If you drive a vehicle in South Carolina you'd better have car insurance. The moment a car insurance policy lapses or is cancelled anywhere in South Carolina the state is notified and if another insurance policy isn't purchased for that vehicle within 20 days the state of South Carolina will cancel the vehicle's registration tags and may suspend the driver's license of the registered owner of the vehicle. State troopers can even come to your home and physically remove the license plates from the vehicle.

The point is, it's just not worth the time and the hassle - not to mention the fines and re-instatement fees - to even think about driving without insurance in South Carolina.

There is a much easier way. Rather than driving without insurance let's find ways of driving down the cost of the insurance you need to the point where you can actually afford to pay for it every month.

Comparing low cost car insurance in South Carolina is now an easy matter thanks to the internet and the profusion of websites that allow you to compare car insurance prices from a number of different insurance companies. However, simply filling in information on one comparison website without an actual plan for finding the lowest possible cost is rather pointless.

Instead, let's look at specific things you can do to lower the cost of your car insurance even before you get online. In that way you will be able to compare the lowest-priced policy to begin with - and any added savings you receive from the internet is just so much icing on the cake!

So what can you do to keep the cost of car insurance as low as possible?

A simple change such as finding a garage for your vehicle at night can lower the cost of your insurance.

Of course keeping your driving record spotless is the best way to keep your insurance rates low. Getting just one speeding ticket or one moving violation of any kind can ruin your chances of finding the best possible rate for car insurance. If you have a DUI or DWI conviction on your record then you can kiss low rates good-bye for a minimum of 3 years.

If you can reduce your driving down to 500 miles or fewer each month you can save a tremendous amount through what is called a Low Mileage Discount. Many people are achieving this by using public transportation whenever possible and leaving their car at home.

Likewise, if you can carpool to work you should be able to save considerably on your insurance every month. And if you stop working entirely and you are no longer driving back and forth to work everyday let your agent know, as this can save you quite a bit.

If you belong to AAA or if you have a credit card that provides for emergency towing, then you can save a few dollars every month by not including towing on your car insurance.

Every year your vehicle is worth less and less. So if you reduce the amount of your collision and comprehensive insurance to match the declining vale of your vehicle, you should save money on your car insurance with each passing year.

When the Kelly Blue Book value of your vehicle reaches zero (or very close to it) then you can save even more money by canceling your comprehensive and collision completely.

Drivers under 25 can shave 5% off their bill each month simply by staying in school and maintaining at least a 3.0 grade average. Drivers 55 and older may be able to save as much as 10% every month by passing a special refresher course that is offered by many (although not all) insurance companies.

Don't make small, insignificant claims. If you can go for as little as six months without making a claim some companies will give you a break on your insurance. Other companies make you wait a year before the discounts begin, but the point is the same either way.

How much of a deductible do you pay? Ask yourself - and be honest - if you can afford to increase your deductible. If you can then your monthly car insurance premium should drop almost instantly. But don't promise to pay a larger deductible than you can actually afford.

That should do it. Now it's up to you to find 3 of the car insurance price comparison websites and, using the information you have learned from this article, carefully fill out the form on each site. The real trick is to put the same information into the form on 3 different sites. This insures that you are not only comparing the same policy all three times, but it also insures that you will see the prices from the widest number of insurance companies operating here in South Carolina.

Now comes the fun part. All you need to do now is to choose the lowest-priced company you can find and lock in your policy. You've done it. You've done your research and you've compared low cost car insurance in South Carolina and you've found the very best deal that you can possibly get. Happy driving!