subject: Car Insurance Discounts For Green Drivers [print this page] No matter what type of vehicle you choose to drive, most people cannot argue the fact that there are many advantages to driving green. While the intrinsic and environmental impact of driving a green car is well documented, so is the slightly higher upfront cost of buying such a vehicle. While the consumer may realize savings at the pump over the vehicle's life, spending a few extra thousand dollars on a green car can be hard to swallow-until now.
While a few insurance companies pioneered this revolution as early as 2008, more and more insurance companies are tapping into consumers' desire to drive a green car and save money over the long term by offering lower insurance premiums. The reasoning is simple: insurance companies believe that those who choose to drive green will also choose to take better care of their cars. These consumers are more likely to be sensible drivers with a lowered risk of getting into a costly accident. These are the ideal policyholders-they are safe, conscientious drivers that end up costing the insurance company less in lifetime claims than the average driver.
Some insurance companies are taking it one step further. While getting a discount on car insurance simply for driving a low-emission vehicle is a great reward, some companies are even offering other incentives for driving green. For example, a percentage of the insurance policy may be given towards green initiatives, such as recycling and other eco-friendly projects. Not only can consumers feel good about saving money on car insurance, but they can sleep easy knowing that a portion of their policies are being steered towards long-term green initiatives.
These types of cost-saving programs are typically not advertised by car insurance companies, and doing a little digging can pay off with savings of approximately 10% of your premium. These savings combined with the realized fuel savings over the life of a car can dramatically offset the initial higher upfront cost of a green vehicle. A call to your insurance agent is typically all it takes to find out what benefits may be available to green drivers.
Increasing consumers' knowledge of the kind of incentives that are available for driving green will in turn help to drive demand of these vehicles. As time often tells, increased demand may eventually result in the price of green vehicles becoming more in line with a regular vehicle. What starts as a simple discount to an insurance premium may eventually lead the way to green vehicles becoming the norm, rather than the exception.
by: Espen Nueva
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
