Your car insurance policy keeps you financially protected when you're in a traffic collision or other incident where your vehicle sustains damage or injuries occur. Car repairs or medical treatment can cost several thousands of dollars, and your auto insurance saves the day by providing needed reimbursement. 

Most states in the country require a minimum amount of car insurance, which keeps you and others on the road protected if an accident occurs. However, you can get by without an auto insurance policy in some locations, like Virginia, New Jersey, Texas, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, where local regulations give you other options. 

Car insurance policies vary in cost and coverage levels, depending on where you live, your driving record, and the specific plan you choose. 

Once you decide on the policy you want from your selected car insurance provider, paying either monthly or annual insurance premiums keeps it in effect. 

The unique coverage options on a car insurance policy include collision, comprehensive, liability, underinsured or uninsured motorist, medical payments, and personal injury protection. Each category has a monetary limit, with a specific deductible amount for collision and comprehensive. 

Your collision coverage helps pay for vehicle repairs when you experience a traffic accident or collide with a stationary object like a fence or a tree.

The comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance policy gets your vehicle back to roadworthy condition for events beyond your control, like hail, theft, or vandalism. 

Liability coverage provides a financial safeguard if you cause an accident, assisting with car repairs and medical treatments for others involved. 

Underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage comes to the rescue if you're in a collision with another driver who either has limited insurance or none at all. 

The medical payments coverage on your car insurance policy helps pay for medical costs if you, a family member driving your vehicle, or your passengers experience injuries in an accident. 

Personal injury protection can also help with medical treatment expenses and offer additional assistance with lost income or childcare. 

Certain carriers offer auto insurance discounts to members and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, young drivers with good grades, and safe drivers. 

After you purchase your auto coverage from an insurance carrier, you'll receive a printed ID card in the mail to keep inside your vehicle, detailing your coverage. Though printed auto insurance cards are the norm, today, some companies also offer digital versions. 

With all of the hazards present on roads and highways, it's essential to own a quality vehicle that keeps you safe. When you're in the market for a used car, how can you know you're buying one in excellent condition? Shift's certified mechanics perform extensive 150-point inspections on every car and have complete vehicle history reports, so you know your used car feels as good as new. And Shift offers fair, no-haggle prices driven by powerful machine learning algorithms and tons of data.

Want to take a test drive before you buy? If you live in one of Shift's many service areas, a concierge will drive to you, letting you take a drive before signing the papers. 

Read on to learn more about three of the best companies for military auto insurance rates.

Founded in 1922 by U.S. Army officers, USAA caters solely to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, and eligible family members. Because of this focus on those who serve or have served, USAA members receive the best military car insurance rates. 

USAA auto insurance is known for low rates and excellent customer satisfaction ratings, making it a wise choice for those eligible to purchase coverage. 

USAA offers several specific U.S. military car insurance discounts, including a 60 percent discount to deployed troops who store their vehicles and an additional 15 percent discount off comprehensive coverage to those who keep it in a garage on a military base. 

Owning a car brings several associated costs like fuel, insurance, and maintenance. Saving money where you can on auto-related expenses helps keep extra cash in your bank account. One way to lower your obligations month to month is securing a good auto loan. But obtaining financing can be a hassle, with confusing terms like interest rate and APR. Shift works with a network of trusted lenders who compete for your business, so you get the best deal on financing. Applying for a loan with Shift is quick and easy, with no cost or obligation. Financing with Shift is convenient that nine out of 10 customers choose us when they need a loan.

Though Geico offers coverage to civilians and active-duty service members, they still provide valuable discounts on military auto insurance. 

Geico extends a convenient 15 percent premium reduction for those who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. And further showing their commitment to those who put it all on the line for their country, Geico also offers an emergency deployment discount to Imminent Danger Pay areas as defined by the Department of Defense. 

Geico also gives back to military members by suspending car insurance premiums during deployments lasting longer than 30 days for vehicles stored on base.

Esurance offers deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces the option to cancel their car insurance temporarily. During deployment, policyholders make no premium payments and face no penalties when reinstituting their coverage. 

Typically, companies only provide good car insurance quotes for those that continuously maintain their auto insurance, making this discount a convenient option for service members. 

Esurance requires those actively serving to prove their eligibility with a letter from their commanding officer on military stationery confirming their deployment. Or, instead of a letter, a DD214 form showing their release also works. Once they return from deployment, active service members have 30 days to obtain their Esurance auto insurance policy without penalty. However, they must have carried insurance before their deployment, though not necessarily with Esurance.