5 Safe-Driving Tips for Lower Insurance Rates

Buying car insurance is a mixed bag of comparing similar policies and qualifying for a variety of company-specific discounts. To further lower auto insurance premiums, having a clean driving record is paramount. Five safe-driving tips make it possible.

1. Leave Plenty of Space between You and the Car Ahead

Take your foot off the gas pedal as you go through an intersection. Leave a lot of room between you and the car ahead of you, especially when stopping at the next red light. Do not trust that the driver ahead will keep on trucking. An insurer usually apportions fault to you, if you end up rear-ending another driver. It does not matter if another motorist stopped in front of you for an imaginary squirrel that turned out to be little more than a leaf; your insurance rates still go up.

2. Never Drive while Impaired

Whether it is prescription medication or alcohol, do not drive if there is a chance that you are impaired. Pharmacists usually affix stickers to prescription bottles, warning you of potentially adverse effects. Heed them -- at least until you know exactly how a medication affects you. Besides being a deadly gamble, driving while drunk or buzzed must be completely avoided. A DUI charge costs a lot of money to defend, and your insurance rates are certain to go up.

3. Follow the Traffic Laws

Californians are notorious for what is called the " California roll." Rather than stopping at a stop sign, Californians tend to merely slow down to a crawl while ascertaining whether it is safe to cross the intersection -- before driving through. Needless to say, law enforcement has been known to set up shop around the corner from a stop sign. Get enough moving violations -- failure to stop at stop signs, running red lights and speeding -- and your driving record accumulates points. Points eventually lead to insurance rate increases.

4. Stay Insured

Do not let another policy lapse. Moreover, do not give an insurer cause to add a "risky to insure" notation to your name. This commonly happens if you accumulate points on your driving record, add one or more DUIs or get into repeat fender benders. Even if you change insurers, there is a good chance that your reputation follows. If you do want to change companies, do so while in good standing with your current company.

5. Choose Your Ride Wisely

As previously outlined, automotive safety features cut car insurance costs. Cars thus equipped come with daytime running lights, anti-lock brakes, passive restraints as well as airbags and even factory-installed anti-theft technology. Couple these technological advances with a defensive driving technique; your insurer will gladly shave quite a bit of money off your policy's cost.