Safeco's New Auto Policy Gives Insurance Customers More Choices

Safeco Optimum Package(TM) Endorsement Highlights Upgrades

SEATTLE, July 20 -- Safeco , a leading provider of personal auto insurance to more than 3.2 million drivers nationwide, announced today it is introducing a redesigned auto policy aimed at better fitting customers' lives.

The new Safeco Auto Policy* is a simple, straightforward offering that covers the needs of today's typical drivers -- including coverage of manufacturer-installed audio/video equipment and children's car-seat replacement in the event of an accident. Safeco also is including a series of additional coverages customers can select to create a policy that best matches their needs -- such as purchase-price replacement for totaled new cars or loan-and-lease coverage for outstanding bank notes on totaled vehicles.

A Safeco Auto Policy now covers a broader group of customers. For instance, domestic partners and civil-union partners can now be identified as "insureds."

A new endorsement offering*, the Safeco Optimum Package(TM), includes eight bundled coverages aimed at rewarding safe driving and providing extra protection for emergencies, repairs and personal property:

   --   Diminishing deductible (Reduces collision deductible by $50 every
        six months, up to $500, as long as the customer has no at-fault
        accidents)
   --   Electronic lock, ignition and key replacement deductible waiver
   --   Emergency expenses
   --   Personal property coverage
   --   Waiver of adjustment for depreciation
   --   Uninsured motorist property damage deductible waiver
   --   Worldwide rental car physical damage coverage
   --   Non-owned trailer coverage -- increased limits

  The entire package is available to customers for as little as $5 a month.

"Customers can adapt their coverage to meet their needs rather than buy a one-size-fits-all policy," says Mike Hughes, executive vice president of Insurance Operations at Safeco. "This flexibility appeals to a wide spectrum of consumers, from the price-sensitive to the value-focused."

The new auto policy is available today in 14 states, and by year end is expected to be introduced in all 44 states where the company offers personal auto products. The 14 states are: Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah.