Auto insurance can dig deep holes in your pockets and you can save substantial amounts of money each year by choosing the right auto insurance. Taking the time to check out different car insurance companies and comparing their quotes can be a very good investment. You can often save several hundred dollars by choosing a licensed low-price car insurance company instead of some of the more expensive insurance companies. Today, the Internet has made it easier than ever before to rapidly gather information about insurance coverage and insurance rates from a multitude of insurance companies. Some sites will even collect the information for you and display easy-to-read spread sheets where all vital factors can be easily weighed against each other.

You can usually lower your car insurance rate further by installing an air bag, since the medical part of your car insurance will be cheaper. The car insurance company knows that you are less likely to sustain sever injuries in a car equipped with air bags. Some car insurance companies will offer you an even lower insurance rate if you install air bags not only for the driver but for the passengers as well. The same risk analysis will make your insurance rate drop when you install an anti-theft system, if you have a car insurance policy that covers theft.

Many insurance companies will offer discounts for certain groups, such a mature drivers, multi car families and militaries. Members of the National Guard and the Reserves are usually offered the same discount as militaries. Mature drivers receive a discount since they are statistically less accident prone than younger drivers. If you have a young driver in your family, you can however lower your insurance cost with some insurance companies by showing that the young driver has completed a driver's education program. Such insurance companies will usually also offer discounts for mature drivers that have completed a course in defense driving. If you are a multi-car family you should always bring this up when you negotiate your insurance rate with the insurance company and ask how large the discount will be if you insure all your cars with the company. Sometimes the car insurance rate can be decreased even further by insuring your car with your home insurance company or health insurance company. It is common for insurance companies to offer a wide range of different insurance policies.

If you have been fortunate and skilled enough to stay accident free for many years, you should find out how different car insurance companies will award you for this. The discount for accident free drivers can vary significantly between different car insurance companies and you can therefore save substantial amounts of money by shopping around. A five year long period that has been free of accidents is usually long enough to make you qualified for some type of discount. With some car insurance companies you will be offered a "surcharge waiver". With a surcharge waiver, you will not loose your discount even if you are involved in one accident.