How to save money in car insurance?

So you know all those ads claiming you can save a bundle on car insurance - with just a call or click of a mouse?

Well, it's true.

Bay Area Consumers' Checkbook and Checkbook.org evaluated auto insurance companies and found that most local drivers can save hundreds - even more than $1,000 - by switching companies. Checkbook researchers got quotes for individual and family driver profiles in six Bay Area locations and found dramatic price differences.

For example, for a married couple living in San Francisco (both commuters with clean driving records), Checkbook's shoppers sought quotes from 17 insurers and got a price of $1,422 per year from Geico. The state's five largest insurers - AAA, Allstate, Farmers, Mercury and State Farm - all quoted rates higher than $2,000 per year. California Casualty quoted the highest rate: $3,651 per year. (See chart for more details.)

Some companies quoted rates that were consistently among the lowest across driver profiles and locations, but Checkbook recommends getting quotes from several companies. That's because some companies had especially low rates for certain policyholder profiles but not for others.

You don't have to wait until your renewal date to shop. The company you cancel with will refund a pro-rata share of your paid-in premium. Just be sure not to terminate your insurance with one company until you have confirmed coverage with another.

And getting a low price doesn't mean you have to give up service quality. For each of the four driver profiles Checkbook used in its shopping, at least one of the low-cost insurers received above-average ratings in Checkbook's survey of policyholders who had filed claims. These companies also received high marks in Checkbook's survey of auto body shops when it asked body shop owners to name companies that they would consider to be "most desirable" in terms of treating customers fairly.

Besides shopping for premiums, Checkbook has this advice for saving on insurance and getting top-level service:

-- Consider taking the highest deductible you can afford on collision and comprehensive coverage. You may not want to collect from the company on losses of less than $500 or so anyway, for fear of a rate hike. If you drive an older car, consider dropping collision coverage altogether if losing the use of the car wouldn't be financially catastrophic for you.

-- Check for discounts. You may get a break if you have other insurance with the same company, insure more than one car, have had no accidents or violations for several years, drive less than 12,000 miles, park off the street or do not commute.

-- Think critically about how much coverage to buy and whether optional coverages are worth the cost. Buying extra liability or property damage coverage is usually inexpensive, compared with the extra peace of mind. But most consumers shouldn't bother carrying optional coverages such as medical payments or rental car reimbursement insurance.

-- It makes sense to shop around for a better rate every few years. Checkbook finds that although some companies are consistent price winners, others move up or down in the rankings substantially over the period of just a few years.

-- If you are an inexperienced driver or have a poor driving record, you have the right to buy insurance from the state's "assigned risk" plan. Because these plans are so expensive, shop several regular companies first. If you must join an assigned risk plan, try to get regular insurance coverage after a year of good driving.