Cheap car insurance is an important way to protect yourself as a driver on the road against legal and financial problems. In most states, it is against the law to drive without the state minimum for auto insurance. For those who chose to take a gamble and drive without proper automobile insurance coverage in place, if you are involved in an accident and are at fault, all the resulting expenses will be yours to cover, out of your own pocket. Even if you are not at fault, there will be no one from an insurance company to be in your corner to fight to get your expenses covered.

Many people put off getting auto insurance because they do not think they can afford it. The problem is without doing research and comparing rates, many drivers never realize how many options exist for cheap and affordable auto insurance. Nowadays, no one really has the time to gather the information needed to shop for and compare rates. The good news is you can now get all the rates you need from one place. The hardest thing you have to do is decide which policy provider to choose.

The Do’s & Don’ts of Cheap Auto Insurance

It sounds simple enough. Get quotes, find the cheapest rate and get signed up. Like anything in life, cheapest does not always mean the best. There are some the pros and cons to keep in mind when you are trying to get car insurance without settling for too little coverage in your policy.

• Do make sure you meet the state requirements needed for your car insurance policy. It is important to make sure you meet the state minimum requirements as deemed mandatory by the state where you live. Every state except New Hampshire has a minimum amount of coverage drivers must have to be street legal. Generally, this is either liability or no-fault car insurance coverage. Of course, even the state minimums will vary, so make sure to be mindful of this if you are moving to a new state.

• Don’t settle for the state minimum if you have a valuable car or lack health insurance coverage. If your car is paid for but still worth a high value, liability will not cover your repairs or replacement costs. Liability is meant to cover whomever you collide with in the event that you are the driver who is at fault. In addition, if you do not have health insurance and incur medical expenses, you will have to pay for these out of pocket.

• Do make sure all the drivers in your house who may use your vehicle are listed and included on your policy. In some states, on some policies, there may not even be a price difference in your premiums to add a driver. If you take a gamble and do not add potential drivers, your insurance will not cover your vehicle in the event of an accident with an uninsured motorist behind the wheel. For that reason, you should never let anyone who does not have coverage on your policy drive your car.

• Don’t settle for monthly premium payments if you can afford annual or quarterly ones. In order to get cheap auto insurance, you should take steps to cut costs. Most policy providers offer discounts for those drivers who make their car insurance premium payments either annually or at least quarterly as opposed to monthly. Also, see if there are discounts for setting up your premium payments to come directly out of your checking or savings account.

• Do keep a clean driving record.  It should go without saying, but obviously the better your driving record is the lower your rates will be. Younger and first time drivers are considered high-risk drivers and have some of the highest premium rates for car insurance. While these drivers can still find cheap car insurance, you should work to keep a good driving record so your rates will drop that much quicker.

Things to Know to Get the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes

If you are looking for cheap auto insurance coverage rates, you have to keep certain things in mind. For example, when you begin a new policy, you usually have a down payment that is due to start the coverage. Many times your policy provider will offer you the option of breaking down the big payment into smaller payments to be added to your monthly premiums.

The thing is you can usually get a better deal on cheaper down payment if you come up with it in the beginning. Try to make efforts such as this to save yourself money and lock down affordable and cheap auto insurance rates.

So, you may be wondering, what else is there that may also help you cut down costs when it comes to your car insurance policy?

• Make yours a combo – If you have other types of insurance such as boat, renters, motorcycle or home owners, find out if you could save by adding all of your insurance policy needs to one policy provider. Get cheaper policy prices and make paying your bills easier by setting up your insurance with one carrier.

• Get regular price checkups – Too many drivers get comfortable staying with the insurance company they have and never put their rates to the test. Make sure you compare rates at least annually to be sure you continue to get the best deals and the lowest rates possible.

• Keep your car sensible – Try to avoid getting too sporty a car and avoid cars that lack safety features. The sportier the car, the higher the insurance rates. Older cars that did not have certain standard safety features may also cause your rates to be higher. See if you can add air bags and help your rates go down. Even anti-theft measures can help your rates be lower.

To get those comparison quotes and find the cheapest car insurance quotes, start with nothing more than your zip code right away.