Most drivers, especially the younger ones. Probably know that insuring a teen driver will cost you much more than a driver of any other age below 70. This is because teen drivers are considered to be the highest risks when it comes to assessing insurance risks. Still, there are effective ways of lowering your auto insurance costs, and if you're determined to get what you want for a lower price, then you should definitely follow the general tips mentioned below.

How to cut your car insurance costs

One of the most optimal ways of cutting insurance expenses is of course buying a car that is insurance friendly and safe in general. Look for a vehicle that has both front and side airbags, additional seatbelts, antilock breaks, anti-theft alarm and improved locks. Most insurance providers will give you a discount if your car can be considered as safe and protected from theft. Besides, if speaking of discounts, you should join an auto club as members of such usually get some discounts as a part of their membership.

In case your vehicle is rather old and has low market value, you may want to drop collision and comprehensive coverage altogether. While this type of coverage is really useful with new cars, the deductibles you will have to pay after filing a claim with an old car may be even higher than the actual value of the vehicle. So it's better to be off without any collision and comprehensive at all.

If you're planning to become married in the near future, this is your chance to get lower insurance rates as well. Married drivers are usually regarded as lower risks by the insurance companies, even if you are a rather young driver. Besides, reaching the age of 25 will also give you a drop in insurance rates, since drivers aged 25 and older are viewed by the insurance companies as having more driving experience and posing less risk on the road.

In case you still live at your parents' house and don't have a vehicle on your own, you might want to stay under their policy as they will usually have better insurance rates. But if you decide to purchase your own vehicle, with most insurance providers you will be obliged to purchase an individual policy for owning the vehicle.

Don't forget that you can drop specific types of coverage in certain situation in order to avoid double insurance. For example, if you have good health insurance rates or are covered by an employer-sponsored group plan, you may want to drop personal injury protection from your car insurance policy since you will be covered by the health insurance policy in case of an accident. So why paying twice for the things you already have?

And of course, you should take some time to compare car insurance quotes before buying a policy in your own. Get as many car insurance quotes from different providers as you can as it will give you a good opportunity to get the most competitive rates out there. So take your time and do some comparison shopping as you can get really good quotes if you're persistent.