Car insurance is a very necessary, but also expensive part of owning and driving an automobile. There is no telling when you might find yourself in an auto accident, so you have to be prepared with reliable auto insurance coverage. But there is no reason that the coverage you get has to be any more costly than absolutely necessary. Here are ten ways that you get cheap car insurance rates and still maintain great coverage at the same time:

1. It really goes without saying that the better driving record you have, the cheaper your car insurance rates will be. But some folks just don't seem to get that. Constantly speeding and driving recklessly will not only put you at a much higher risk of hurting yourself and others in an auto accident, but it also will eventually lead to your paying a much higher car insurance rate as the traffic citations mount. So slow down and drive carefully to save money.

2. Shop around thoroughly to get cheap car insurance rates. There is absolutely no reason that the average person cannot get several auto insurance quotes quickly and easily today because of the internet. You really don't even have to pick up the phone and make any calls to do it these days. Just log on and search for car insurance quotes in your favorite search engine, and go down the list provided getting as many quotes as you can. Just be sure to choose from the best and highest rated insurance companies, and avoid newcomers that haven't been around long enough to establish much of a record yet.

3. Shop for insurance before you buy your car. Unfortunately many have not done this and suddenly find out that the car they just bought that they can barely afford will now cost them even more because it raises their car insurance rates significantly. Remember that auto insurers base their rate calculations on many things and some of them have nothing to do with you and your driving record. For instance, they consider the sticker price of the vehicle, how costly it is to repair, how prone to theft it is, and so forth. So before you buy, make sure you know how any car purchase that you make will affect your car insurance rates and avoid those vehicles with rates that are out of your price range.

4. Raise your deductible. The deductible of a policy is the amount that you agree to pay out of pocket for each claim that is made. The more that you agree to pay, the less risk that poses for the insurance company and therefore the lower rates you can enjoy. However, just make sure that you don't exceed the amount that you actually can pay in the case of a claim.

5. If your car is older you may consider eliminating collision coverage that pays to repair your vehicle if it is in an accident. If the car's value is very low, you will most likely be paying for more insurance than you really need, and eliminating this part of your coverage could result in serious savings on your car insurance bill. Of course, in this case if the car is ruined in an accident you will most likely have to buy another one. Just check out the worth of your car at kbb.com and decide for yourself whether this makes sense for you or not.

Be sure to read through Part 2 of this article to find out what the next 5 tips for getting cheap car insurance rates is.