Yes, it is possible that taking an approved defensive driving course or driver improvement class may reduce your auto insurance rates due to a discount given to you by your insurance carrier.

In many states insurance companies on their own offers a discount to those who take driving course voluntarily (meaning not to dismiss a ticket or because it is court mandated).In some states the state mandates that certain discounts are given for drivers who take a driving course.

For example in New Jersey the state requires insurance premium discounts for drivers who successfully completed an approved Driver Safety course. The NJ insurance regulator notes that all insurance companies writing private passenger policies in New Jersey, will apply a minimum of five percent discount to the base rate for Bodily Injury Liability, Property Damage Liability, Personal Injury Protection and Collision coverages. The rate reduction is available for three years or until a driver accumulates four (4) motor vehicle points or loses his/her license.

Discounts apply to private passenger automobiles, with only one discount per vehicle. If the policy insures two or more vehicles, the discount applies to the vehicle principally operated by the person who completes the course.

Discounts for taking a defensive driving class or driver's education course vary by state and then even they can differ from one insurance company to another depending upon their internal guidelines. Typically one can save up to 10% with insurance companies that allow a discount for taking a driver safety course.

Your auto insurance premium is broken down into the types of coverage you choose to purchase (e.g. mandatory no-fault coverage, optional Comprehensive and/or Collision coverage). Because of this, any auto insurance discount you receive from your insurance company will typically only be applied to certain portions of your premium. For instance, if your vehicle qualifies for an anti-theft discount, the discount would typically be applied to the portion of your premium that you pay for Comprehensive coverage. If you do not carry Comprehensive coverage on your vehicle, you would not qualify for this discount.

Each company decides what discounts it will offer and what insurance coverages (e.g. Personal Injury Protection, Comprehensive, Collision, etc.) will be affected by each discount. So besides asking about a driver education course or driver safety course discount there are others to also ask about when obtaining auto insurance.

To get started on a low cost car insurance quote for car insurance, click here and put in your zip code. Many discounts, such as anti-theft discounts, are asked about and are applied automatically when you get your car insurance quote with us.