Although Flint, Mich., car insurance numbers are down almost 10 percent from last year, the savings haven’t made their way to car insurance customers, yet.

But that’s because insurance companies base car insurance quotes and the price of insurance policies on a variety of factors—the number of car thefts in a given area is one factor, but surely not the most important.

And when the savings do get passed down to consumers, only those with comprehensive insurance coverage, the policies that protect against theft, will benefit.

Another thing to remember is that a statewide decrease in car thefts might not directly affect your policy, only if the number of thefts decline in the same area you live.

It’s a common thing nowadays: “Let me call you back. I’m getting pulled over for talking on my phone.” Many states have implemented either partial or full cell-phone bans. But a recent study by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety found that, while cell-phone bans reduce the amount of cell-phone use while driving, there is no empirical data showing that the bans reduce accidents.

Talking-while-driving tickets can sometimes result in an increase in your car insurance premiums, especially when multiple tickets are amassed.

The IHSS findings are a bit of a slap in the face to the National Transportation Safety Bureau, which has recommended that all states enact strict cell-phone bans based on a study that says talking and texting while driving increases the likelihood of an accident.

So far, the states that have already banned such activity do not show any signs of that being true, yet.

Either way, a distracted driver is a dangerous one, both to himself and to others on the road. Hands-free, cell-phone adapters are a cheap way to stay connected to your friends and the road simultaneously.

Although car insurance providers continue to advertise savings, car insurance rates have been on steadily increasing for the last few years. Between 2008 to 2010, the industry raised rates an estimated 10 percent, and it's expected to bump them nd this year, that figure is expected to go up an additional 4 percent, which would amount to about a 31 percent climb since 2000. The average annual policy is now close to $900 nationwide.

But why have rates increased so much?

Insurance providers site two major costs. The first is medical bills for accident-related injuries. Those costs are also on the rise due to the state of the health industry. The second is the large number of uninsured drivers, who account for about 16 percent total drivers on the road.

So what can consumers do to save when they are powerless to solve high medical bills and the prevalence of uninsured drivers?

Many analysts point usage-based insurance policies, such as Progressive’s Snapshot Program. The idea is, a sensor placed in the vehicle monitors usage and then transmits the info back to the provider. According to Progressive, safe drivers can receive up to a 30 percent discount after the first month on the program.

A recent study, comparing insurance premium increases from driving with a suspended license and driving without any license, found that insurance companies tend to treat driving with a suspended license as a more serious offence.

While having a prior conviction of driving without a license could increase your premium when you get an insurance quote by up to 35 percent, those with prior convictions of driving with a suspended license can expect up to a 75-percent increase in their insurance premiums.

The study found that insurance providers view drivers with tickets for driving with a suspended license as a potential safety risk. That’s based on a California DMV statistic that says a driver with a suspended license is four times as likely as a licensed driver to be involved in a fatal accident.

So if you lose your license, or it’s suspended, think about the day you’ll get it back. Do you want to pay nearly double what you would have for car insurance? If not, take the bus.

Minnesota law enforcement officials are voicing caution due to what has been a month of unusually high numbers of extreme speeding citations.

In July the state saw 21 convictions of drivers exceeding 100 mph as the result of a statewide crackdown on speeding, and although the ramped-up efforts paid off, law enforcement officials don't like what they are seeing.

"Many motorists fail to see the dangers in speeding and don't understand its deadly consequences," State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske said in a press release. "This campaign focuses on educating drivers that when your speed increases, so does your risk of crashing."

However, the heavy fines, potential suspension of driver's licenses and inflated insurance premiums that come with such blatant speeding violations aren't what Minnesota drivers, or any driver for that matter, should be most concerned about.

The potential loss of life is obviously the biggest toll any person can pay when driving in excess of the posted limit with a total of 86 speeding related deaths in Minnesota in 2010 alone.

Also, Minnesota isn't alone with their speeding problem. According to a recent nationwide survey by Allstate, nine out of 10 motorists admitted to exceeding posted speed limits, and 40 percent said they had topped the limit by more than 20 mph.

All the while, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2009 speeding was a major factor in over one-third of all fatal crashes nationwide.

But, for those motorists fortunate enough to hold on to life, there are a heap of other residual costs that can haunt them for years.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a motorist's driving record, including any citations for exceeding posted limits or other infractions, is a major factor in determining the price he or she will pay for auto insurance coverage, and those with tarnished records seeking coverage even from cheap insurance companies are likely to have difficulty finding inexpensive car insurance rates.

That's because insurance companies take into account statistics from organizations like the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) who cautions that driving at excessive rates of speed is dangerous due to the overwhelming evidence that it makes a driver far more likely to lose control of a vehicle, increases the distance required to stop, cuts the time a motorist has to avoid a crash and increases crash severity.

—AJ Register