Safe Auto vs. Travelers: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• In general, Travelers offers significantly less expensive prices than Safe Auto
• Travelers offers more affordable premiums for drivers who have received a ticket within the last few years
• Travelers tends to be a much cheaper option for couples purchasing auto insurance together

Safe Auto vs. Travelers: 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 hefty discounts, you're probably wondering exactly how much you might be able to save.

You might have narrowed it down to Safe Auto or Travelers for your next policy, but which one will offer you more affordable rates?

Looking at the national average rates for both companies, Travelers has average rates that are about 25% per month cheaper than those from Safe Auto.

Even so, Travelers may not be the cheapest or best option for each driver out there. Car insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to calculate premiums, so depending on how clean your driving record is or how good your credit score is (among a whole bunch of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

Luckily, we've broken down average premiums from both Safe Auto and Travelers by lots of different rate factors, so read on to find out which company is the best for you.

Safe Auto or Travelers: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Safe Auto and Travelers compete against each other in 10 states, with Travelers offering more affordable prices to the average driver in all of them. If you live in, undefined is the less expensive of the two companies when looking at the overall average rates, but Travelers is the cheaper option in most of the others.

There's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance bill than just where you call home. Continue reading to see how other factors will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

Young drivers -- especially teens -- normally pay a lot for insurance compared to older drivers. The reason is that young, inexperienced drivers are statistically much more likely to cause collisions and other accidents that will result in an insurance claim.

However, that doesn't mean teen drivers can't still save money on their car insurance. As you can see above, teens who use Travelers save $90 a month compared to those who use Safe Auto.

That being said, both carriers will offer you dramatically lower premiums once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Safe Auto policyholders reduce nearly $250 and Travelers's prices drop more than $200 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable insurance premiums you can find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which usually lowers their chances of accidents and other infractions that can increase prices.

When looking at Safe Auto and Travelers specifically, which carrier is best for retired drivers? Travelers gets the edge, with rates for drivers 65 and older $47 cheaper than the national average for Safe Auto.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Did you know that auto insurance premiums are generally more expensive for single drivers than they are for married drivers? That's usually because married couples tend to own and insure several cars, which can often earn you a discount.

When it comes to relationship status, Travelers is the clear winner for single policyholders, with prices around $69 per month less expensive than Safe Auto, on average. The advantage for married policyholders with Travelers is also obvious, where drivers save over 20% a month.

Safe Auto vs. Travelers: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and get tickets, which means they'll generally end up paying more for insurance than women.

With Safe Auto, men typically pay about $15 per month more than women, while with Travelers, the difference is closer to $11 a month.

When it comes to the lowest rates for each gender, Travelers comes out as the most affordable option for both genders, with average prices 26% less for men and 25% cheaper for women.

Safe Auto or Travelers: 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, car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are several different coverages that account for multiple 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 that many drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability only (which provides property damage and bodily injury coverage for other drivers if you cause a collision) and full coverage (which includes comprehensive and collision coverages that protect your own vehicle, in addition to what you get with liability coverage).

If you're looking for state minimum liability insurance, Travelers normally offers more affordable rates of $108 compared to Safe Auto's $126. When it comes to full coverage policies with similar limits, Travelers again has the edge, with policies around $95 per month less expensive than Safe Auto, on average.

Is Safe Auto or Travelers Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

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

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

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Safe Auto policyholders can expect their premiums to go up an average of $40 a month if they get a ticket, while Travelers usually raises prices about $32 per month, on average.

But Travelers has cheaper rates for drivers in both categories. Drivers with a clean record can save around $52 a month and drivers with a speeding ticket can save about $60 per month with Travelers.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Safe Auto drivers who get in an accident can expect to see their prices climb by over $65, while those who have insurance through Travelers will see around a $45 increase.

Overall, the more affordable premiums come from Travelers, with monthly prices averaging $173 compared to Safe Auto's $246.

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. Travelers drivers usually see a 38% climb in their insurance rates after a DUI charge, while Safe Auto will generally increase premiums by about 27%.

How does Credit Score Impact Safe Auto and Travelers Rates?

Did you know that many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when calculating rates? Certain states and carriers do not allow for credit score to be used as a rating factor, but it might come into play for a lot of policyholders.

Car insurance companies argue that someone with good credit is more likely to pay their bills on time, which makes them less risky to insure. Because of that, drivers with good credit will often be rewarded with cheaper prices.

Looking at Safe Auto and Travelers specifically, which company has the lowest premiums for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Is Safe Auto or Travelers Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

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

As you can see in the table above, annual mileage doesn't have much of an impact on how much Safe Auto charges. However, there's a small difference in monthly rates for Travelers, with drivers who put 6,000 miles on their vehicle annually paying around $5 less each month compared to those who drive 12,000 miles every year. Still, Travelers is the less expensive option for drivers in both categories.

Safe Auto vs. Travelers: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a pretty big impact on your monthly auto insurance payment. Normally, those who live in rural areas will pay less than drivers in urban areas due to the small number of cars that are on the roads in those areas.

When comparing these two carriers side-by-side, Travelers typically comes out as the most affordable option for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Policyholders in rural ZIP codes see the cheapest prices from both companies, but Travelers comes out on top with average premiums about $136 per month. Travelers also has more affordable average rates for drivers in urban and suburban ZIP codes -- a $67 and $40 a month respective difference when compared to Safe Auto policyholders in similar areas.

Safe Auto vs. Travelers Discounts

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

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

In the section below, we've taken a look at all of the different discounts Safe Auto and Travelers offer their customers so that you can find the carrier that has the most discounts and, therefore, the biggest savings.

Travelers knocks Safe Auto out of the park when it comes to the sheer number of discounts available, offering 11 more discounts than Safe Auto.

Both carriers offer many of the same discounts -- like anti-theft discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, and discounts for insuring multiple cars with the same company -- but Travelers also offers ABS discounts, advance quote discounts, alternative fuel discounts, and more that Safe Auto does not.

On the flip side, Safe Auto has a couple unique discounts of its own -- agency transfer discounts, claim free discounts, discounts for being a homeowner, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Safe Auto or Travelers Best for You?

You've seen the effect certain variables have on your insurance and the different discounts companies offer. That's all well and good, but when it comes down to it, which company is the right company for you, your vehicle, and your wallet?

Travelers might be best for you if....

• You have a clean record.
• You want basic auto insurance coverage at the state minimum limits.
• You're buying insurance for a teen and looking for a wallet-friendly option.

Safe Auto 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 Safe Auto and Travelers. We also hope we've given you the information you need to make the best decision when it comes to 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 several carriers, not just Safe Auto and Travelers. Luckily, Compare.com makes it easy for you to do just that. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best car insurance companies in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Safe Auto vs. Travelers FAQs

Is Safe Auto or Travelers cheaper?

Looking just at the national average premiums, Travelers is the cheaper of the two carriers, offering average rates of $167 per month compared to $223 for Safe Auto. That being said, Travelers won't necessarily be the most affordable carrier for everyone, since there are a variety of different factors (things like age, gender, driving record, etc.) that play a role in how much you pay.

Who is better, Safe Auto or Travelers?

Unfortunately, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique insurance profile.

Why do Safe Auto and Travelers offer me different rates?

Auto insurance companies take a look at quite a few different variables when determining the prices they charge drivers. Factors such as your driving record, where you park your vehicle, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all come into play. Both Safe Auto and Travelers calculate premiums using different formulas, so each one will most likely offer different prices. The only real way to see which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a range of different carriers.

How do I know if Safe Auto or Travelers is right for me?

The only way to find the insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from a handful of companies and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once and you'll get free quotes from dozens of the best car insurance carriers in your area. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best rate. And who knows, the best carrier for you might not be Safe Auto or Travelers 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.