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When you apply for a policy, insurers take a wide range of factors into account to decide whether you are likely to make a claim. Some insurers assign you to a risk tier, i.e. you are grouped with people who represent a similar level of risk, or you are given a score, i.e. like a credit score. Each company has its own system for assessing your risk profile. That's why it's always worth shopping around. What some insurers classify as high risk, may be treated as less threatening by others. So premium rates can vary quite significantly between the insurers. However, there are a number of common factors in deciding whether you get cheap auto insurance.

It starts with who you are. Young and inexperienced drivers, and seniors over the age of 65 have more accidents. Gender is important as women tend to drive more safely than men. Now we get into the variables. Where you live and your job directly affect the rates. Some ZIP codes have high rates of theft and vehicle damage. Some jobs are associated with poor levels of vehicle maintenance and higher numbers of accidents. How far you drive every week and what the road conditions are like directly affect the risk of an accident. The last thing is that single or older couples have fewer accidents that young married couples, according to the statistics.

Now we come to the really important factors. If you buy a make and model with an excellent safety record which is difficult to steal, the auto insurance rates will be low. But if you buy a high-powered monster that's very expensive to repair or replace, the rates will be high. It's the same with your driving record. If you have never picked up a ticket in thirty years of claim-free driving, you have qualified for cheap car insurance. If you have multiple violations, particularly involving alcohol or drugs, you will be classified as high risk and the premium rates will be astronomical. Buying any kind of insurance on the voluntary market is indeed something that you may find quite difficult to do.