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

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for car insurance, Progressive offers less expensive prices than Safety
• Progressive offers cheaper average rates for couples purchasing insurance together
• Safety offers more affordable premiums for policyholders who have a clean driving record, free of accidents, tickets, or DUIs

Progressive vs. Safety: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

Are you in the market for a new insurance policy? You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering big discounts, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might have narrowed it down to Progressive or Safety as your top options, but between the two, which company will offer you more affordable prices?

As you can see, Progressive is about $37 per month cheaper than Safety when looking at the national average rates for auto insurance.

However, Progressive may not be the most affordable or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance companies use tons of complex algorithms to calculate rates, so depending on how old you are or where you live (among an array of other factors), you could see wildly different premiums from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average prices from both Progressive and Safety by multiple different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Progressive or Safety: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Progressive and Safety only compete against each other in two states, with Progressive offering more affordable rates to the average driver in all of them. Massachusetts has the most noticable difference, where Progressive premiums are over 70% less expensive than auto insurance rates at Safety.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your car insurance payment than just your home state. Continue reading to see how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers normally pay a lot more for insurance than any group on the road. Usually, 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 that doesn't mean that teen drivers have to just accept sky-high auto insurance prices. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of $30 less a month by choosing Safety over Progressive. It's worth noting that Progressive offers insurance in 44 different states compared to Safety's two, which can skew the average premiums a bit, but the difference here is still considerable.

Even so, with both carriers, you'll see your prices reduce significantly by the time you turn 25. For example, average rates for Progressive policyholders drop nearly 70% and Safety's prices decrease more than 50% over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Once you approach retirement age, you'll generally enjoy the cheapest car insurance rates out there. You've been on the road for years, and all that experience pays off when it comes to your monthly premiums for auto insurance.

But who has the best rates for retired drivers between Progressive and Safety? Progressive gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $33 more affordable than the national average for Safety.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that insurance prices are typically less expensive for married couples than they are for single policyholders? That's normally because married drivers tend to own and insure several cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, the two companies are comparable for single drivers, with premiums only differing around $20 per month, on average. The advantage for married policyholders is more obvious, where drivers who use Progressive save over 30% a month.

Progressive vs. Safety: Average Rates by Gender

You may not know, but car insurance is generally cheaper for women than it is for men. This is because men are more likely to get speeding tickets and get into collisions, which raises the chances of an insurance claim.

On average, women see prices about 3% per month less with Progressive, and around 5% less with Safety when compared to their male counterparts.

Looking at overall affordability, Progressive comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average rates 18% less for men and 16% cheaper for women.

Progressive or 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.

For most people, auto insurance isn't the easiest topic to understand. There are a variety of different coverages that account for lots of different things. Some protect you and your vehicle, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause an accident.

The two most common policies end up falling into two different types of coverage -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which typically refers to having comprehensive and collision coverages in addition to what you get with a liability policy).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Progressive usually offers slightly cheaper prices of $111 compared to Safety's $122. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Progressive again has the edge, with policies about $65 a month less expensive than Safety, on average.

Is Progressive or Safety Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

You've probably seen plenty of commercials from insurance carriers offering great premiums for good drivers, but that doesn't mean people with less-than-perfect driving records can't save money, too.

It's no secret secret that tickets and collisions lead to higher rates, but which carrier -- Progressive or Safety -- has the cheapest premiums for drivers with less-than-perfect records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Progressive policyholders can expect their rates to go up an average of $31 per month if they get a ticket, while Safety normally raises prices around $61 a month, on average.

If you have a clean record, Safety tends to offer the best premiums at about 13% more affordable, while Progressive has the edge for drivers with a speeding ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Progressive drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices rise by over 30%, while those who have insurance through Safety will see around a 45% increase.

Overall, the cheaper rates come from Progressive, with monthly premiums averaging $214 compared to Safety Insurance's $226.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

On average, a DUI offense is going to cost you much more than a single accident or ticket when it comes to your car insurance bill. On average, Safety will raise your prices about 60% after a DUI, while Progressive's average rates climb by over 15%.

Progressive has the overall lowest premiums for drivers with a DUI on their records at $177 per month, but it's worth noting that Progressive's average rates come from 44 states compared to just two for Safety, so the data may be skewed slightly.

How does Credit Score Impact Progressive and Safety Rates?

You may not have known, but your credit score can come into play when companies determine your monthly bill. This isn't always the case (for example, Massachusetts and California are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect several policyholders out there.

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

Looking specifically at Safety and Progressive, which carrier has the best prices for drivers at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have a great credit score, you'll usually find a better deal with Progressive for an "excellent" credit score. Policyholders with "excellent" credit can save 4% compared to Safety, while those with "good" scores can expect to see better savings from Safety -- around $6 or 4% more affordable than Progressive every month.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Progressive typically offers lower rates than Safety when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about $7 per month less with Progressive compared to Safety, and those with "poor" scores typically save an average of around $14 a month.

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

The amount of time you spend behind the wheel of your car plays a big role in how much car insurance companies will charge for coverage. Usually, the more miles you drive, the more you can expect to pay for insurance.

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Progressive charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly premiums for Safety, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle each year paying about $3 less every month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles annually. Still, Progressive is the cheaper option for drivers in both categories.

Progressive vs. Safety: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can play a substantial role in how much you pay for auto insurance. Generally, if you live in an urban area with more cars on the road, you'll pay a little more for insurance, while the opposite is true for people in rural areas.

Looking at these carriers side-by-side, Progressive boasts the lowest average prices in urban and suburban areas, while Safety wins in rural areas.

If you live in a rural area, you can expect to pay around $148 monthly with Safety and $154 with Progressive. Drivers in suburban ZIP codes pay a monthly premium of about $179 with Progressive compared to $221 with Safety. In urban areas, Progressive's average premiums are around $207 while Safety offers prices about $282.

Progressive vs. Safety Discounts

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

The challenging part is finding all of the discounts you qualify for, since it can feel sometimes like every carrier has different discounts and each one is advertised differently.

In the table below, we've broken down all of the different discounts offered by both Progressive and Safety so that you can see which one offers the most discounts and see which ones you might be able to take advantage of.

Progressive blows Safety away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering 34 different discounts to Safety's 18.

A couple of those are overlapping for things like anti-theft discounts, e-signature discounts, discounts for being a good driver, and mature driver discounts. Progressive also offers ABS discounts, advanced safety feature discounts, agency transfer discounts, and more that Safety does not.

On the flip side, Safety has a couple unique discounts of its own -- annual mileage discounts, book transfer policy discounts, discounts for getting driver training, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Progressive or Safety Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain variables have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. But, when it comes down to it, is Progressive or Safety the right carrier for you and your specific needs?

Progressive might be best for you if....

• You already have plans to move to another state -- Safety Insurance only offers policies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
• You're worried about the impact your credit score will have on your rates.
• You and your spouse are buying car insurance together.

Safety might be best for you if...

• You live in one of the following states: Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
• You live in a rural neighborhood.
• You're buying auto insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

We hope this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Progressive and Safety and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your auto insurance policy is to compare quotes from multiple carriers, not just Progressive 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 companies in your area, all for free.

Progressive vs. Safety FAQs

Is Progressive or Safety cheaper?

Looking just at the national average prices, Progressive is the less expensive of the two carriers, offering average rates of $180 a month compared to $217 for Safety. That being said, Progressive won't necessarily be the most affordable company for each driver, since there are many different factors (things like gender, age, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Progressive or Safety?

Sadly, the answer truly is "it depends.". No one carrier is necessarily "better" for every driver -- it all depends on what your unique auto insurance profile looks like.

Why do Progressive and Safety offer me different rates?

Insurance companies take a look at many different variables when calculating the rates they charge drivers. Factors like where you park your car, age, gender, where you live, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Progressive and Safety calculate premiums using different variables, so each one will most likely offer different rates. The only real way to see which company is the lowest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

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

The only way to find the car insurance carrier that's right for you is by getting quotes from several companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, sites like Compare.com make it easy for you to do just that. Just enter your ZIP code and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the most affordable rate. And who knows, the best company for you might not be Progressive or Safety 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.