How to Save Your Life and Keep Your Insurance Premiums Down in the Process

If given the choice between paying high auto insurance premiums or receiving serious bodily injury in a car accident, most of us—with the exception of the extremely hard headed adrenaline junkies of the world—would probably take the former in a heartbeat.

But the wonderful news is, low premiums and personal safety aren’t mutually exclusive—and car insurance companies want you to know that. Which is why some of the new safety gadgets featured in many new vehicles can help land you an ultra-low car insurance quote. How low? Well, that ranges between car insurance carriers. All the more reason to shop around when you buy car insurance. Here are some of those aforementioned gadgets that can save your life and lower your premiums at the same time.

Daytime Running Lights
These are becoming increasingly popular in new makes and models because of their success rate at preventing accidents. Simply put, the more visible you are, the less likely you are to be—well, invisible.
This can come in handy if you happen to find yourself in the path of a speeding car piloted by someone with just a tad too much attention focused on their smartphone screen than on the road ahead. If your vehicle isn’t equipped with daytime running lights, you can always manually turn on your headlights as a way to make sure other drivers know you’re there, but this won’t have any impact on receiving a low car insurance quote or earning a discount with your current insurer.

Electronic Stability Control
Losing control of your vehicle as a result of inclement weather or just plain old bad decision making can end badly, but electronic stability control helps cut that risk down dramatically. Needless to say, having electronic stability control in your vehicle isn’t a license to race around on snow and ice. You’ve still got to exercise caution, but it’s good to know the technology is there to potentially save your skin. It’ll also save you some decent cash, which will be evidenced when you compare car insurance rates.

Inflatable Seatbelts
This is something of a hybrid between traditional seatbelt technology and airbag technology that’s been shown to have a great impact on limiting the amount of physical injury that can occur in a car accident. It works by providing added cushion and expanding the area covered by the seatbelt, and is intended to keep a passenger’s head and neck better protected. Inflatable seatbelts are new, so they haven’t become a common feature in many late model cars—but if you happen to own a vehicle that’s equipped with this latest technology, don’t forget to mention this to your insurance agent. You could find yourself getting a substantial discount on your car insurance quote as a result.

While auto manufacturers continue to work on technology aimed at saving lives, car insurance companies are busy doing what they can to reward customers for buying into that technology. If you want to get in on the action, look for vehicles that offer these features the next time you go car shopping. Your bank account (and your hide) will thank you.