Patriot vs. Safety: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Patriot offers more affordable prices than Safety
• Patriot offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who are looking to purchase insurance with a spouse
• Safety has less expensive prices for drivers with a DUI

Patriot or Safety: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you considering a new insurance policy? After all, you've seen ads from all sorts of companies offering large savings. But exactly how much can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Patriot or Safety as potential options, but which one will offer you cheaper rates?

As you can see, Patriot is around $26 a month less expensive than Safety when looking at the national average rates for insurance.

Even so, Patriot may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance carriers vary their premiums depending on things like how old you are, how good your credit score is, how clean your driving record is, where you live, and a variety of other factors, so prices could change drastically from person to person.

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

Patriot vs. Safety: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Patriot and Safety only compete against each other in one states, with Safety offering cheaper prices to the average driver in all of them. New Hampshire has the most noticable difference, where Safety rates are $48 more affordable than auto insurance premiums at Patriot.

That being said, there are plenty of other factors that go into your insurance bill than just the state you live in. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers typically pay a lot more for auto insurance than any other group of drivers. The reason is that teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in a car insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high prices, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. As you can see above, teens who use Safety save 2% per month compared to those who use Patriot.

That being said, both companies will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Patriot policyholders lower over 55% and Safety's premiums drop more than 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

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

When looking at Patriot and Safety specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Patriot gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older over 20% less expensive than the national average for Safety.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that car insurance premiums are generally more affordable for married couples than they are for single drivers? That's because policies for married policyholders normally cover several vehicles, which lots of carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is not very significant, with Patriot premiums coming in at about 7% less than Safety's. The advantage for married drivers is more obvious, where drivers who use Patriot save around $35 a month.

Patriot or Safety: Average Rates by Gender

Because women are less likely to get tickets and get into collisions, they have a decreased chance of filing a claim with insurance. So, insurance carriers will tend to offer women more affordable rates.

Women typically pay almost 10% per month less than men with Patriot, and about 5% less with Safety.

When it comes to the most affordable prices for each gender, Patriot offers the lowest average rates for both men and women, with average premiums 10% less for men and 14% cheaper for women.

Patriot vs. Safety: 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.

It's no secret that auto insurance can be pretty complicated. There are so many different coverages and terms that it can make it pretty confusing to find the right policy for you.

However, most policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (that covers property damage and bodily injury for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which normally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability).

Looking specifically at state minimum limits for liability insurance, Patriot has the significant edge, with average monthly prices coming in at $80. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Patriot again has the edge, with policies averaging around $303 a month to Safety's $313.

Is Patriot or Safety Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

Collisions and speeding tickets will most likely raise your rates, but is Patriot or Safety cheaper for drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Patriot for their car insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 21% after getting a speeding ticket. Safety policyholders can expect a bit more drastic of an increase of around 32%.

But Patriot tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record, offering premiums that are 35% and 44% more affordable, respectively, compared to Safety Insurance.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Patriot drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices rise by just under $20, while those who have insurance through Safety will see about a $95 increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Patriot end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average premiums coming in at $103 compared to Safety Insurance's $226.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly auto insurance bill -- generally a lot more than a collision or speeding ticket. On average, Patriot will climb your prices around 82% after a DUI, while Safety's average rates climb by more than 60%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable premiums, Safety tends to be cheaper for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $324 to Patriot's $472.

How does Credit Score Impact Patriot and Safety Rates?

You may not realized it, but your credit score can be used as one of the factors to determine your monthly insurance prices. This isn't true for everyone (for example, are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it will come into play for quite a few policyholders.

Auto insurance companies argue that those with poor credit scores are less likely to pay their bills on time every month, which raises the risk involved on their end, while the opposite is true for those with good credit.

So, which company offers the most affordable rates for drivers with poor, average, or good credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Patriot or Safety Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a pretty big impact on your monthly insurance payment. That's because the more milage you drive, the more likely you are to be in an accident and file an insurance claim.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Patriot charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly prices for Safety, with policyholders who drive 6,000 miles yearly paying around $3 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, for drivers in both categories, Patriot is the less expensive carrier.

Patriot or Safety: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

We've already mentioned how your home state can play a role in how much you pay for car insurance, but the type of area you live in can have a big impact as well. Usually, those who live in urban areas will pay more than policyholders in rural areas due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Patriot boasts the lowest average premiums in urban and suburban areas, while Safety wins in rural areas.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $35 with Safety compared to Patriot. People who live in suburban areas pay around $23 less with Patriot compared to Safety. For drivers in urban ZIP codes, Patriot Insurance's average prices are about $89 less than Safety Insurance.

Patriot vs. Safety Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many auto insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be difficult to find all the ones you qualify for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Patriot and Safety offer their customers so that you can easily see which company offers the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Safety knocks Patriot out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering seven more discounts than Patriot.

There are a couple discounts both carriers offer, but Safety also offers discounts for annual mileage, anti-theft, book transfer policy, and more.

On the other hand, Patriot has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like defensive driver discounts, full coverage discounts, life policy discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Patriot or Safety Best for You?

So, you've seen how different variables can affect your insurance premiums. We've broken down the different discounts each carrier offers, too. But, at the end of the day, which insurance company is the right fit for you?

Patriot might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You want the most robust protection via a "full coverage" policy.
• You drive often but have a short commute.

Safety might be best for you if...

• Your credit score is high.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.
• You want to save money while purchasing insurance for a teenager.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a better idea of the difference between Patriot and Safety and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

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

Patriot vs. Safety FAQs

Is Patriot or Safety cheaper?

Patriot is the cheaper of the two companies when looking at national average rates, with policies averaging $191 per month with Patriot and $217 for Safety. Even so, that doesn't mean Patriot will be the most affordable carrier for every driver, since there are several different factors that come into play when it comes to your auto insurance cost.

Who is better, Patriot or Safety?

Unfortunately, the real answer is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for each policyholder -- it all depends on the makeup of your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Patriot and Safety offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use several different variables when determining the premiums they charge. Things like your driving record, where you call home, gender, age, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be used. Both Patriot and Safety calculate rates differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Patriot or Safety is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Patriot or Safety at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

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.