Chances are, if you’ve been operating a vehicle for any amount of time, you’ve gotten some sort of traffic violation, been involved in an accident or had something else happen to blemish your driving record. If so, finding a good deal on auto insurance is tough. But armed with a little knowledge, your chance of securing a decent rate is much better.

When insuring a teenage driver, lower your car insurance costs by asking about all the eligible discounts. Insurance companies generally have a discount for good students, teenage drivers with good driving records, and teenage drivers who have taken a defensive driving course. Discounts are also available if your teenager is only an occasional driver.

One, less well-known way to get further discounts on auto insurance, especially if you have a teen driver around who is only going back and forth to school, is to request whether your insurance offers a discount for low mileage. If you can accurately estimate the actual mileage your teen drives and report it accurately, you will pay less.

Shop online! To ensure you get the absolute best deal on car insurance, do most or all of your research online – and then buy online. Technology now allows fast comparison of so many companies and features; it greatly simplifies the task of finding the right company with the right rates and the right coverage to fit your needs and budget.

If you have an alarm system or immobilizer installed on your car, your premium may be reduced. Prevention from theft has a main role in calculating your insurance coverage. To further reduce your premium, you can install a tracker. This will provide more theft protection resulting in an even lower premium.

A few years ago, it might have been wise to drop medical payments from your automobile insurance policy when it was common to be able to expect your health insurance policy to cover almost all of your accident-related medical costs. Now, with health coverage becoming more restrictive, it’s worth doing the math to see if it’s worth getting the extra medical payments coverage reinstated to your auto insurance plan.

Raising your deductibles will help you save money on your car insurance. The higher the deductible, the lower your monthly costs will be. The rate of savings will drop pretty low if you are driving an older car since the replacement cost is not as high as if you were driving a newer car.

Don’t sign a car over to other family members frequently. By having only one driver for each car, you will get a better premium for your insurance policy.

Do not settle for the first auto insurance company that you find. You may be missing out on special discounts or rewards. For instance, some insurance companies offer discounted premiums for accident-free drivers, or for people of certain professions. Some even give discounts to college students who maintain good grades.

One of the absolute greatest factors in the price of your auto insurance remains, unfortunately, completely outside of your control, this is your age. The majority of companies consider people under 25 to be a higher risk and due to this you will end up paying more. Remember, especially when you are younger, to check constantly with your agency for discounts based on age year by year.

With a spotty driving record, finding cheap automobile insurance won’t be easy, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Just remember that the insurance companies want and need your business. Follow the tips that you’ve learned, to make sure the insurance company is willing to work with you, to offer the lowest auto insurance rate possible.