Buying
a car? Make sure you put safety first. It could help save your life, and
will definitely help you save on auto insurance.
That means that your choice of vehicle helps determine your auto insurance rate.Check the Vehicle History Reports on CARFAX Before You Buy a Used Car.
CARFAX reports contain information that can impact your decision about a used
vehicle.
Some types of information that a CARFAX Report may include
are:
- Title information, including salvaged or junked titles
- Flood damage history
- Total loss accident history
- Odometer readings
- Lemon history
- Number of owners
- Accident indicators, such as airbag deployments
- State emissions inspection results
- Service records
- Vehicle use (taxi, rental, lease, etc.)
Crash Test Performance
The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and many other safety authorities
run crash tests every year to determine how well vehicles protect occupants
in frontal and side collisions. You can research specific models and years on NHTSA's Web site.
Safety Features that
Help You Save on Auto Insurance
- Seat belts—
On average, seat belts save more than 10,000 lives each year. (Because
of this, you’re typically given an auto insurance discount for
certain kinds of automatic seat belts when you buy auto insurance.)
- Air bags—
When used with seat belts, air bags increase safety for most adult passengers.
- Head injury protection—
Head injury protection helps lighten the blow should your head strike
the interior roof of the vehicle and has become standard protection
in recent model years. Headrests minimize neck trauma in an accident.
There are a lot of other safety features that help you better control your vehicle, such as anti-lock
brake systems, traction control, and all-wheel drive. Many of these features result in lower
auto insurance rates and/or auto insurance discounts.
Who Pays More?
Auto insurance protects
your finances in the event of a loss. Because of higher repair and replacement
costs when there’s an auto insurance claim, generally, fast, high-performance
vehicles are more expensive to insure than 4-door family sedans. It makes
sense that owners of more expensive cars have to pay higher auto insurance
rates— these cars may cost more to repair in an accident.
Vehicle Features
that Help You Save
Safety features are
an important part of your vehicle— sports car or sedan. They could
save your life in an accident and earn you auto insurance discounts, from
auto insurance companies. Some company also offers an auto insurance
discount if your vehicle features an anti-theft device of some kind.
Online Research Saves
You Money on Auto Insurance
Considering a new
or used car? While you’re doing online research for the car of your
dreams, get an auto insurance quote from Geico, All State or other car insurance to find out how much
you’ll pay for coverage. You may decide that you’re not ready
for that pricey car when you see how much more it costs to insure!