How Americans Shop For Auto Insurance
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, OHIO – February 26, 2001 — Results of an extensive countrywide survey
by Progressive Insurance show that while people ages 18 to 34 were more likely to use the
Internet to purchase auto insurance than people ages 35 to 64, an overwhelming majority of
consumers (67.6 percent) bought their current auto insurance policy with a local insurance
agent with an office in their area.
Progressive, the fourth largest auto insurance company in the country, surveyed more than
31,500 consumers over the phone in 156 markets countrywide from November to December 2000. Among the findings:
When asked how they purchased their current auto insurance policy, 67.6 percent of
respondents said with a local insurance agent with an office in the area, 21 percent said
directly with an insurance company over the telephone and just under one percent said
directly with a company over the Internet.
Respondents ages 18 to 34, however, were
significantly more likely to have purchased auto insurance using the Internet than
respondents ages 35 to 64. And, 68.2 percent of respondents ages 35 to 64 said they
purchase their insurance with a local insurance agent – compared to 66.2 percent of
respondents ages 18 to 34. Both male and female respondents were more than three times as
likely to purchase their auto insurance from a local insurance agent than purchase
directly from a company over the phone.
Progressive, in business since 1937, sells its policies through more than 30,000 local
independent insurance agencies, over the phone at 1-800-AUTO-PRO® and on the Internet at
www.progressive.com.
Contact:
Kathleen Colan
Progressive PR
440-395-3033
