General Casualty vs. Safeway: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Based on national averages for car insurance, General Casualty offers significantly less expensive rates than Safeway
• General Casualty offers more affordable average premiums for residents of rural areas
• General Casualty offers more discounts than Safeway Insurance

General Casualty vs. Safeway: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're considering switching your auto insurance. With so many ads from all sorts of companies offering big discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed your search down to General Casualty or Safeway as your top options, but which company has cheaper rates for insurance?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, General Casualty is quite a bit cheaper than Safeway, with premiums averaging $139 per month compared to $194 with Safeway.

That being said, that doesn't mean General Casualty will necessarily be less expensive than Safeway for every driver. Auto insurance carriers vary their prices depending on things like how old you are, where you live, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, and a variety of other factors. So, at the end of the day, rates from each carrier will differ quite a bit from person to person.

Wanting to know if General Casualty or Safeway is really the right company for you? Keep on reading to see how average prices can change based on all of the factors we've mentioned above.

General Casualty or Safeway: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

General Casualty and Safeway only compete against each other in one states, with General Casualty offering cheaper premiums to the average driver in all of them. Arizona has the most noticable difference, where General Casualty rates are more affordable than car insurance prices at Safeway.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your insurance bill than just where you call home. Read on to find out more.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- typically pay a lot for auto insurance compared to older drivers. That's because young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. Just look at the table above -- where 18-year-old drivers who have General Casualty for their car insurance pay nearly $200 less than those who use Safeway.

But both companies will offer you dramatically lower rates once you turn 25. For example, average premiums for General Casualty policyholders lower more than $150 and Safeway's prices drop almost $300 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll usually enjoy the most affordable insurance rates you can find. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly prices for car insurance.

So, which carrier offers the best premiums to retired drivers? General Casualty gets the slight edge here, with average prices coming in at about $124 per month compared to Safeway's $136.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single drivers tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance rates than married policyholders. That's because policies for married couples generally cover several cars, which many carriers will offer you a discount for.

When it comes to relationship status, General Casualty is the clear winner for single policyholders, with premiums around $74 a month cheaper than Safeway, on average. The advantage is also clear for married drivers - General Casualty offers the cheapest average prices.

General Casualty vs. Safeway: Average Rates by Gender

Did you know men tend to pay more for car insurance than women? This is because men are statistically more likely than women to get pulled over for speeding or get into an accident, which leads to increased risk for insurers and, therefore, higher premiums.

Usually, men see rates nearly 10% per month higher with General Casualty, and almost 10% with Safeway.

Looking at overall affordability, General Casualty comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 28% less for men and 29% cheaper for women.

General Casualty or Safeway: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are a range of different coverages that account for several different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

The two most common policies that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and their passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, alongside what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum liability limits, General Casualty normally offers significantly more affordable premiums of $82 compared to Safeway's $130. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, General Casualty again has the edge, with policies about $65 a month less expensive than Safeway, on average.

Is General Casualty or Safeway Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no big secret that drivers who are accident-free get better deals on their insurance. But even if you have a spotty record, you can still find plenty of ways to save some cash on your monthly bill.

You'll probably end up paying more with at-fault accidents and tickets on your record, but which of these two companies offers the lowest rates to drivers with spotty records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

General Casualty policyholders can expect their prices to go up an average of $43 per month if they get a ticket, while Safeway usually raises premiums around $7 a month, on average.

Even so, General Casualty has cheaper rates for drivers in both categories -- their rates are around 45% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 22% more affordable for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

General Casualty drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their prices climb by over $55, while those who have insurance through Safeway will see about a $60 increase.

Overall, General Casualty offers the most affordable rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their records, with monthly premiums averaging $146 compared to Safeway Insurance's $223.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge on your record, it's probably going to cost you more than a simple speeding ticket or even an accident. General Casualty drivers usually see a 52% climb in their car insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Safeway will typically raise premiums by around 26%.

If you have a DUI on your record and are looking for more affordable prices, General Casualty tends to be the much cheaper option with average rates of $186 monthly compared to $220 from Safeway.

How does Credit Score Impact General Casualty and Safeway Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can come into play when carriers calculate your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (Massachusetts, for example, has banned the use of credit score as a rating factor) but it will come into play for lots of policyholders.

The reasoning insurance companies use is that drivers with bad credit will be less likely to pay their bills on time; so generally, they'll be asked to pay more, while those with good credit will be rewarded with less expensive prices.

So, which company offers the lowest premiums for policyholders with good, average, or poor credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is General Casualty or Safeway Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a considerable impact on your monthly rates. That's because the more miles you drive, the more likely you are to get into a collision and cause an insurance claim.

In this case, neither General Casualty or Safeway report increasing prices for drivers with higher annual mileage figures. That being said, General Casualty comes out as the cheapest for drivers at both intervals, whether they put 6,000 or 12,000 miles on their car annually, with average premiums of $139 per month for both.

General Casualty vs. Safeway: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you live can have a substantial impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Normally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for car insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, General Casualty usually comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all areas, regardless of if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Drivers in rural ZIP codes see the lowest rates from both companies, but General Casualty comes out on top with average premiums about $131 a month. General Casualty also has more affordable average prices for policyholders in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $83 and $67 a month respective difference when compared to Safeway drivers in similar areas.

General Casualty vs. Safeway Discounts

Regardless of why you might be in the market for a new insurance policy, you're always going to want to save as much money as possible, and the best way to do that is by utilizing as many auto insurance discounts as you can.

But with what seems like a million different discounts out there, it can be hard to find all the ones you're eligible for or to nail down the carrier that has the most discounts for your unique driver profile.

Below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts General Casualty and Safeway offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Overall, General Casualty has a slight advantage when it comes to total number of discounts. Safeway offers a grand total of 11 discounts, while General Casualty has 12.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but General Casualty also offers advance quote discounts, anti-theft discounts, distant student discounts, and more that Safeway does not.

On the flip side, Safeway has a couple unique discounts of its own -- agency transfer discounts, full coverage discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is General Casualty or Safeway Best for You?

So, we've broken down the average rates for many of the factors car insurance companies look at, and walked through the different discounts each company offers, too. That's all well and good, but at the end of the day, which carrier is the best fit for you?

General Casualty might be best for you if....

• You have a speeding ticket on your driving record.
• You're looking for the company with the most discounts.
• You've started working from home and don't have much of a commute.

Safeway might be best for you if...

• You have a more unique driver profile than those we mentioned above.

We hope this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between General Casualty and Safeway. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to your auto insurance.

At the end of the day, the best way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several carriers, not just General Casualty and Safeway. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code below and get multiple quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all for free.

General Casualty vs. Safeway FAQs

Is General Casualty or Safeway cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, General Casualty is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $139 per month compared to $194 for Safeway. However, General Casualty won't necessarily be the cheapest carrier for every policyholder, since there are many different variables that are considered when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, General Casualty or Safeway?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". Neither company is "better" for everyone -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like. For example, General Casualty offers more affordable premiums for policyholders with an at-fault collision on their record, while Safeway is less expensive for drivers who have less-than-stellar credit scores.

Why do General Casualty and Safeway offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at several different factors when calculating the prices they charge drivers. Variables like age, gender, your driving record, where you call home, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both General Casualty and Safeway calculate rates using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different premiums. The only real way to see which carrier is the most affordable for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different carriers.

How do I know if General Casualty or Safeway is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best auto insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the lowest rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be General Casualty or Safeway at all!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.