Our American society is undeniably contentious. Add in factors such as double-digit national unemployment rates and hugely escalated costs associated with providing health care, automotive repairs and ever-increasing governmental regulations, and it becomes clear to see that the costs for automobile insurance will not be lessening any time in the near future. Until more states adopt innovative, forward thinking policies like the pay as you drive (PAYD) insurance platform currently being tested in California, you'll still be able to save money on your insurance premiums by heeding the following advice.

Insider tips for saving money on automobile insurance policies:

• Include multiple cars and/or drivers on your policy. Your insurer will most often grant you a "bulk" rate when you inquire about obtaining policies for different cars and different family members that live in the same house. People that are not related may also be privy to such discounts, but that normally requires them to own a particular vehicle jointly.
• Make sure that you keep your driving record clean. You can be sure that insurance companies are looking for reasons to jack up your rates. It's truly not that difficult to maintain proper speeds, come to complete stops, signal at turns and the like. There are a lot of police on American roads and highways today and you just don't need to meet them. Risky driving behavior causes insurance company actuaries to get nervous; and when that happens, can anybody say "rate hikes"?
• You can receive a discount from your insurance company, in most cases, if you complete a state-approved course that teaches defensive driving. In addition, if you have points against your driving record, completing a defensive driving course may reduce them , or even eliminate them altogether.
• Save big money on your automobile insurance by utilizing the advanced technological powers of an online insurance comparison site. You'll get the best rate quotes from the country's most solid insurance companies, all side-by-side, ready for your comparison. No need to drive around town, make phone calls, take notes or talk to commission-based salespeople.
• Make sure you take the time to check out insurance companies that you're considering through a reputable rating site like A.M. Best. Watch out for minor league insurers that do not have adequate financial strength. The lowest insurance premium rates available are not always the best.
• Find innovative ways to drive your vehicles less. Less driving equals less chance of an accident, fewer emissions in the environment, lessened long-term premium rates and most probably, more exercise for you! Take a bus. Ride the subway. Purchase a bicycle. Scooters are cool and economical. You have loads of options here.
• Choose a vehicle that's packed with standard and optional safety features. Further, realize that a fuel-efficient hybrid that's designed for dependable, family trips is going to cost far less to insure than a 450 horsepower muscle car.

Other factors to consider in order to save the most money on your automobile insurance premiums:

• Set your deductibles at the highest rate that you can possibly afford. Higher deductibles equals lower premium rates.
• Improve and maintain your credit score. Your credit score is one of the variables used in the algorithm to compute your personalized premium rates.
• Consider where you live. Certain geographic areas will be associated directly with higher insurance premiums. The main factor here is traffic congestion. In large metropolitan areas, where traffic backs up daily, accidents are more likely.
• Make sure that you're getting credit for all of the auto insurance discounts you are qualified to receive. Possibilities include senior citizen discounts, good student discounts, low mileage discounts, anti-theft device discounts, military discounts, professional organization discounts and more.

There's a couple of things that are for certain. 1) Automobile insurance rates will most likely continue to rise steeply. 2) You can save big money on your car insurance premiums by being a savvy comparison shopper and implementing the above tips.