Cheap Car Insurance

Learn more about these valuable policy discounts that may help you get a cheaper car insurance premium with ERIE.

Cheap auto insurance doesn’t have to mean poor protection and service. Erie Insurance provides affordable car insurance with plenty of opportunities to reduce and avoid increases to your car insurance costs while maintaining quality coverage. All from an insurer that’s recognized for customer service and financial stability .

Understand Factors That May Determine Your Car Insurance Rate

Being proactive in understanding how insurance companies establish pricing for insurance premiums. Here are several of the key factors at play:

Car safety ratings

Vehicle safety ratings are determined through tests and evaluations by the auto industry and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Insurance companies supplement that information by collecting large amounts of data from customer claims. Safer vehicles are often less expensive to insure, and insurers often offer discounts to customers driving safer cars. Meanwhile, some insurers increase premiums for cars that have poor safety records and are more susceptible to damage or occupant injury.

Time-tested models can pay off

Insurance companies carefully track data on vehicles to determine which makes and models are more prone to mechanical or safety issues.

The longer an insurance company insures a type or model of car, the more data it has to determine fair pricing. If the vehicle has built a solid track record over several years, odds are it will insure at a reasonable rate, and stay stable over time. Conversely, vehicles with poor safety history or those that are a favorite target for thieves will be costlier to insure.

Your driving history

Your track record on the road can have a direct impact on your wallet when it comes to insurance. Insurance companies have found that past performance often does foretell future results.  If you’ve had speeding tickets or accidents, or other violations within the last few years, your auto insurance rate may be higher than if you have a spotless driving record.

How much you drive

Are you a road warrior, or a homebody? The difference will show up in your premium rates. Someone who drives only a few miles a week will likely pay less for auto insurance than someone who covers hundreds of miles most weeks. It just makes sense, the more time on the road increases the chances of being involved in a crash or sustaining damage to your car.

Size matters

You may think smaller car, smaller insurance premium. But not so fast. In an accident, larger vehicles tend to fare better – and keep occupants safer – than smaller vehicles. That can translate to lower premiums for a larger vehicle.

Anti-theft devices

If your car has an alarm, a tracking device to help police recover it, or another theft deterrent, it’s less attractive to thieves, and less expensive to insure, too.

Your credit history

Research has shown that good credit is connected to good driving – and vice versa. Certain credit information can be predictive of future insurance claims. When permissible, many insurance companies use credit history to help determine the cost of car insurance. The bottom line: Good credit can have a positive impact on the cost of your car insurance.

Your age, sex, gender and marital status

Crash rates are higher for all drivers under age 25, especially single males. Insurance prices in most states reflect these differences. If you’re a student, you might also be in line for a discount. Most car insurers provide discounts to student-drivers who take driver-safety training and start building a safe driving record.

Where you live

Generally, due to higher rates of vandalism, theft, and crashes, urban drivers pay more for car insurance than do those in small towns or rural areas. You likely can’t easily change where you live, but if you do live in a high insurance area make sure to pay close attention to the other factors that you can control.

It’s no fun getting an unexpected surprise about insurance costs after you have settled on the car or truck of your dreams. By doing some homework upfront about potential auto insurance rates, you can make an informed decision to make sure you have the right car at the right price of owning it.

See if ERIE can Offer a Cheaper Auto Insurance Rate

Ready to learn more about affordable auto insurance from ERIE? Read about our auto coverage and start a car insurance quote today.