Speeding, running a red light and driving under the influence are some of the most common traffic violations that can lead to higher auto insurance premiums.

Even for drivers shopping for a new policy, having a poor driving record with serious traffic violations or accidents will usually result in a higher rate than they’d normally have after an insurance company checks their driving record.

How good of a driver you are is a factor you can control. There are other factors, however, that you have little or no control over, but they also determine how your auto insurance premium is set.

The average annual auto insurance premium in the U.S. is $841, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Some insurers may use all the factors beyond a driving record listed here, and others might use other factors. Here are some of the main ones used in determining auto insurance rates:

General driver characteristics

Age, years of driving experience, gender and marital status are common factors used by insurers, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, or NAIC.

Generally, younger and less-experienced drivers pay more than older, experienced drivers; women pay less than men of similar age; and married people pay less than single people.

Why is it better to be young, female and married? Because such drivers get into fewer accidents and less serious accidents. It’s not discrimination against men, but based on statistics.

Teenage males have the highest insurance rate because they’re less experienced drivers and are more likely to cause an accident that requires a big payout by an insurer.

Who uses the car the most

If you’re the only person in your household, then this won’t apply. But if there’s more than one driver in the household, then insurers will determine which driver the premium is based on.

Some insurers may calculate it based on the driver who uses the car the most, while others may use the highest risk driver — such as a teen driver — to set as the “principal operator,” even if that driver doesn’t use the car often.

The thinking is that any licensed driver in the household will have access to every car, and the riskiest driver can be the basis for determining the rate.

How much you drive

The more you drive, the more likely you are to get into accidents. If you put on more miles for work, you’ll pay more, especially for a long commute. Driving occasionally can lower a rate.

Where you live

If your insurer has a lot of claims in your ZIP code or in the general area where you live, expect to pay more. Urban areas tend to have higher rates than suburban or rural areas.

Some companies may base your rate on your neighborhood and street address. If your street has a high number of accidents or there are car break-ins often, you could face higher insurance rates.

Statewide factors that could affect rates include car repair costs, auto insurance fraud rates, weather and litigation costs.

Your car

This is one factor you have control over. Buying a safer car or adding safety features such as anti-theft devices can lower your insurance rates. A car alarm, for example, can help lessen the chance that your car will be stolen or have a window broken by a thief, resulting in fewer claims.

Newer model cars that score high in crash-safety tests could have lower rates than a sportscar that doesn’t have such good safety test results.

Other variables include the cost of the car, repair costs, engine sizes and how much damage a car can cause to another car in a crash. Cars with all-wheel drive transmissions and hybrid engines can be more expensive to insure.

Credit score

If state law allows, an insurance credit score can be used as a rating factor. It’s a snapshot of your credit at one point in time and is used to predict how likely you are to have an insurance loss, according to the NAIC.

Also called a credit-based insurance score, research has shown a correlation between credit characteristics and insurance losses, the NAIC says. Approximately 95 percent of auto insurers use the scores in states where it’s allowed.

Factors that go into the score are payment history on outstanding debt, how much debt you have, credit history length, pursuit of new credit, and the types of credit you have.

Amount of coverage

Almost every state has minimum liability coverage requirements. If you have a new car, you may be required by your insurer to have more liability protection and to buy comprehensive and collision coverage to pay for damage due to weather, theft or physical damage from a tree. The more coverage you have, the higher your insurance rates will be.

Certain parts of your insurance will have deductibles that you’ll pay before your insurance pays out, and a higher deductible will lower your premium. Insurance rates can also be higher for rental car reimbursement.

Many of the factors that can determine car insurance rates are out of a policyholder’s control. But the ones that can be controlled — such as not speeding and not driving drunk — are ones that can help a good driver get the best discounts.

Aaron Crowe is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance writing.