Instead of getting cheap quality insurance, get rewarded with a good driver discount & discover other ways you can save!
Cheap insurance has risks. As the saying goes, “you get what you pay for.” Mosaic Insurance Alliance is here to show you that there are definitely safer ways to save money.
We can look into ways that you can save on premium and keep stable coverage. For instance, did you know that you can get rewarded simply by proving to your insurance carrier that you are a good driver? And, being an insurance broker, Mosaic has access to various carriers that offer good driving discounts.
What Insurance Companies Offer Good Driving Discounts?
There are various insurance carriers that offer good driving discounts, such as:
- Nationwide Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive Insurance
- Travelers Insurance
- PEMCO Insurance
What Does It Mean to Be a Good Driver?
What do you have to do to qualify for a good driver discount? Good driving discounts are often called safe driving discounts for a reason. Carriers have different factors that they use to decide what is good (safe) driving.
Here are some common things that help determine if you are a good driver:
- Little to No Hard Braking
- Did you take driver’s ed? Then you probably remember that you were told to drive in a way that allows you to safely come to a smooth stop. The goal is to make it so that gradual braking is possible and hard braking is not needed.
- Hard braking tends to signify that a driver is not as alert as they could have been, did not flow with traffic ideally, is in unsafe territory, and/or created an unsafe situation that could result in something like a rearend accident.
- Little to No Hard Acceleration
- You might also remember that defensive driving school teaches new drivers to gradually get up to speed (perhaps except in the cases of merging).
- Fast acceleration can be seen as aggressive driving.
- Also, gradually getting up to speed tends to give you more time to react in case something were to happen—like a car in front of you suddenly stopping or someone suddenly running into the road. It also allows you to get a better understanding of road conditions—it is easy to miss a pothole or ice if you are going fast right after a light turns green. The less aggressively you accelerate, the less you tend to be a claims risk.
- Plus, aggressive acceleration can be bad for your car, especially if it is not completely warmed up (you don’t want to be hit on the freeway from a sudden breakdown!), or if you are in a manual and you are not shifting on que (no one wants a burnt clutch!).
- Avoiding Hard Turning
- Like with hard braking and accelerating, it is deemed dangerous to take hard turns.
- Make sure that you are extra alert on turns and driving for weather conditions.
- If there is a recommended turn speed limit, do that speed limit or less—whatever is safest in that moment.
- Low Miles Driven
- The more you drive, the more risk you have for a claim. That is because the longer you are on the road, the more chances you have to hit someone, be hit by someone, run a red light, etc.
- The longer a destination drive is, the more likely you are to get fatigued or tired behind the wheel. The less alert you are, the higher chance of an accident.
- Low Idle Time
- Idle time signifies traffic. Traffic signifies a higher chance of hitting someone because there are more people on the road to hit and there are many chances to get a fender bender.
- Little to No Nighttime Driving
- It is harder for you to see in the dark, which increases the chance of you hitting something.
- It is harder for others to see as well, which increases your odds of someone hitting you.
- Crime tends to spark during nighttime hours, which puts you at risks for all kinds of things, including getting your car stollen or broken into when you run into the store for late night shopping.
- People tend to be tired towards the end of the day and are more likely to be drowsy or fall asleep behind the wheel.
- There are usually less witnesses at nighttime. (Plus, security cameras catch less in the dark.)
- Street racing tends to happen at night.
How Does Good Driving Get Recorded?
- You plug a device into your car that your carrier sends you.
- This is a good option if you do not have a cellphone or a smartphone.
- The device usually plugs in under your dashboard where a check engine light reader goes.
- The device will remain plugged in for a set period of time.
- Typically, while using the device, you can track your driving via a website or app to see how you are doing. This will help you correct bad habits and repeat good ones.
- You install a monitoring app on your phone.
- Most companies go with this option now.
- Some companies no longer have plug-in devices.
- The carrier’s app will tell you how you are doing.
- If you are ever in someone else’s car as a passenger, you can hop onto your app and let it know that you are not driving so that they are not impacting your score.
- You have a connected car.
- Your car has to be 2020 or newer and be equipped with the software. For example, 2020 and newer Ford and Lincoln vehicles are able to do this.
- If you have a Ford or Lincoln, you need to create a FordPass or Lincoln Way account.
- Connecting your software account with your insurance carrier will allow them to get the driving information directly from your car.
- You can get information about your safe driving through the app.
- Here are some other important things for you to know.
- You do not have to be perfect to get a discount. There are usually different levels of good driving with a max discount percentage that you can access.
- Some carriers will guarantee a minimum of savings just for participating in the program, regardless of your safe driving score.
- You can choose whose driving gets monitored on your policy with some carriers. For example, you can have your teenager’s driving monitored but opt out of the program for yourself.
What Other Insurance Discounts Can I Get?
There are various ways that you can save money on insurance.
- Good Student Discount
- This is like the good driving discount—you, your teenager, or your college student can get rewarded for good grades!
- You do not have to have a 4.0 to get a discount.
- Most carriers have a minimum grade requirement of a B average or 3.0 GPA.
- Some carriers will give you an additional discount if your teen/college driver took drivers ed.
- Most carriers will take a recent report card as proof of good grades.
- Typically, an insured has to be 16-24 years old to qualify for a good student discount.
- If we cannot help you with a good student discount because you are older than 24, we will look for other ways that you can save!
- Low Miles Discount
- Have you heard of SmartMiles from Nationwide? Nationwide and various other insurance carriers, like Safeco, will give you a discount for driving low miles.
- You can read more about Nationwide’s saving telematics here in our blog post that talks about SmartRide, SmartMiles, and other ways that Nationwide can be beneficial.
- Since Nationwide is one of our carriers, ask your Mosaic independent agent about them! If you are not yet a client—no problem! We can connect you with your very own Mosaic Insurance agent. Give us a call at 425-320-4280.
- Anti-Theft Discounts
- Do you have a manual, automatic, or remote disabling device for your car? You might be able to get a discount!
- Some carriers will give you a discount if you have a car alarm.
- Having a VIN etching on your windows will get you a discount with some carriers.
- You can get a discount with some carriers if you have a GPS tracking transmitter.
- Bundling Home and Auto
- Many carriers give you a discount if you get home and auto insurance with them.
- You can also get an insurance discount with many carriers if you get an umbrella policy.
- Read more about how working with an independent insurance agent can save you money here.
- Classic Car Discounts
- If you have a classic car that you only drive here and there on nice days or to classic car shows, contact us about getting specialty car insurance for it!
- Some 90s cars are now considered classics! If your 90s classic car is no longer your daily commuter, ask us about classic car insurance to help you save some money.
- The List Does Not Stop Here!
- Carriers have thought up some nice ways that you can save in various areas of your personal and business life.
- Ask us what other ways you can save based on your specific situation. You never know!
We Stay in The Loop So That You Don’t Have To!
It is our job to keep up to date on the insurance world. As an independent insurance agency, we are here to give you access to different carriers and match you with one that best fits your needs and wants.
We do the footwork so that you do not have to. We are ready to walk the extra mile. We are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm Pacific. Call us at 425-320-4280, email us at info@mosaicia.com, or send an IM by hitting the chat bubble in the bottom right corner. If you rather meet face-to-face, we can do that with a video chat—call us to setup a time to talk. We currently do not do in-person office visits, but we have all the previous options, as well as a get a free quote form that is quick to fill out.
We look forward to talking with you, your friends, your family, and anyone else that you know! And, if you or someone you know lives in a state other than Washington, we still might be able to help. Check out our personal lines states and commercial lines states.
