Pros

• VIP Claims Centers from Safety can be a great way to expedite the claims settlement process and minimize upheaval / interruption in drivers' lives
• Local expertise and concentration of personnel and service facilities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire

 Cons

• Auto insurance not available outside of Massachusetts and New Hampshire
• Some customers say that Safety's claims resolution process can be delayed and require rounds of follow-ups

Safety Auto Insurance Premium Comparison

Insurance quote comparisons for multiple driver profiles. Rates are compared with two top competitors, GEICO and Allstate:

Driver Profile	Safety	GEICO	Allstate
Single Adult, age 24	$440	$366	$612
Single Adult, age 32	440	285	582
Married Couple, ages 40 and 42	1,612	902	1,565
Married Couple, ages 68 and 70	684	311	538
	Get a Safety quote	Get a GEICO quote	Get an Allstate quote

Based on auto insurance premiums submitted in Massachusetts, Safety Insurance ranked middle of the road compared to average cost of insurance in the state for the four driver profiles above. We also compared Safety's rates to GEICO and Allstate to give consumers an idea of how the company fared against national insurers. While Safety's rates were in line with others for the single profiles, the rates quoted for married couples were higher than expected. For example, the cost of car insurance at Safety for a couple in their 40s was $711 more, or 44% higher, than what that couple could buy at GEICO for the year. Senior couples would pay $147 or 21% more at Safety compared to at Allstate. These savings are the reason why consumers should consider at least two other companies to benchmark the market rate for their profile. To see which companies are providing cheap auto insurance in your area, enter your zip code below.

Sample rates for the single driver profile are based on liability coverage of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per event for Bodily Injury, and Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists. The coverage limit for Property Damage is $25,000. The insured car is a 2008 Honda Civic LX that is driven 15,000 miles a year for work / pleasure, with the driver being accident and violation free for the past five years. The coverage for the married couple profile is based on $100,000 / $300,000 liability for Bodily Injury, and Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists, as well as $100,000 in property damages. The middle-aged couple drives a 2008 Honda Civic LX and a 2005 Ford Taurus for a combined annual mileage of 35,000, and have only racked up one violation or accident in the past five years. The senior couple, on the other hand, just drives the same Civic for 4,000 miles each year, and hasn't had any spots on their record for the last five years.

Safety Auto Insurance Policy & Coverage

One of the nicest features policyholders have at Safety is access to the VIP Claim Service Program, an optional and free benefit already included in the policy. The VIP Claim Service aims to fast track the claims settlement by cutting down on turnover and delays in the process. The way it works is that policyholders drop off their car to a VIP Claims Center, where representatives handle everything from: arranging a temporary rental car, appraising the damaged vehicle, transporting the car to one of their on-call body shops that will prioritize the Safety repairs, to negotiating / paying for repairs. This seems to be a great and unique feature that no other insurer is offering, and should help minimize the upheaval any accident or damage would have on policyholders' lives. The drawback, it seems, is whether a VIP Claims Center is within easy driving distance.

Safety also contracts with a number of auto body repair shops in its area of coverage to negotiate prices and guarantee the quality of repair work done. For example, of the 211 auto repair shops registered in the counties of Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, and Plymouth, about 40% are Safety Insurance Referral Shops. While policyholders can go to any registered repair shop they'd like, the company can only guarantee bodywork done at their referral shops.

Some customer reviews share that Safety's claims process is delayed and exacerbated by a lack of responsiveness from customer representatives. They note that at times, it takes several phone calls or requests to be transferred to other representatives or supervisors for an issue to be resolved.

Safety Insurance Ratings

Metric	Rating
AM Best Financial Strength Rating (2013)	A
Better Business Bureau Rating (2013)	B+
NAIC Complaint Index (2012)	0.31 (Better than Average)
JD Power & Associates Auto Insurance Study (2013)	2 / 5 (Below Average)

Auto Insurance Discounts at Safety

Discount Amount	Discount Type
Excellent Driver Discount	10 - 24%
Control Crash Prevention Program / Safe Roads Alliance	5%
Multi-Policy Discount	6 - 10%
Good Student (B, Dean's List, Honor Roll)	10%
Student Driver Away from Home	10%
Hybrid Vehicle	5%
Electronic Billing Customer	7%
Safety Loyalty Customer	4%

How to File a Claim with Safety Insurance

Telephone Number: (800) 951-2100

If the insured vehicle is still able to be operated, consider bringing it into a Safety drive-in inspection location to speed up the claims resolution process. Otherwise, an appraiser will contact you to schedule next steps.

About Safety Insurance

Founded in 1979, Safety Insurance operates various insurance businesses: personal auto, commercial auto, homeowners, dwelling fire, umbrella, and business owner insurance. Their primary line of business is auto insurance, which makes up about 66% of their total direct written premiums in 2012. The company and its affiliates underwrite business in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, with marketing done by 879 independent agents across 1,023 locations. 

Company website: www.safetyinsurance.com

Related Articles: Best Auto Insurers

Sources: Massachusetts Consumer Affairs & Business Regulations
Information current as of December 2013