June 24, 2019

Earn the car insurance rate you deserve—based on how you drive.

To get the best rate on your car insurance, you’ll probably want to understand a bit about how pricing works, decide what coverages best fit your needs, and compare quotes along the way.

The Root app helps make all of that faster and easier for you. What’s more, we’re committed to giving you a rate that’s fair because it’s based primarily on how you actually drive.

How is Root pricing different from traditional car insurance pricing?

Traditionally, insurance companies use only your demographics to calculate how much you should pay for your policy. 

They factor in your age, gender, ZIP code, credit score, whether you’re married, and if you own a home—mostly things that have no bearing on your driving. They can’t tell whether you’re a good driver or not.

Root Insurance is different. We’re committed to making car insurance fair, so we changed the way it’s done. By using smartphone technology in our app, we’re able to base your car insurance rate on how you really drive. In fact, it’s the No. 1 factor in your rate. And since we don’t insure bad drivers, we can keep our rates low.

What kind of coverages do you need—and how much is enough?

How much coverage you need depends on your situation, including considerations like your state requirements, budget, the value of your vehicle, and your willingness to take on risk. 

You could have a lower premium—how much you pay monthly or for a 6-month term—but you’ll pay a higher deductible and be responsible for paying expenses that go over your coverage limits, if you’re in an accident. And the opposite is true. You can choose to pay more per month or policy term to keep your costs down later, in the case of an accident or damage to your car.

Almost every state requires drivers to carry Liability coverage, and you might want to add Comprehensive and Collision, too, to protect your car—together, those are often referred to as “full coverage.” 

Will you need a rental, if your car is in the shop after a covered event? How about protection from uninsured or underinsured drivers? Do you want to bundle renters or homeowners insurance? 

The Root app makes sure you meet all state requirements and helps you determine your specific needs for coverage levels. It shows you—in real time—how different coverages, limits and deductibles will affect your car insurance rate and what is covered. 

Learn more about how much coverage is right for you.

Comparing car insurance quotes

When you gather quotes from multiple insurance companies, make sure to include the same information—same drivers, cars, and level of coverage, including deductibles and limits. That makes it easier to accurately determine what company offers the lowest rate, when you look at the quotes side by side.

Remember to look at benefits and reviews, too, not just price. 

Quality coverage could save you more money than discounts in the long run. Root’s benefits—like Roadside Assistance included in every policy and the Root Focused Driving Discount—make your good quote look even better.

Root benefits at a glance:

• A rate based primarily on how you drive

• Save up to $900 per year

• Focused driving discount of up to an additional 10%

• Roadside Assistance included in every policy

• An easy-to-use app with a 4.7 average rating¹

• Buying and managing your policy made easy in the Root app

• A referral program where you can earn $$$

• Car insurance claim filing in about 3 minutes

• Insurance cards on your phone

The better you drive, the more you could save.

“Root is absolutely fantastic. I went from $213 a month with Geico to $109 a month with the same exact coverage. I fully endorse this product and recommend it to everyone. It’s completely worth it!”

—ANTHONY G.

“Saved me an absolutely insane amount of money AND gave me 5x better coverage. I was paying $168/mo, cut that by more than half. Even if the rates go up in future renewals, nothing else I've ever been quoted by any other company comes remotely close.”

—CHRISTOPHER W.

“This company has been a lifesaver, not only in premium savings but also in time savings! It's been a dream come true since the company bases my rates on the way I drive! Absolutely love the process.”

—LARRY F.

Start saving with Root today.

Get a rate based primarily on how you drive—and save up to hundreds annually.

[1] 4.7 out of 5 based on 66.7K ratings for the Root app in the App Store as of January 2024.