• Several factors are used to determine your car insurance premiums.yellow car image by Rade Cojbasic from Fotolia.com
  
  Automobile insurers rely exclusively on statistics to determine the premiums that you pay. Statistics show that drivers who meet certain criteria are at higher risk for a claim than others. Some factors, such as age and gender, are beyond the driver's control, while others (such as occupation and place of residence) are a matter of choice.
  
  

Age

• Age is a major factor in determining your car insurance premium. If you're under age 25, your rates will be higher due to the lack of driving experience and the simple fact that drivers in that age category have more accidents, according to CarInsurance.com. Drivers over the age of 65 may also see an increase in their premiums.
  
  

Gender and Marital Status

• If you believe the stereotype, male drivers are safer than females. However, this belief is not verified by car insurance premiums. According to CarInsurance.com, with all other factors being equal, the average car insurance premium is lower for women than it is for men. Married drivers also have lower premiums than single drivers.
  
  

Driving Record

• Your driving record will also impact your car insurance premium. Drivers who have no accidents will pay less for insurance than those who have had accidents, though some insurance companies will forgive the first accident and not increase your premium. Drivers with multiple moving violations may also pay more, and drivers with major violations like DUIs must pay exorbitant rates, and may have difficulty obtaining insurance at all.
  
  

Credit History

• Drivers with poor credit are viewed as being less responsible by many insurers, so they may be more likely to be involved in an accident. If you will soon be in the market for car insurance or are thinking of switching companies, check your credit report and have any discrepancies removed so they don't lead to a higher premium.
  
  

Vehicle Type

• Generally, the cheaper the car you drive, the less it costs to insure. If you prefer to drive an SUV or sports car, expect to pay higher auto insurance premiums.
  
  

Where You Live

• If you live in area with a high crime rate or heavy traffic such as an inner city, you will pay higher premiums than someone who lives in a rural setting. The logic used by insurers is that fewer cars and fewer people result in fewer reported claims.
  
  

Occupation

• Your line of work and length of commute will affect your premium. If you drive your car 50 miles to work each day or deliver newspapers or pizza, your chance of having an accident is greater than a vehicle owner who uses public transportation or sits in an office all day.