You may purchase car insurance regularly as a matter of course, but you might not have thought too deeply about how the insurance carrier arrives at how much you'll pay for your policy. In fact, you might very well believe some myths which end up causing you to pay more than necessary or leave you with inadequate coverage. Here are some untruths to watch out for.

Your Premium is Only Based on Your Driving

One common myth is that as long as you're a good driver, there's nothing else you can really do to lower your auto insurance costs. However, the truth is that there are many factors that your insurance company will use to arrive at their policy cost. While your actual driving record is considered, there are many things that are lifestyle-related that are considered too; credit score, address, education, and marital status are just some things that are noted when coming up with a premium.

It's important to ask what a particular insurance carrier is using to come up with a quote; you may be able to work on raising your credit score, heading back to school, moving to another neighborhood or taking additional steps to lower your overall costs.

You Need All Those Extras

Towing, for instance, might sound like something that you need to keep on your policy, but if you're already a member of a roadside assistance program, you might be able to drop that towing fee because it's redundant. Always make sure that you're paying attention to the extra services that a policy includes; you might not need them.

Your Car is Covered For Extreme Weather Events

If you live in an area where flooding, hurricanes or tornadoes happen, it's natural to assume that your auto insurance policy will reflect that and cover you for any damage that happens during an extreme weather event. However, just as homeowners must beware and check that their house is covered for floods, you too must ask directly whether your insurance company will reimburse you or issue a check to you if something should happen to your car because of certain weather events. Don't assume that because you've got hurricane coverage that you've got flood coverage. Ask specifically about each type of weather event you imagine could take place.

Now that you've got more facts about auto insurance, you can start taking steps to reduce and adjust your policy as needed. Working with your personal auto insurance company to ensure that your policy is tailored best for your needs is a good idea.