Safe Auto Insurance Review
- With an overall score of 2.2/5 stars in 2024, Safe Auto is a below average insurance company.
- Read Safe Auto reviews, complaints and prices before you buy.
Safe Auto insurance: Ratings and reviews
Safe Auto is a non-standard insurer specializing in serving drivers who may be considered high-risk or who might otherwise have a hard time finding coverage. In 2021, Safe Auto was acquired by Allstate via National General; it's now a part of Direct Auto.
Have a look at The Zebra's Safe Auto insurance review and summary of coverage options below.
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Best for high-risk drivers who may have difficulty finding coverage
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Low down payments
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Above average number of complaints
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Not rated well with the BBB
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Very expensive premiums
Is Safe Auto a good insurance company?
The majority of The Zebra's review incorporates how well Safe Auto scores in terms of customer service. In order to determine that we looked at the following third-party ratings.
Trustpilot Reviews: 3.3/5
- Safe Auto earned 3.3/5 stars from Trustpilot[1]
BBB Customer Reviews: 1.06/5
- Safe Auto has a 1.06/5 rating from Better Business Bureau customers[2]
Complaint Index: Above average
- The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) receives Above average customer complaints for Safe Auto[3]
The Zebra Customer Satisfaction Survey
In addition to third-party ratings, we like to incorporate the results from our own consumer survey where we ranked which car insurance companies are the best based on feedback from real customers. However, we did not collect a sufficient amount of data on Safe Auto for it to be included.
Safe Auto vs. other top insurance companies
How much does Safe Auto insurance cost?
Currently, the national average for a 6-month policy is $880, whereas Safe Auto is about $1526 — roughly 74% more expensive than than a typical policy.
The table below shows how Safe Auto car insurance compares against other top insurers' monthly premiums.
| Company | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| Bristol West | $285 |
| Safe Auto | $254 |
| State Auto | $170 |
| Kentucky Farm Bureau | $159 |
| Progressive | $157 |
| GEICO | $129 |
| Ohio Mutual Ins Group | $111 |
| Western Reserve | $99 |
Similar to any insurance company, pricing for Safe Auto car insurance does vary based on your age and generally will get cheaper the older you get.
The table below shows Safe Auto's car insurance premiums for different age brackets.
| Age Group | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|
| Teens | $587 |
| 20s | $325 |
| 30s | $257 |
| 40s | $223 |
| 60s | $216 |
| 50s | $203 |
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool data methodology
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.
The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.
For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.
Discounts offered
Because Safe Auto specializes in selling to high-risk drivers, discounts may not be as robust as some of those offered by other companies. However, the company does offer a few key discounts. Keep in mind discounts vary by state.
- Multi-policy bundling: Bundle your auto insurance with another policy, like life insurance, to see some savings.
- Multiple vehicles:Â If you own more than one vehicle and insure them both through Safe Auto, you could receive a discount.
- Driver education course:Â Complete a qualifying driver education course to get this discount.
- Payment discounts: Get a discount for paying your policy in full, enrolling in auto-pay and going paperless.
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What types of coverage does Safe Auto offer?
Safe Auto provides basic liability coverage as well as full collision and comprehensive coverage, uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection (PIP).
The company is known for providing non-standard car insurance, meaning that it provides coverage for policyholders who might be considered higher-risk — factors that indicate this include a history of tickets or accidents, low credit scores and limited or no insurance history. It also offers these additional optional coverages:
- Towing coverage: This will cover or reimburse you for emergency towing costs (up to the limit selected) if your car breaks down.
- Rental reimbursement: With this coverage, the costs of a rental car will be covered if your own vehicle is out of commission from an accident.
- Medical payments: Known as Med Pay, this option helps to pay for you and your passengers' medical expenses after an accident, no matter who is at fault.
Direct Auto DynamicDrive
DynamicDrive is Direct Auto's (who owns Safe Auto)Â telematics program. Using the Routely app, the program monitors how well you drive and calculates a score based on that data. By enrolling, you can save up to 10% but can save even more if the program determines that you are a safe driver.
Safe Auto insurance review: Summary
If you're considering Safe Auto, you should first remember that your policy may actually be serviced and provided by Direct Auto. Secondly, you could find better, less expensive options even if you're a high-risk driver — for the price, the company's coverage options and discount opportunities are just not up to par with competitors of similar size. We recommend you shop around before landing on Safe Auto.
Methodology — how The Zebra reviews insurance companies
The team of insurance experts at The Zebra considers the company's standing in five main categories to come up with an overall rating. These metrics are weighted according to importance and are detailed below:
- Price (20%): Using the base profile detailed below, we compared the company's average rate with the national average. If it surpassed this average, we gave a lower rating; if it fell below, we awarded a higher rating.
- Coverage (20%): The highest-scoring companies offer a variety of coverage options, including bundling options, roadside assistance, telematics, beyond-basic coverage levels, and a variety of other coverage types.
- Customer service (30%): We averaged ratings from JD Power, the NAIC complaint index to come up with a rating for the company's customer service. In instances when a company is not rated, we may use alternative rating agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Trust Pilot.
- Financial strength (10%): We use AM Best to determine a company's financial standing. In some cases when a company is not rated by AM Best, we may use an alternative measure such as Demotech.
- The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey (20%): The Zebra conducts an annual survey measuring customer satisfaction for many of the top insurance companies with the goal of ranking both the best auto insurance companies and best home insurance companies. Read more below.
For our auto insurance review, we analyzed more than 83 million insurance rates spanning every U.S. ZIP code using a sample user profile: a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord, good credit and full coverage at these levels:
- $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident for bodily injury liability
- $50,000 per incident for property damage liability
- $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage
For our home insurance review, rates are based on a sample user profile: a 45-year-old married homeowner living in a 2,500-square-foot single-story home built in 2011 with these coverage levels:
- $200,000 for the dwelling
- $20,000 for other structures
- $100,000 for personal property
- $100,000 for personal liability
- $1,000 deductible
These sample premiums are dynamic and automatically refresh whenever the newest data is made available.
To generate pricing for particular rating factors, we adjusted this profile based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies. These factors include credit score, coverage level and others.
For The Zebra's Customer Satisfaction Survey, findings are based on an online quantitative survey of 4,134 current U.S. auto and home insurance customers, with Census-balanced sampling by age, gender and region. Categories with n=<20 responses are considered insufficient sample size and are not reported. This survey was developed by The Zebra and executed by independent research firm Maru/Blue in 2023.
Safe Auto insurance: Frequently asked questions
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Customer Questions about Safe Auto
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.