A lot many people wonder what determines the price of a car insurance policy. Insurers should take note that many factors influence the final price of an insurance plan. Most Car insurance companies consider the following factors.

*Insurer's driving record-A good driving record is a sure bet that the premium will be lower. A history of accidents and serious traffic violations will push up the premium. In addition, the premium will also be more if the driver has not been insured for a number of years.

*Place of residence-The locality where the insurer lives has a bearing on the premium. Insurance companies assess local trends in the number of accidents, car thefts, lawsuits, and the cost of car repair.

*Miles hauled-Insurance companies assume that lesser you drive; the lesser are chances of accidents. Accordingly, if the average distance driven per year is less than say, 10000 miles, then the insurer stands to pay less. More often than not, policyholders who car pool stands to get discounts.

*Insurer's age-Car insurance companies consider mature drivers safer. If younger people, generally less than 25 years of age drive your car then car insurance companies charge higher premium than the regular rates.

*The amount of coverage-It is obvious that if a policy has more coverage, the cost will be higher. However, many car insurance companies offer discounts if a customer opts for more coverage.

When you look for low cost car insurance and weigh in the insurance quotes, it is a good idea to derive maximum benefits from the above factors.

Crash Test Basicsaq

Cars having higher crash test scores have better premium rates than those with lower scores.

Modern cars have well-established car crash testing programs. Many may be aware as to how car crash testing works, but to those who are uninformed here is some useful information.

A crash test invariable uses a dummy whose job is to simulate a human being during a crash. A crash test collects vital data via a dummy that otherwise is not possible when a human drives a car. In the United States, the Hybrid III dummy is used for all frontal crash tests. The dummy most commonly used has a weight of approximately 170 lbs and height 70 inches. The dummies are attached with three types of instrumentation.

1. Accelerometers- This instrumentation measures the acceleration in a particular direction. During a crash test, a graph is created that displays the variation in acceleration that a driver's head undergoes during an accident.

2. Load sensors- This gadget measures the amount of force that is exerted on different parts of the body during a crash.

3. Motion sensors-These sensors measure how much the chest deflects during a crash. The amount of deflection displayed on a graph will assess the extent of injury a driver will suffer during a crash.

So, what constitutes an ideal"crash"? Designing the safety systems in a car is all about removing the kinetic energy generated as slowly as possible. In simple lingo, the airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, should all work together to slow down the driver to prevent a severe impact during a crash.

Two major organizations keep score of crash tests in the United States. They are National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). NHTSA accords one star to five star ratings in the ascending order for safety. NHTSA's ratings are a guide for a car buyer to weigh the pros and cons of a car vis-a-vis convenience and driving comfort.