MORE WOULD SEEK INSURANCE ONLINE

While few Americans have shopped on the Internet for auto insurance, many indicate they will shop online for it in the future, according to a recent report released by the Insurance Research Council (IRC). Only one in 10 surveyed respondents said they had previously searched the Internet for auto insurance information. However, 40 percent of respondents who currently use the Internet – and one in four respondents overall (24 percent) – said they are likely to search online for auto insurance in the future. This anticipated growth in consumers searching the Internet for auto insurance information is expected to come largely from select segments of the population. Forty-four percent of respondents earning at least $75,000 per year said they are likely to go online for auto insurance information compared to 17 percent of respondents earning less than $40,000 per year. One in three respondents (32 percent) under age 35 said they are likely to search the web for auto insurance information compared to one in 10 (11 percent) of those age 55 or older. The results contained in IRC’s recently released report, Public Attitude Monitor 2001, Issue 2, are based on a survey conducted by RoperASW.