result in a higher out-of-pocket expense if an accident does occur. The standard deductible is $500, but some individuals will go as high as $2,000 to save some money on their premium. If you can pay $2,000 if an accident occurs, then that will work fine. Just make sure your deductible is not higher than what you can afford in case damage is done to your car and you need to pay it.

- You may wish to shop around. You may find a company that offers the same coverage for a lower price. You always want to compare before you make a commitment.

You want to use all of these tips so that you can save yourself quite a bit of money.

How you can compare auto insurance quotes online?

When finding the right company to do business with, it is very important that you compare. You can do this by calling companies and recording the different rates that they quote you. You can also do this by going to their websites and filling out the forms on their websites to receive quotes for the auto insurance you want. This allows you to compare in a much easier way. Take all of that information and make an informed decision.