In these days of soaring gas prices and massive air pollution, hybrid cars provide one means for consumers to spend less and keep our air cleaner. But many people don't know that other benefits also accompany owning and driving hybrids, including auto insurance discounts and tax incentives.

In fact, certain auto insurance companies, like Travelers and Farmer's, now offer hybrid drivers discounts of up to 10 percent on their car insurance premiums. That can mean money in your pocket and significant savings on yearly auto insurance policies.

Why such considerable discounts, you might ask? Well, hybrid owners tend to fall within what's called a "preferred insured category." That simply means they tend to be responsible, mature drivers who are less likely to file auto insurance claims.

That means less risk for insurance companies and lower car insurance premiums for drivers.

What else sets hybrid owners apart? They tend to be married, between the ages of 41 and 60, and represent both genders equally. Auto insurance companies see them as financially stable and less likely to have accidents, which means their auto insurance rates tend to be lower than average.

If you're not familiar with hybrid cars, here's what makes them different from more traditional cars: hybrids run on a combination of gas and electricity. That means they're cheaper to operate and usually more reliable than their gasoline-only powered counterparts.

Although they've been on the market since the late 1990s, less than 1 percent of registered vehicles are presently hybrids. However, that number is accelerating