Many auto insurance companies offer special discounts for having certain features on your automobile. These discounted features vary by state and insurance carrier, but some common discounts include passive restraint systems, anti-lock brake systems, anti-theft systems, and daytime running lights.

Passive restraint systems are most common in newer model vehicles and typically must be factory installed and meet federal safety standards to qualify for discounts. Air bags, motorized seatbelts, and effective head restraints all fall within this category. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims almost 20,000 lives have been saved by air bags since their inception. Fewer serious injuries and deaths equal savings for insurance companies. Discounts are offered as incentives to drivers to purchase vehicles with these features.

Unlike air bags, anti-lock braking systems are considered an active system because they require some action by the driver to function. A key feature is the driver’s ability to maintain steering control while they are activated. Although statistics do not show a marked decrease in serious injuries or deaths in accidents involving automobiles with anti-lock braking systems, these systems have been shown to reduce the frequency of crashes and deaths, particularly on motorcycles, resulting in fewer insurance claims.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, over one million automobiles are stolen in the U.S. each year. Anti-theft systems drastically decrease the likelihood those vehicles will be stolen. For vehicles that are stolen, anti-theft systems that include a tracking device increase the odds of the vehicle being recovered.

Daytime running lights prevent collisions by making vehicles visible at greater distances. This feature is standard on several automobile models. Kits can be purchased to install the lights on vehicles that do not already carry the feature. General Motors estimates the cost of running this equipment to be approximately $3 per year for the typical driver.