The Best Car Insurance for Seniors in Florida (2024)

Overview

The average American drives 13,476 miles every year. However, seniors ages 55 to 64 only drive 11,972, on average, while seniors 65 and older only drive 7,646, according to 2022 data from the Federal Highway Administration. Whether you’re driving less because you’re retired or you newly work from home, you can save money on car insurance by using pay-per-mile insurance.

State Farm’s version is Drive Safe & Save, and it takes into account not only your mileage but also your driving behaviors — rewarding you for safe driving. Your driving will be monitored by the Drive Safe & Save app, or, with certain Ford or Lincoln models, by the vehicle itself. You’ll save 10 percent just for signing up, and up to 30 percent depending on your driving. If you’re a safe driver and drive fewer than 7,500 miles a year, you can save money with Drive Safe & Save.

Overview

Is having an AARP membership worth it? If you need car insurance, the answer is yes.

AARP has partnered with The Hartford to offer its members incredibly affordable coverage. You’ll get a discount of 10 percent just by being an AARP member. And while the company doesn’t reveal its average rates in Florida, specifically, some members pay as little as $78 a month for coverage; this amount comes out to $936 a year. The Hartford reports that it saves new members $577 a year on average — not too shabby.

Unfortunately, The Hartford does not write new home business in Florida. So, you can’t take advantage of the 20 percent home and auto bundle discount. If that’s what you’re looking for, I’d recommend Allstate; it has bundle discounts of 25 percent.

Overview

In Florida in 2022, 26 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of 0.08 percent or higher — meaning they were intoxicated. Unfortunately, 24 percent of these drivers were ages 55 to 65, 18 percent were 65 to 74, and 12 percent were over 74. These figures suggest that seniors made up over half of all intoxicated drivers, according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Many insurance companies won’t accept customers with DUIs on their records, as they are more likely to cause accidents and have costly claims. But that’s not the case for Progressive, which accepts high-risk drivers. Of course, you’ll see higher premiums than someone with a clean driving record, but that would be the case with any insurance company.

Another way to save with Progressive is to join its usage-based insurance program, Snapshot, which works similarly to State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save. Especially for people with spotty driving records, this is a way to be judged on your present, not your past. But make sure you are driving safely, as two out of 10 Snapshot participants actually see their premiums increase due to high-risk driving behaviors.

Overview

In my article on bundling home and auto insurance, I discuss companies with discounts for bundling your auto insurance with either homeowners, renters, condo, or even mobile home insurance, in some cases. Of all the companies I’ve worked with, Allstate offers the largest discount for bundling your auto or motorcycle insurance with the former three: 25 percent. That about makes up for the lack of senior discount. Although, unfortunately, Allstate is on the more expensive end for Florida seniors.

Still, perhaps people are willing to pay a bit more for quality service. Allstate ranked fourth in the state when it came to customer satisfaction, with 643 out of 1,000 points (the state’s average is 625). And across the U.S., customers ranked Allstate above-average in terms of auto claims satisfaction. The bottom line is important, of course, but it’s not the only factor to consider when buying auto insurance.

Overview

Although not quite as low as The Hartford, which only applies to AARP members, GEICO offers seniors in Florida incredibly low auto insurance premiums: only $1,610. This comes out to about $135 a month. But you can save even more by completing an approved defensive driving course. You must be over 50, and you must complete the course on a voluntary basis — not as a court order, for example. Savings is up to 10 percent.

Bottom line aside, GEICO ranked above average in Florida when it came to customer satisfaction. Customers can either buy policies online or visit agents in one of the following Florida cities:

• Fort Myers-Naples
• Gainesville
• Jacksonville
• Miami-Fort Lauderdale
• Orlando
• Panama City
• Pensacola-Fort Walton Beach
• Tallahassee
• Tampa-St. Petersburg
• West Palm Beach

Not every company has such a large local presence, and many seniors prefer these in-person interactions.