Safe Auto Insurance Review 2024

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Good Drivers

Good drivers typically enjoy the lowest rates available for the best car insurance, but Safe Auto’s average rates are far above the national average. They’re also above the rates offered by several top insurance companies.

Our analysis found a national average of $2,026 a year and Safe Auto costs are at $2,889 a year.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Drivers With a Speeding Ticket

Compared to top competitors, Safe Auto’s auto insurance costs are very high for drivers with a speeding ticket. Safe Auto rates are over $1,000 more than the national average of $2,533 per year.

Drivers looking for the cheapest rates after a speeding ticket should shop around for car insurance quotes because of the wide range of prices among companies.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Drivers Who Caused an Accident With Injury

Safe Auto car insurance prices are quite high for drivers who have caused an accident that injured someone else. The national average is $3,009 a year based on our analysis of rates from top insurers and Safe Auto comes in at $4,101.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Drivers With a DUI

Safe Auto offers high-risk coverage and SR-22 filings, making it an option for drivers with a DUI. Safe Auto car insurance rate is around $700 over the national average, so drivers looking for cheap coverage after a DUI should shop around with other insurers.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Drivers With Poor Credit

Safe Auto’s average auto insurance cost for drivers with poor credit is somewhat competitive, coming in around $200 below the national average of $3,847.

Poor credit and car insurance don’t always mix. All states except California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan allow car insurance companies to use a credit history when determining rates. Insurers say that a person’s credit correlates with the chances someone will make an insurance claim in the future. This correlation leads to higher rates.

Safe Auto Insurance Cost Comparison for Adding a Teen Driver

Adding a teen can cause your car insurance costs to increase a lot. Our analysis found that the national average cost is $2,359 a year, among the companies we analyzed.

Safe Auto’s average auto insurance rate to add a 16-year-old teen driver is high at $3,148 a year, nearly $790 more than the national average.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Young Drivers Ages 18 to 25

Safe Auto car insurance prices are really high for drivers between ages 18 and 25. Its cost is over $2,000 above the national average of $3,704 a year, among the 14 large insurers we analyzed.

The prices below are for young drivers buying their own auto insurance policies. You typically can reduce costs by having a young driver stay on a parent’s policy as long as possible.

Safe Auto Car Insurance Cost Comparison for Senior Drivers ages 65 to 80

Safe Auto’s car insurance rate for drivers 65 to 80 is relatively high compared to top competitors. The national average is $2,150 a year, based on our analysis of large insurers. Safe Auto comes in about $1,170 a year above the average.

Safe Auto has a substantially higher level of auto insurance complaints than many large insurers, based on complaints made to state insurance departments across the country. Safe Auto complaints are more than six times the industry average.

Safe Auto’s top car insurance complaints are about claim delays, adjuster handling of claims and cancellations.

In a survey of collision repair professionals by the CRASH Network, Safe Auto earned a C- grade.

The opinions of auto body specialists are useful because they see whether insurance companies support the use of repair procedures recommended by car makers, how insurers compare in the use of lower-quality repair parts and whether auto insurance companies have claims processes in place that result in quick and acceptable claims for customers.

Safe Auto does not offer accident forgiveness.

If you are looking for car insurance with this feature, you may want to consider Allstate, Geico, Progressive, Auto-Owners or other car insurance companies that offer accident forgiveness.

Yes, Safe Auto offers SR-22 forms for vehicle owners and individuals buying non-owner auto insurance.

An SR-22, also known as an FR-44 in some states, is a form submitted by an insurance company to the state that shows a driver meets the minimum auto insurance requirements set by law. Drivers may have to get SR-22 insurance if they:

• Are charged with a DUI, DWI, or reckless driving infraction.
• Are responsible for an at-fault crash while driving without insurance.
• Have multiple traffic offenses, including receiving too many tickets over a short period.
• Fail to pay court-ordered child support.
• Have had their license revoked or suspended.

Drivers who need an SR-22 and are considering Safe Auto must contact an agent. Quotes for policies that require an SR-22 filing are not available online.

No, Safe Auto doesn’t have usage-based insurance. This type of insurance, which is offered by some insurers, tracks your driving behavior and adjusts premiums based on how well your driving scores.

Safe Auto does not offer pay-per-mile car insurance. This type of coverage typically charges you a flat daily or monthly base rate, plus a per-mile rate. Pay-per-mile coverage can be less expensive for those who do not drive a lot.

Safe Auto Roadside Assistance

If you have a vehicle that qualifies, you can buy Safe Auto roadside assistance coverage. It includes:

• Towing
• Winching
• Jump start
• Flat tire
• Lock out
• Delivery of fluid
• Minor mechanical first aid
• Informational hotline

This coverage is not available in all states.

Safe Auto’s discounts can help make your car insurance more affordable. While discounts don’t guarantee cheap car insurance, they help reduce the cost. Discounts vary by state but can include:

• Continuous prior insurance: Receive a discount for maintaining a policy without a lapse in coverage.
• Good student discount: You may be eligible for a discount if you or a qualifying driver on your policy are a student and maintain good grades.
• Homeowner discount: Policyholders who own a home might be eligible for a discount.
• Multi-policy discount: Receive a discount when you purchase another type of policy, like homeowners insurance, through Safe Auto.
• Multi-vehicle discount: Insure more than one car with Safe Auto and you can get a price break.
• New business transfer: If you’re switching to Safe Auto from another insurer, you may get a discount when you share information about your plan with your former insurer.
• Over 55 discount: If you’re over age 55, you may be eligible for a discount. Completion of a defensive driving class may be required.
• Paid-in-full discount: Pay for your entire policy upfront and receive a discount.

Safe Auto offers a mobile app for both Apple and Android. From the app, you can pay your bill, view your insurance ID cards and get access to the Due Date Countdown feature that lets you know when your bill is coming due.

You can also start a claim from the app and chat with Safe Auto’s customer support team.

Safe Auto Insurance Group was founded in 1993. In 2021, Safe Auto was acquired by National General, an Allstate subsidiary. Safe Auto is now considered part of the Direct Auto Insurance family, with Direct Auto being a subsidiary of National General.

Safe Auto and Direct Auto cater to high-risk drivers. Drivers with poor driving records may be considered “high-risk” and therefore have trouble securing affordable coverage. Some drivers may even find it difficult to find coverage at all.

Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers

High-risk car insurance through Safe Auto is designed for drivers who have one or more of the following infractions on their driving records:

• Speeding tickets
• Multiple at-fault accidents
• Reckless driving violations
• DUIs or DWIs

What States Does Safe Auto Insurance Operate In?

Safe Auto offers auto insurance the following 20 states:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Georgia
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

To identify the best car insurance we evaluated each company on its auto insurance rates, the coverage options offered, complaints against the company and its collision repair process.

Auto insurance rates (50% of score): We used data from Quadrant Information Services to find average rates from each company for good drivers, drivers who have caused an accident, drivers with a speeding ticket, drivers with a DUI, drivers with poor credit, drivers caught without insurance, adding a teen driver, senior drivers and young drivers.

Unless otherwise noted, rates are based on a 40-year-old female driver with a Toyota RAV4 and coverage of:

• $100,000 for injuries to one person, $300,000 for injuries per accident and $100,000 of property damage (known as 100/300/100).
• Uninsured motorist coverage of 100/300.
• Collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible.

Car insurance coverage options (25% of score): Any auto insurance company can provide the basics of liability insurance, collision and comprehensive coverage and other standard offerings. But it’s also important to have access to additional coverage types that can provide greater protection or cost savings. In this category we gave points to companies that offer accident forgiveness, new car replacement, vanishing deductibles, usage-based or pay-per-mile insurance and SR-22s.

Complaints (20% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Each state’s department of insurance is in charge of logging and monitoring complaints against the companies that operate in their states. Most auto insurance complaints center on claims, including unsatisfactory settlements, delays and denials. The industry complaint average is 1.00, so companies with a ratio below 1.00 have lower levels of complaints.

Collision repair (5% of score): We incorporated grades of insurance companies from collision repair professionals. We used data provided by CRASH Network, a weekly newsletter covering the collision repair and auto insurance market segments. CRASH Network’s Insurer Report Card used grades from more than 1,000 collision repair professionals to gauge auto insurers on the quality of their collision claims service.