What factors can affect the cost of cheap auto insurance

There are a wide range of different factors that insurers take into account to work out the likelihood of you making a claim when you apply for a policy. Some insurers assign you to a risk tier, i.e. you are grouped with people who represent a similar level of risk, or you are given a score, i.e. like a credit score. Each company has its own system for assessing your risk profile. That's why it's always worth shopping around. What some insurers classify as high risk, may be treated as less threatening by others. So premium rates can vary quite significantly between the insurers. However, there are a number of common factors in deciding whether you get cheap auto insurance.

Who you are is one of the first factors that insurers take into account with their being more accidents involving young and inexperienced drivers and seniors aged 65 or over. Gender is important as women tend to drive more safely than men. Now we get into the variables. Where you live and your job directly affect the rates. Some ZIP codes have high rates of theft and vehicle damage. Some jobs are associated with poor levels of vehicle maintenance and higher numbers of accidents. How far you drive every week and what the road conditions are like directly affect the risk of an accident. Finally, according to the statistics, young married couples have fewer accidents than singles or older couples.

Now we come to the really important factors. If you buy a make and model with an excellent safety record which is difficult to steal, the cheap auto insurance rates will be low. But if you buy a high-powered monster that's very expensive to repair or replace, the rates will be high. It's the same with your driving record. If you have never picked up a ticket in thirty years of claim-free driving, you have qualified for cheap car insurance. If you have multiple violations, particularly involving alcohol or drugs, you will be classified as high risk and the premium rates will be astronomical. Indeed you may find it difficult to buy any insurance on the voluntary market.