It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes for car insurance. Of course, you need to limit your search to a particular state. For example, you need North Carolina car insurance quotes if you’re going to have your car insured in that state.

It makes sense to do this because you really shouldn’t pay more than you have to for car insurance. After all, cars by themselves are expensive. You also have to pay for fuel as well as for maintenance. Car insurance is also often mandatory as well, and even if it’s not it’s simply a good idea to get it.

To lower your premiums, you may want to check out exactly what factors play in determining the cost of your car insurance. Some car insurance companies do have their own priorities and target clientele, which explains why they may offer different quotes for your car insurance. But other factors are pretty much standard as well:

Your Personal Driving Profile

This is perhaps the most important factor from the POV of the car insurance company. Your age matters, because if you’re a teen then you may be considered more of a risk because you’re excitable and inexperienced. The same is true if you’re a senior citizen because your eyesight may have deteriorated and your reflexes aren’t as good as when you were younger.

It helps if you keep your driving record pristine by not breaking traffic and driving regulations. The more tickets you get, the more likely it will be that your insurance will be more expensive. You can get discounts if you get extra training such as completing a course on defensive driving. Just go to the driving school that your insurance company approves of.

The mileage (the distance you drive per year) will also be a factor. The more often you’re on the road, the greater risk you present for your auto insurance company. So it’s better if you’re more of a weekend driver instead of a daily driver.

Credit scores may also play a part, though this may not be allowed in some states. The fact is that insurance companies have long noted the correlation between good credit scores and fewer claims. It seems that if you’re responsible enough to pay your loans, you’re also responsible enough to be behind the wheels.

Your Location

You may have the very same driving and personal profile as the next person, and you may have very different instance rates because of your location. If your area is prone to heavy traffic or you tend to have heavy rains and snowfalls in your location, your insurance rates will go up.

Choice of Vehicle

Some cars are inherently cheaper to insure than others. For 2017, the cheapest cars to insure include Honda’s Odyssey LX and CR-V LX, along with Jeep’s Renegade Sport, Wrangler Black Bear, Compass, and Cherokee Sport.

Car insurance companies take note of the number of claims made for a particular model to determine which cars are cheaper to insure. This will include the number of thefts targeting a particular car model along with certain repair issues for a particular car.

They will also check safety ratings from the NHTSA. This also includes noting the safety and anti-collision features along with antitheft safeguards. They will check the price of replacement parts as this will affect the comprehensive and collision sections of your auto insurance premium.

So to help you lower your insurance premiums, you may want to avoid cars with poor safety ratings. Sports cars aren’t good for your insurance, especially if you’re a young adult. Stick to car brands with good reputations for safety and reliability, and you should keep your insurance premiums from skyrocketing.