Deductibles.
Deductibles apply to the comprehensive and collision portions of your insurance policy. The cost to repair your car in the event of a mishap will be paid less whatever deductible you choose. Comprehensive covers everything but collision like a cracked windshield or damage due to a hailstorem. Collision is just that, coverage for a collision with just about anything. Your comprehensive deductible is usually less than your collision deductible. Most come in pairs like $50/$100, $100/$250 or $250/$500. Deductibles do have a bearing on your premiiums. The higher the deductible, the lower the premium. If you have an old car that isn't worth anything, eliminate comprehensive and collision coverage altogether. Choose your deductibles based on how much you can afford to pay out of pocket to have your car repaired should you have an occurence (insurance speak for any claim you submit).

Claims.
No claims means lower premiums, and the longer you remain claim-free, some companies offer further discounts. One small claim may or may not raise your rates depending on the insurance company. Two claims, usually no matter what they're for, will most certainly raise your rates. Two major claims will, no doubt, get your policy cancelled. A bad driving record, even without accidents, will raise your rates and possibly get your policy cancelled if something like a "driving-while-intoxicated" (DUI) is discovered on your driving record. Traffid violations usually stay on your driving record for three years. That is how long you will pay higher insurance rates. You say, "Claims are why I pay for insurance." Not really. You pay insurance for peace of mind, just in case you ever have a claim to file or someone files a claim against you. You pay for health insurance because the cost of being sick is too great to pay out of pocket, but you don't plan to ever be sick. Think of auto insurance the same way. In fact, think of any insurance this way. So what can you do to avoid claims? Follow the rules of the road: don't speed, don't drink and drive, come to full stops at stop lights and stop signs, etc., etc., etc. If your teenagers abuse the rules of the road, have the state revoke their driver's license. This is not only to protect your wallet, but more teens die in auto accidents than any other group. They will never learn to be responsible if you cave. They can always use public transportation or a bike. Parking lot mishaps are very common these days. Usually they result in a small dent to one or both cars. If the cost of repairing a car is something you can afford out of pocket (at least the other person's car if you're at fault), offer to pay for the damage and do not report a claim to your insurer. Although these mishaps are small and nothing appears on your driving record, the insurance company logs them in as occurrences and a black mark on your record. They might forgive one, but not two.

In addition to all of the above ways to save money on auto insurance, it pays to compare auto insurance rates. Today, this is easily done online. You might find an auto insurance discounter either nationally or locally that will make shopping for auto insurance worth your while.