Most drivers want to manage essential recurring costs, such as car insurance, to save money. Registering and driving an automobile requires the owner to present proof of financial responsibility. Auto insurance protects the driver and the automobile she owns. Auto insurance, as a kind of property and casualty insurance, also protects other drivers on the road.

Many factors affect the costs of auto insurance. According to the AAA Exchange, a mature, good driver (with no record of moving violations or auto insurance claims in the past three to five years) pays slightly less than $1,000 in auto insurance a year (about $83 a month) in 2011.

Other resources, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, place the average annual cost of auto insurance closer to $1,400 (about $117 a month). Statistical information collected by the NAIC’s “Auto Insurance Database” show that many drivers have saved money on auto insurance in recent years (an average 3%) because of a highly competitive auto insurance sales environment.

This article explores some of the information used by auto insurance underwriters to determine your auto insurance costs. If you’re shopping for new auto insurance coverage, keep reading to learn some of the tried-and-true ways to save money on your monthly and total costs of auto insurance. One simple way to compare multiple rates is by entering your ZIP code into our FREE auto insurance comparison tool!

According to the Massachusetts auto insurance cost comparisons site:

Drivers in Vermont pay an average of $1,250 a year (about $104 a month) for auto insurance, according to Vermont’s Department of Banking,

Insurance, Securities and Healthcare.Drivers in New Hampshire pay approximately $1,000 a year ($83 a month) for auto insurance, according to New Hampshire’s Insurance Department.

If you live in New Hampshire can add several hundred dollars to your premium: compare auto insurance rates in Hanover (about $900 a year, or $75 a month) and Manchester (about $1,400 a year, or $117 a month)!Drivers in Minnesota pay about $1,200 a year (about $100 a month) for auto insurance, according to Minnesota’s Department of Commerce.

Comparatively, drivers in New York, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma pay the highest average premium rates for auto insurance.New York drivers pay an average $2,700 per year ($225 per month) for auto insurance premiums, reports New York’s Department of Financial Services.Washington, D.C. drivers pay about $2,200 per year (approximately $183 a month) for auto insurance, according to the District of Columbia’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.

Louisiana drivers pay about $2,000 each year (about $167 every month) for auto insurance, says the Louisiana Department of Insurance.Mississippi drivers pay an average $1,450 per year for auto insurance (about $121 a month) according to the Mississippi Insurance Department.Oklahoma drivers pay about $1,900 each year for auto insurance premiums (about $158 each month), reports the Oklahoma Insurance Department.

Some great ways to save big bucks on auto insurance  include:

Small investments in safe driver programs can net impressive savings to good drivers (15% or more, according to AAA). Other strategies to reduce your auto insurance costs include:Buy at least six months of auto insurance coverage at once, rather than paying your auto insurance premium each month. Auto insurance companies may offer a discount for prepayments.Combine at least two insurance policies for discounted auto insurance  rates.Consider your vehicle’s safety record. According to author Voorhees, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave just two vehicles a five-star safety rating in 2010: BMW 5 Series and Hyundai’s Sonata excelled in crash tests performed by the NHTSA. Four-star vehicles included almost every other make/model, with the exception of the Toyota Camry (which received three-stars). The Nissan Versa received a concerning two-star rating in NHTSA tests.

Now that you’ve got more information about how to compare the auto insurance average for monthly costs, save money by requesting free auto insurance quotes. Provide us with your ZIP code now to get money-saving auto insurance information! Compare auto insurance quotes to pay even lower auto insurance rates. Believe me, just two minutes to compare auto insurance quotes and you would save for the whole year. How about this. Click above and get your quote.

Rich Schferren: I live in Massachusetts and was surcharged for an auto insurance accident ? I drive a Toyota. How do I get a low auto insurance rate if I compare auto insurance quotes?

Save $ Compare auto insurance
Response : You will definetly save $$ once you learn the why, how and when to compare auto insurance quotes. However,here is some great news for you. In case you were driving one of the Toyota which has been recalled than you can appeal against the surcharge. This is because the fault lies in the vehicle and you were not at fault.

The Massachusetts Division of Insurance will expand the appeal process for some drivers of Toyota vehicles who received an at-fault determination from their insurance company after an accident, and thus received a surcharge. The consumer alert issued by the insurance department said the decision was made in light of the recent recall of certain Toyota models due to unintended acceleration. At-fault appeals will be allowed if an owner of a Toyota received a recall notice and was involved in an accident, or if an owner has already appealed his or her at-fault determination and lost. A request for a re-hearing or initial appeal must be filed within 60 days from the notice of the recall or the date of the consumer alert, issued Jan. 29.

You will have to prove the vehicle involved in the accident is one of the models recalled by Toyota and that the accident was related to acceleration problems in the recall notice, the insurance department said. A $50 fee is required if an appeal has not been previously filed.

This is because Toyota said Jan. 21 it was recalling about 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on specific models. Several days later, Toyota suspended the sales of eight models. The Massachusetts DOI said the recall also covers several Lexus models and the Pontiac Vibe.

The top five writers of private passenger auto insurance in Massachusetts last year, according to BestLink, which provides online access to A.M. Best’s Global Insurance & Banking Database, were: Commerce Group, with a 31% market share; Safety Group, with 11.1%; Arbella Insurance Group, with 9.3%; Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., with 8.5%; and MetLife Auto & Home Group, with 6.5%.

Thus my advice to you or any of your friends who drives a Toyota and was surcharged if in an accident last year in a model that has been recalled, compare auto insurance quotes afterwards., first file your appeal and reduce your surcharge on the auto insurance.

Happy motoring