Shopping for car insurance discounts? Your vehicle’s built-in safety equipment could already be earning you money off your premium. Insurers reward cars that are less likely to cause serious injuries or costly claims. The safer your ride, the lower the risk it poses to your insurer — and that can translate into real car insurance discounts. Here are five safety features insurers commonly reward, plus a look at newer technology that’s starting to move the needle too.
Classic Safety Features Insurers Still Reward
1. Anti-lock brakes (ABS)
Nearly every car built in the last two decades comes standard with ABS. It prevents your wheels from locking up during hard braking, so you can steer while stopping. Many insurers still offer a modest discount for it, even though it’s now common. Check your owner’s manual if you’re not sure your car has it.
2. Airbags
Front airbags have been required on new vehicles since the late 1990s, and side and curtain airbags are now standard on most models too. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, frontal airbags are estimated to have saved roughly 70,000 lives through 2019. Insurers still factor airbags into pricing, and some carriers offer discounts on medical payments coverage of up to 20% or more depending on the restraint system.
3. Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
ESC uses sensors to detect skidding and automatically applies the brakes to individual wheels to keep you on course. It’s been federally required on all new passenger vehicles since 2012. Per IIHS testimony to NHTSA, the ESC mandate has saved nearly 30,000 lives to date. Because it’s now standard equipment, the explicit insurance discount tends to be small, but its safety value still shapes your overall rate.
4. Tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS)
TPMS alerts you when a tire is significantly underinflated, since low tire pressure raises accident risk. This feature used to be optional; it’s now required on virtually every new car sold in the U.S. Because it’s standard, it’s less likely to earn a separate discount today, but it still plays a role in how insurers assess your vehicle’s overall safety rating.
5. Daytime running lights
These lights stay on automatically while you drive, making your car more visible to others. They’re required in Canada and the European Union, but not in the U.S. Some insurers still offer a small discount for daytime running lights because they help reduce daytime collisions.
Newer Tech That’s Changing the Game
A newer wave of features, often grouped under the term Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), is reshaping both safety and car insurance discounts. These include automatic emergency braking (AEB), forward collision warning, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control.
AEB can reduce front-to-rear crashes by up to 50%, according to IIHS research. Blind spot detection has been shown to cut lane-change crashes by about 14%. Because these systems actively prevent crashes, some insurers now offer discounts of roughly 5% to 15% for vehicles equipped with them, though the amount varies by carrier and model year.
One catch: ADAS sensors and cameras are often built into the bumper, windshield, or mirrors. If they’re damaged in even a minor fender-bender, repairs can be expensive. That’s why some insurers weigh the crash-prevention benefit against higher potential repair costs when setting your rate.
Newer Tech That’s Changing the Game
If your car has any of these newer features, don’t assume your insurer already knows. Call your agent and ask specifically which safety features qualify for car insurance discounts on your policy. Many carriers use “rating symbols” tied to your vehicle identification number, so some discounts apply automatically. Others require you to ask or provide documentation, especially for aftermarket upgrades.
It’s also worth remembering that discount amounts and eligibility vary by state and insurer, so what your neighbor saves might look different on your policy. The safest bet is to compare notes with your agent every time you renew or buy a new vehicle.
Between long-standing features like airbags and ABS, and newer technology like automatic emergency braking, your car may already qualify for savings you’re not using. The best way to find out is to talk with an expert who can review your vehicle and your coverage together. Give AIS Insurance a call at (888) 772-4247, and we’ll help you find every car insurance discount you’re eligible for, along with a personalized quote built around your car and your budget.
The information in this article is obtained from various sources and offered for educational purposes only. It should not replace the advice of a qualified professional. The definitions, terms, and coverage in a given policy may be different than those suggested here. No warranty or appropriateness for a specific purpose is expressed or implied.
