Auto Safety Features & Car Insurance
When you hear the words auto safety, you’re probably thinking of things like wearing a seatbelt, a tuned-up engine, updated safety inspection and a spare tire. But auto safety is more than just being prepared. It’s also about the innovative safety features and technology of your car that make your car safer for the road. And by lowering your risk of an accident, these devices can also lower your auto insurance rate.
Want to learn how you can reduce your monthly premium? Let’s take a look at all the road safety features that will protect you and your loved ones behind the wheel—while also saving you money each month.
Vehicle Safety Features That Reduce Your Auto Insurance Rates
The amount you’ll pay for your car insurance premiums each month is determined by various factors, including your age, where you live, the type of car you drive, and your driving history.
And while you can’t always change your driving history or credit score—not easily, anyway— there are some specific car features that can help you bring your insurance rate down.
That’s because manufacturers are consistently adding more advanced safety features every year, regardless of the car model. Because these technologies make vehicles safer, it helps lower the risk of potential accidents. As a result, many insurance companies are able to offer lower rates for customers whose cars are equipped with certain safety features.
Some of the newest features may not yet be approved by all providers. However, there are plenty that are now considered standard by most major car insurance companies, including:
1. Anti-Lock Brakes:
Anti-lock brakes are what help your car stop quickly in an emergency situation, by constantly pumping the brakes to keep your wheels from locking up. Older car models may not have them, but since 2012, the government has mandated that manufacturers include anti-lock brakes in all passenger vehicles.
– How much can I save on insurance from anti-lock brakes?
The auto insurance discount you may receive for anti-lock brakes depends upon your provider. For example, Allstate offers a 10% discount, while 21st Century Insurance offers 5%. Your savings may also be dictated by where you live. In New York, New Jersey, and Florida, all auto insurance companies are required to give a discount for anti-lock brakes.
2. Air Bags:
Vehicles can be equipped with front and side air bags, both of which protect the driver and passengers from significant injury during an accident. This means that insurance companies will likely have to pay less in claims—and generally, the more air bags your vehicle has, the more of a discount they’ll offer. Frontal air bags have been required as standard equipment in all new passenger vehicles since 1998, and in all vans, pickups and SUVs since 1999. Side air bags are being offered as standard or optional equipment on many new passenger vehicles, so they may or may not contribute to a reduction in your monthly premium.
– How much can I save on insurance with extra air bags?
Geico offers up to 25% off for driver-side air bags and up to 40% off for full front-seat air bags. Esurance offers a discount of 2% to 33% on medical payments coverage or personal injury protection, depending on where you live and how many safety features your vehicle has.
3. Daytime Running Lights
Increasing your visibility, even during the day, is critical for safety on the road. Daytime running lights come on automatically when your car starts, which helps to prevent collisions. Manufacturers started offering daytime running lights in 1995, and they’re now considered a standard feature for passenger vehicles.
– How much can I save on insurance with daytime running lights?
Again, the discount you’ll see here depends on your provider. The savings for daytime running lights aren’t as significant as air bags or anti-lock brakes, but Geico, for example, offers a 1% discount with certain coverage types.
4. Electronic Stability Control
If you suddenly have to steer hard or turn on a slippery road, the electronic stability control just may save your life. Using sensors and computer monitoring, it responds to steering and automatically applies the brakes, preventing your car from skidding out of control and rolling over. This technology has been required on all passenger vehicles since 2012, and can offer considerable savings.
– How much can I save on insurance with electronic stability control?
Insurance claims payouts for collision coverage are, on average, 15% lower for cars with electronic stability control than without it.
Even if these features come standard with your vehicle, you’ll want to check with your auto insurer to make sure you’re benefiting from the maximum number of discounts you can receive for driving a car with newer safety features.
Advanced Car Safety Features for Ultimate Protection
As mentioned above, some insurance companies may offer lower premiums for even the newest and most advanced car safety features. Others may wait until these technologies have been through further testing and are more widely available before offering discounts. That’s why you’ll want to check with your auto insurance provider before choosing your vehicle coverage plan.
Regardless, these features incorporate the most advanced technologies, and will therefore keep you and your loved ones safer on the road—which lowers your risk of accidents.
- Adaptive cruise control: This uses lasers, radar, cameras, or a combination of these systems to monitor traffic conditions and automatically adjust your speed and keep your car a safe distance from the vehicle in front of it.
- Lane-departure warning systems: This technology utilizes cameras to track your car’s position, which keeps it within lane markings and prevents it from drifting out of its lane.
- Forward-collision warning: This system scans for vehicles ahead and alerts the driver if they are approaching a vehicle in their lane too fast and a crash is imminent.
- Automatic emergency braking: If your vehicle detects a potential collision and you don’t react in time, your car will initiate automatic braking to keep you safe.
- Brake assist: When you hit your brakes with maximum force, you risk locking up the wheels. Brake assist enables threshold braking to reach the shortest possible stopping distance without locking your wheels.
- Pedestrian detection: This system utilizes camera(s) or radar to warn you of any pedestrians in the path of your vehicle, and some will even start automatic emergency braking if the risk of a collision seems high.
- Blind-spot warning: This technology warns you when another vehicle is hidden in your car’s blind spot. Some advances versions may even brake or steer the vehicle back towards the center of the lane.
- Rear cross-traffic alert: If your vehicle senses traffic that may cross your path as you reverse, it will automatically brake to prevent a collision.
Things to Remember
Don’t forget that discounts for safety features vary by insurance company, as well as by state. An insurance provider may offer lower rates in some states but not others, or the percentage may vary from state to state. It’s also important to remember that auto safety features will usually only warrant reductions on full coverage auto insurance. If you don’t have full coverage (which includes both comprehensive and collision, in addition to liability coverage), then the lower rates may not apply to you.
Want to Save on Your Monthly Auto Rate? Look No Further
Now that you know how much you can save on your auto insurance each month, it’s time to find a policy that fits your needs and your budget—and we’re here to help. Thanks to our fast and affordable online insurance quotes, you can choose a plan and get your coverage in just minutes. Get yours today and rest easy knowing that you’ll be a safer driver—while also saving money.
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Many of the top insurance providers offer auto insurance discounts for cars with advanced safety features which we discuss in this article. There are many vehicle safety features that can help you save on your coverage rates.
Michael Giusti is a senior insurance analyst, business journalist, and university professor with over 20 years of experience. He serves as department chair at Loyola University New Orleans and contributes to Insurance Thought Leadership, U.S. News, and other leading financial outlets.
