Safety Takes a Back Seat When Shopping for a New Car

                       As The Chicago Auto Show Opens,
           Progressive.com Survey Uncovers New Car Buying Attitudes

    MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio, Feb. 5 In what may be the ultimate
example of style over substance, a new survey by Progressive Insurance
finds that people place a premium on the look and the amenities
offered in a new car rather than its safety features.  The survey found that
the top five considerations when purchasing a new car were overall purchase
price, practicality (i.e. gas mileage, insurance, etc.), monthly payment
amount, look/style of the car, followed by safety features (i.e. air bags,
anti-lock brakes, etc.).
    The survey of consumers' new car buying attitudes on progressive.com found
that 47 percent of respondents think that the color of the car was more
important than side air bags in their decision to purchase a new car while 22
percent of respondents said that a CD player was more important than anti-lock
brakes in their new car purchase decision.
    Other interesting findings: 24 percent of respondents said that leather
seats were more important than four-wheel drive in their decision to purchase
a new car, while respondents with children were nearly twice as likely to say
that the monthly payment amount for a new car was more important than its
safety features.  Safety continued to take a back seat when asked how driving
behavior would change after purchasing a new car. Three times more respondents
said they would give up eating and drinking when driving a new car than those
who would curtail speeding or tailgating.
    The survey also found that 27 percent of respondents think that auto
insurance premiums do not vary significantly by vehicle type, and 19 percent
said that their premium would be the same regardless of their insurer.  In
fact, auto insurance rates vary widely depending on vehicle and insurance
company.  The average difference between the highest and lowest premium
available to consumers in Chicago for the identical policy offered from
different insurance companies is $592 every six months. And, vehicles with
more safety features often receive lower auto insurance rates.
    "While consumers are kicking the tires or checking the price of the
leather package when shopping for a new car, they rarely take the time to
compare auto insurance premium," said Alex Ho, progressive.com Marketing
Manager.  "Some safety features can slightly increase the overall cost of a
new car, but this doesn't necessarily translate to higher premium rates.  In
fact, safer cars often have lower rates.  Since auto insurance rates vary
widely from company to company, it's important for consumers to shop around
and compare rates.  Who knows, they might save enough to pay for that CD
changer!"

    Progressive Insurance , headquartered in Mayfield Village,
Ohio, is the nation's fourth largest auto insurance company.  In business
since 1937, the company provides all drivers with competitive rates and
24-hour, in-person and online services. The company sells its products over
the phone at 1-800-AUTO-PRO(R), online at progressive.com and through more
than 30,000 independent agencies throughout the U.S. More information about
Progressive can be found at http://www.progressive.com.

    Alex Ho is available for interview.

    CONTACT:  Kathy Bell or Erica Kestenbaum of Jericho Communications,
212-645-6900 for Progressive Insurance

                               Did You Know ...
               A Countrywide Survey by progressive.com Tells Us
                     How People Shop for New Vehicles ...

    Shades of Gray
    Forty-seven percent of respondents said that color was more important than
side air bags in their decision to purchase a new car.

    Stopping Might Be Difficult, But It Plays Rockin' Tunes
    Twenty-two percent of respondents said that a CD player was more important
than anti-lock brakes in their decision to purchase a new car.

    Leather Just Feels So Good
    Twenty-four percent of respondents said that leather seats were more
important than four-wheel drive in their decision to purchase a new car.

    It May Not Have Air Bags But The Payments Are Cheap
    Surprisingly, respondents with children were nearly twice as likely to say
that the monthly payment amount for a new car was more important than its
safety features.

    It's Not What You Drive, But Rather How Fast You Go
    Men were three times more likely than women to report driving faster after
having purchased a new car.

    Tire Recall?  What tire recall?
    Surprisingly, only six percent of respondents said their new car purchase
decision would be affected by negative media coverage about a tire recall.

    Stay Away From The Speed Demons
    Respondents who had more than one accident in the past three years were
six times more likely to drive faster after purchasing a new car.

    Who Needs Air Bags When You Can Get Leather Seats?
    Thirty-six percent of respondents with children reported the color of a
new car as more important than whether the car had side air bags -- and 21
percent said that leather seats were more important than four wheel drive.

    It Might Not Be As Safe ...  But It's Practical
    People were two times more likely to rank practicality over safety as a
primary consideration when purchasing a new car.

    Nobody Wants Crumbs In the Car
    When asked how their driving behavior would change after purchasing a new
car, respondents were three times more likely to say they'd eat/drink less in
a new car -- compared to switching lanes, speeding or tailgating less.

    Men Are From Mars -- But At Least They Value Safety More
    Men were more likely than women to report safety features as the primary
consideration when purchasing a new car.

    We May Be Divorced, But At Least We Have A Cool Car
    The number one thing divorced respondents would want in a new car if price
was not a concern was a car with sophistication and coolness -- beating out
safety features by ten percent.

    High Salary Doesn't Equal Big Spender
    Respondents making more than $75,000 a year were nearly twice as likely to
be concerned about the purchase price of a car than respondents making less
than $25,000 a year.

    My Insurance Won't Change That Much?
    Overall, 27 percent of respondents said that insurance coverage for a new
car would be the same for all car types.  And 19 percent of respondents said
that their auto insurance would be the same, regardless of their insurer.

    We Might Factor It In ... But We Just Renew
    Eighty-one percent of both men and women factor in the additional cost of
insurance when purchasing/leasing a new vehicle, although 46 percent of men
and women reported thinking that insurance rates will be the same regardless
of the type of car and insurer.

    Top Five Considerations When Purchasing A New Car
    1.    Overall purchase price (25 percent)
    2.    Practicality (i.e. gas mileage, insurance, etc.) (22 percent)
    3.    Monthly payment amount (19 percent)
    4.    Look/style of the car (14 percent)
    5.    Safety features (i.e. air bags, anti-lock brakes, etc.) (10 percent)

    Top Five Changes In Driving Behavior After Purchasing A New Car
    1.    Drive more carefully than before (23 percent)
    2.    Pay more attention to the road/other drivers (17 percent)
    3.    Avoid potentially dangerous situations (seven percent)
    4.    Drive faster because the car is new (two percent)
    5.    Drive slower than before (two percent)