How To Drive Down Your Auto Insurance Costs

(CBS) -- It seems like car insurance rates just keep going up.

But there are ways to drive down prices when you're behind the wheel.

CBS 2 Cost Cutter Dorothy Tucker reports.

If you drive, you've got to have insurance. But you don't have to go broke paying the premium.

Good grades for a student can save up to 25 percent.

Higher deductibles could also mean lower costs, especially for younger drivers.

And if you're over 50?

"A defensive driving course can save a policyholder upwards of about 10 percent a year," Michael Barry of the Insurance Information Institute says.

If you have an older car, it may be worth dropping collision coverage but only if the car's value is less than 10 times the premium.

Most important: Shop around, often.

"Once a year, it's probably a good idea to see if you can find a better deal elsewhere," Barry says.

If you've got more than one policy with the same insurer make sure you get a discount for bundling.

Also, if you drive less than 7,500 miles a year, your premium should drop.