Low car insurance rates are available to most drivers – as long as you know how to find them and how to qualify for them. Oftentimes, consumers end up paying more for car insurance because they don't know the secret ins and outs of the car insurance industry. While no one but the car insurance agencies themselves know the complete details of how insurers calculate your monthly premiums, understanding some basic tips and tricks can help you save money in the long run.

Perhaps one of the littlest known facts is that your credit score affects how much you pay on your car insurance. Most of the top car insurance agencies will pull your credit history when you apply for auto coverage. This is because studies have shown a link between credit scores and the likelihood that a person will file a claim. Those with higher credit scores also tend to make payments on time and stay with the same company for longer periods of time. Using information from your credit report, insurance agencies will calculate an "insurance risk score" that may affect your overall rates. If you have had any recent changes to your credit report or are waiting for some negative items to be rectified on your credit report, you may be able to get low car insurance rates by waiting until your credit score shapes up.

Another factor is the make and model of your vehicle. Though companies don't publish the figures, all auto insurers have a list of ratings for each car make and model. The rating is from 1 to 27, and the lower the number, the lower your car insurance rates. To qualify for lower monthly rates, choose a less costly car with high safety ratings and low theft rates.

Paying your car insurance premiums all at once can also save significant money. For instance, many car insurance agencies let you pay on a monthly, quarterly or yearly basis. If you can afford to pay all of your premium up front, you will often pay less in the long run.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, your driving history matters. After your first at-fault accident, you will see an increase in premium by about 40%. You can find companies that forgive your first accident, but this varies widely. You can be eligible for the normal price after you've gone for a certain number of years – usually between two and five – without another at-fault accident. You should also take note that your rates may increase if you lend your car to a friend or family member and he or she gets in an accident and has to file a claim.

As you can see, many factors go into determining your car insurance premiums. While almost all car insurance agencies use the same criteria for calculating premiums, not all of them weight them the same. Because of this, it is important to shop around and get quotes from numerous different insurers. You can do this quickly and easily by running a local car insurance search. Simply plug in your postal code or state and find deals from car insurance agencies in your area. You may be surprised at how widely the prices vary.