Safety insurance review 2024
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At a glance
Score breakdown
Auto
3.9
Cost & ratings
4.7
Coverage
3.5
Support
3.4
Home
0.0
About Bankrate Score
Bankrate's take
Safety Insurance has received local and national recognition for its insurance technology, financial strength and company performance. Policies are only available in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, though, and discounts may be more limited than with larger carriers.
Who Safety may be good for: Drivers in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire who value local agents and robust coverage packages.
Who Safety may not be good for: Customers who value online quoting and discount variety.
New
- September 2023: The company’s customer service track record was acknowledged, when the company was given the 2024 Deep Customer Connections Ease in Business Award.
- June 2023: Safety announced it will begin updating its customer service platform with the goal of offering instant claims payment through One Inc. One Inc will provide policyholders the option of receiving claims payouts through payment platforms like PayPal and Venmo.
- December 2022: Safety finalized its acquisition of Northeast/Metrowest Insurance Agency after announcing plans to acquire the company in October 2022. This purchase absorbed the assets and operations of Northeast and Metrowest Insurance but left the company as a separate business.
Safety car insurance
Our Safety Insurance review found that the company’s car insurance could be a good fit for Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire drivers who want the convenience of having a pre-built car insurance package. A big draw to Safety car insurance is its Safety Shield package, which includes additional coverage options like emergency towing, roadside assistance and more.
The package options differ slightly depending on the state. In Massachusetts, drivers may also purchase an expanded Safety Shield Plus to include accident forgiveness, expanded personal effects coverage, pet coverage, seat belt coverage and bail bonds coverage. Each package also comes with its own cost, so it might be helpful to request an auto insurance quote to see how much the additional coverage options might be.
Pros and cons of Safety car insurance
Safety car insurance could be a good choice for some, but no company is perfect. Here are some of the pros and cons of Safety’s car insurance product:
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Safety Shield makes adding endorsements easy
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Mobile app allows policyholders digital access to their coverage
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Local agents available
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Only available in three states
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Discounts are limited
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No online quotes
Safety car insurance cost
Although average rates can help you get an idea of what you might pay for Safety car insurance, they are not available for 2024. Based on 2023 rates we analyzed from Quadrant Information Services, policyholders with Safety have historically paid below the national average, which is currently $2,543 per year for full coverage or $740 per year for minimum coverage. The best way to determine the exact rates you would pay is by requesting a quote from Safety.
Safety car insurance discounts
One of the ways to potentially save on car insurance is by taking advantage of the discounts you qualify for. Safety doesn’t offer as many discounts as some competitors, but there are a few ways you might save. Discount offerings vary by state, but here are a few that are offered in all three states:
- Multi-policy discount: Insuring your home, apartment, rental house, business or other products with Safety could earn you a discount on your auto insurance.
- Student discounts: Safety offers a good student discount and student away at school discount for young drivers.
- Loyalty discount: By staying with Safety for continuous years, you could receive up to a 4 percent discount off your auto insurance.
- E-customer discount: If you opt to manage your policy online instead of getting paper statements, you might be able to lower your car insurance rate.
- Early issuance discount: If you’re looking to switch insurance carriers, shopping in advance can save you up to 11 percent with Safety.
- Safe driver discounts: Various safe driver discounts, including a telematics program, may save you between 5 and 24 percent on your policy with Safety.
Safety home insurance
Safety home insurance is available in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire and offers coverage for single-family homes as well as condominiums and apartments. The company offers standard coverage and has several endorsements available for added protection. This includes four packages with pre-selected endorsements: Safety Select, Safety Supreme, Supreme Plus and Safety Complete package. Each one comes with its own features and increased limits, but shared coverage options include replacement cost, sewer/water backup and increased liability amounts.
Pros and cons of Safety home insurance
Just like with its auto insurance, Safety home insurance has perks and drawbacks. When you are comparing home insurance quotes and looking for the best home insurance company for your needs, understanding each carrier’s strengths and weaknesses can be helpful.
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Offers four coverage packages to simplify the shopping process
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Local agents are likely familiar with the unique needs of New England homeowners
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Online resource center offers helpful guides for homeowners
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Only available in three states
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Home Cyber Protection is not offered in Maine
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Fewer discounts than many competitors
Safety home insurance cost
The national average cost of homeowners insurance is $1,687 per year for a home with $250,000 in dwelling coverage. The table below shows Safety’s average premiums across a range of dwelling limits, but keep in mind that your rates will vary based on your unique combination of rating factors.
Dwelling coverage limit | Safety average premium | National average premium |
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$150,000 | $1,053 | $1,146 |
$250,000 | $1,138 | $1,687 |
$350,000 | $1,342 | $2,232 |
$450,000 | $1,620 | $2,785 |
$750,000 | $2,696 | $4,457 |
*All rates displayed are average annual rates.
Safety home insurance discounts
Similar to its auto insurance, Safety’s discount selections and details vary from state to state. Some key discount opportunities that may help you find cheaper home insurance include:
- New home credit discount: Whether you live in Maine, Massachusetts or New Hampshire, Safety may add a credit of up to 18 percent to your home insurance if it is a brand new home.
- Customer loyalty credit discount: In Maine and New Hampshire, you could earn a credit of up to 16 percent off your homeowners insurance policy.
- Multi-policy discount: If your personal auto insurance is with Safety, you could earn up to a 20 percent discount on your homeowners insurance. This applies to all three states.
- Fire and burglar alarm discount: While the eligibility guidelines and discount levels for this discount vary by state, you might lower your Safety home insurance premium if you have fire and burglar alarms in your home.
Compare Safety with other insurers
Finding the best insurance company for your needs can often involve shopping around and comparing providers. If you’re interested in Safety, you may want to compare quotes from these similar carriers.
Featured
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Overview
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Overview
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Overview
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Overview
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Having earned national recognition for its insurance technology, financial strength, and company performance, this regional carrier offers prepackaged insurance at rates consistently lower than the national average.
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The Hanover is a bigger company than Safety, providing coverage in 20 states — including Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The company could be a particularly good choice for clients with high-value homes, but its average rates are considerably higher than Safety's.
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Vermont Mutual is another regional New England-based carrier, but offers coverage in a few more states than Safety. Vermont Mutual’s mobile tools are fairly sparse, but it also has very low average home and auto rates.
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If you’re looking for a larger carrier that still has local offices, State Farm could be a good choice. However, unlike Safety, State Farm isn’t currently writing home or auto policies in Massachusetts, so if you live in the Bay State, you won’t be able to buy a new policy.
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Avg. full coverage auto rate
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Avg. full coverage auto rate
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Avg. full coverage auto rate
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Avg. full coverage auto rate
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N/A
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$3,127
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$1,266
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$2,246
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Avg. home rate for $250k dwelling coverage
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Avg. home rate for $250k dwelling coverage
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Avg. home rate for $250k dwelling coverage
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Avg. home rate for $250k dwelling coverage
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$1,138
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$2,088
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$749
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$1,405
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service
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Not scored
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Not scored
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Not scored
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532/1,000
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping
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J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping
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Not scored
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Not scored
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Not scored
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714/1,000
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AM Best rating
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AM Best rating
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AM Best rating
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AM Best rating
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A
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A
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A+
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A++
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Is Safety a good insurance company?
Safety might be a good company if you are looking for fairly standard coverage and you live in Maine, Massachusetts or New Hampshire. The company’s low rates and giveback programs are impressive given its size, but coverage offerings and discounts don’t particularly stand out when compared to its competitors. Additionally, Safety doesn’t have many third-party reviews, which makes it difficult to assess the overall level of service satisfaction. If you’re interested in Safety, comparing quotes from a few other carriers may help you decide if the company is right for you.
Safety customer satisfaction
Safety is a smaller insurance company, so it doesn’t have as many third-party ratings as its larger competitors. However, it did rank in the New England region of the 2023 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study with a slightly below-average score of 814. The company also has an A (Excellent) financial strength rating from AM Best, which speaks to its historical ability to pay claims.
Study or Rating agency | Safety | Industry average |
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2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service | Not scored | 702/1,000 |
2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping | Not scored | 521/1,000 |
AM Best rating | A | N/A |
Safety customer complaints
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) collects complaints filed against insurance companies and translates them into complaint indexes based on each carrier's market share. The baseline for NAIC company complaints is 1.0, with an index above 1.0 indicating more complaints than expected based on a carrier's size and vice versa. Safety Insurance boasts remarkably low complaint index scores for both home and auto products.
Safety's complaint index for its private passenger auto product has dropped steadily over the last three years, reaching a low of 0.08 in 2022. This is down from its 2020 index of 0.65 and 2021 index of 0.21, showing that the company is improving its complaint record.
NAIC complaints against Safety's home insurance have also declined over the last three years with an impressive zero complaints against its home product in 2022.
Other Safety tools and benefits
Home and auto insurance aren’t the only insurance products Safety offers. The company also offers the following policy types and tools:
- Personal umbrella insurance: Individuals who want to extend the liability on their auto and homeowners policy can do so with an umbrella policy.
- Dwelling fire coverage: This coverage is available to non-owner-occupied residential properties, with either single-family or two-family occupancy.
- Commercial auto: If you have a vehicle that you use for business, you may need a commercial auto insurance policy to cover your needs and risk.
- Business owners insurance: This type of insurance from Safety is intended for small and medium-sized businesses, such as commercial owners of apartments and condominiums, stores, restaurants and more.
- Resource center: The Safety Insurance resource center features helpful articles on common insurance topics and risk mitigation.
- VIP Claims Centers: These centers are part of Safety's VIP Repair Program. Policyholders can drop their vehicle off following a covered claim and Safety will arrange the necessary repairs and make a rental vehicle available if requested.