Adding The Right Options to Lower Auto Insurance Rates

There are some features on new vehicles which can help lower your auto insurance premium.  Remember, insurance companies base their rates on the amount of risk involved in each car, so anything that helps reduce that risk reduces rates.  That’s why it’s important to consider the entire package when purchasing a new car, SUV or pickup. 

One of the best options to add in your new car is electronic stability control.  ESC uses speed sensors to detect if the vehicle is headed in a direction different than the steering wheel indicates, then automatically brakes individual wheels to help drivers maintain control.  Tests have shown that ESC can so significantly reduce the risk of rolling over or having a fatal accident that it may become required in all vehicles some day. 

Electronic stability control is required before a vehicle can be considered for a Top Safety Pick award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  This feature is standard in over half the 2007 cars and almost every SUV, but sadly it’s not available in three quarters of all pickup trucks.  If ESC is only available as an option on your vehicle, at $500 many consider this the best money you can spend on a new car.

Side air bags, which protect the head or chest, are another critical option to include whenever possible.  If your car is hit from the side, these air bags instantly inflate, protecting drivers and passengers from hitting the rigid side of the vehicle, reducing fatalities by a huge 26% from torso injuries and 37% from head injuries.  Currently side air bags are standard equipment on many cars, but if they are an option on the vehicle you’re considering, spend the $600 for this important protection.  Not only will your auto insurance quotes be lower, isn’t your life worth it?

So remember, when you are searching for that perfect new vehicle, besides choosing the color and GPS system, make sure that you include every possible safety feature.  Not only will you save money on auto insurance, you could save a life too.