1. Adjust you seat and mirrors before starting to drive. If you share a car with someone, and the seat and mirrors are moved for the driver, you may need to adjust them when you get into the car. If this is the case, do so before turning the ignition. If you try to do it while driving you may be distracted, and could cause an accident.

Benefits of taking a safe driving course The facts and stats will tell you that auto accidents are common and people lose their lives every year from unsafe driving. One of the best things you can do to protect yourself from disabling yourself or dying while driving is take a safe driving course. These courses help you to learn how to drive defensively, and figure out tips for making your drives safer. In many cases, you will be able to get a discount from your insurance if you take a defensive driving course. They are so effective, and the certification of completion often tells the insurance company that you are less of a risk, and thus will probably cost them a lot less in the long run. This means that you save money while learning valuable skills that will help you to drive safer. Safe driving courses teach you how to be aware of and avoid driving hazards, and teach you how to drive defensively so that you will be able to enjoy safe driving for years to come. Accident and collision free driving is worth the cost of a safe driving, or defensive driving course, and you can often recoup any cost by the savings in your insurance premiums.

2. Set your radio station, or insert your CD or iPod, etc. before driving. Many traffic accidents are caused by people flipping through stations and paying more attention to what is on the radio then how they are driving. So, get to the station you like, and do not change it unless you are stopped at a traffic light.
3. Do not talk on your cell phone while driving. The impulse to multi-task, and especially to make phone calls while driving is high, and not unusual, but when you are holding a cell phone, and talking to friends, you are not paying nearly enough attention to the road, which increases your risk of accident. So, do not answer it while driving, do not make calls etc. If you must, use a blue tooth, or other device that does not require you to use your hands to converse.
4. Try not to multi-task while driving. Eating, putting on make-up, handing things back to kids or other passengers, digging in your purse for things, all make for potential accidents. When driving, driving should be your focus.
5. Look before you leap. Obviously you want to make sure that before you change lanes, or speed up, or anything else that you evaluate what other drivers are doing, and where they are in relation to where you are. Use signals to indicate to other drivers what your intentions are. This will help you drive more safely.

Driving safely keeps your rates low, and helps you insurance company trust you to not get in accidents, and thus give you better premium rates.

Bundle and save.

Like with many other services, if you combine your insurances you often get a discount. This is typically referred to as a loyalty discount. These discounts can really help you save. If you have more than one car, make sure you insure it with the same company. If you own your home, or buy renter's insurance, do it through the same company. If you have anything else you insure, such as a motor bike, etc. insure it through the same company for a discounted rate. In some cases you will not get the savings unless you ask for them, so be sure to ask your insurance agent for a discount because you have several policies through them.

Get discounts: Student, military, good grade, etc.

Often your insurance company will offer discounts of some kind that you may or may not qualify for. Of course, the discounts offered vary by company and state. In some cases the discounts offered by one company are not offered by another. For example, one company may offer a discount for those who take a defensive driving class, and others may not.

The following are the basic discounts most companies offer:

Combination Discounts
This is the same as the bundle and save mentioned above. Basically with any insurance company you should be able to get 10% to 20% off your premiums if you insure both your home and your car with the same company, or by insuring more than one car with the same company. This is a good savings.

Defensive-Driving Classes
This is a class that you can take through several different companies, and if you pass it, you will get a certification. This can often merit a 10% discount on premiums. Of course it costs money to take the class, so that might cancel out the savings on premiums, but it may also help you to drive more safely and avoid accidents, which saves you money in the long run.

Good-Student Discounts
These discounts only apply to high school students, but basically, students with GPAs of 3.0 or higher can be eligible for discounts of as much as 25%. In some cases, young male drivers may benefit from this more, since their premiums are typically higher. So, if your child is expensive to insure, encourage them to get good grades so that you can spend less.

Retirement Discounts
Some insurance companies offer discounts to retired individuals, which can be really beneficial if you are on a fixed income. So, be sure to let your insurer know when you retire, especially if you are young when you do. The reason retired individuals get discounts is because statistics show that once you retire you drive less because you are not driving to and from work each day. The less you drive, the less risk you are.

Association and Group Discounts
In some cases you can get a discount through a specific insurance association based on your affiliations. For example, if you graduated from a specific university, or you were part of the military, or are a member of a professional organization, you could get a discount. In some cases certain employers can help you get discounts as well. Of course, these are discounts you have to ask about to see if they are available.

College-Kids-Who-Are-Far-Away Discounts
If you are insuring a car for your college kid, and they are at least 100 miles that separate your child from their car, you get a big discount on the rate, such as 40%. This is because they will only be driving it when they come home, and thus it is driven less, and is less risk.

Safety Discounts
These are discounts offered for safety features on your car. This is one of the discounts that varies by state. In some states, including New York and Florida. In these states drivers are rewarded for having certain safety features on their car, such as antilock brakes, airbags and automatic seat belts. Certain antitheft devices could be eligible for a discount as well, as that makes the car less of a target, and thus less of a risk for theft.

Loyalty Discounts
Stick with the same company for more than one year, and you could earn a break of 10% or more on your premiums. Of course you only get this once, so it is not like you are going to get 10% off, and then another 10% off the following year. However, this is a good way to get a break on your insurance.

When it comes to discounts, every company is different, so to ensure you take advantage of all the discounts you qualify for, ask your insurance agent for a list of the discounts they offer.

Shop Around ?
Of course one of the best ways to save money on auto insurance is to shop around, and find the company that offers the best price. The rule of thumb for insurance quotes is to get a minimum of three quotes for the same policy. The fact is that rates for the same coverage can vary by as much as $500 for a six month period, thus, it is worth shopping around to ensure you get the best price for your coverage period.

When comparing prices for insurance, you have to understand the way insurance companies work, and how your driving record affects which type of company to go with. There are basically three different options:

There are the direct writers.These are companies like Geico or Amica that have in house employees, but sell most of their insurance through commercials, and people buy via the web or the phone. In other words, no one is getting a commission when you sign up.

There are agents. These are for insurance companies like State Farm or Allstate. These companies use exclusive agents to sell their products. These are independent contractors who work predominantly on commission and can sell the products of only one company, so while they can offer many different types of insurance, it is all provided by Allstate, for example.

There are independent agents who sell the insurance of various different companies. These agents also earn their keep based on commission, but can sell almost any insurance, and thus get paid commission from various places.

So which one offers the best price? The answer is that it depends on your driving record. Assuming you have a decent driving history, you should get the best deals from the direct agents, since they remove the middleman and thus you do not have to pay a commission, which can be as much as 15%. However, they are often selective and expensive if your driving record is not pristine. If you have had a ticket or a fender bender, you will pay a lot.

If that is the case, you will want to use a major provider like Allstate or State Farm. They hold a large enough share of the market to be able to give you a better rate. Once they offer you a rate, go to a independent agent and see if they can beat it.

If you are worried can comparison shop at Web sites such as InsWeb, which operates as an independent agent and a lead generator, or even Progressive.