At least $4 gas has a bright side for someone.  The Wall Street Journal reports, "As the increasing cost of gasoline forces U.S. drivers to cool their love affair with their cars, auto insurers may see a silver lining in the breakup: fewer accidents."  In fact, securities analysts have begun to upgrade the stocks of auto insurers this week, on the "expectation that less driving means fewer accidents, which will help boost auto insurer earnings."

Kicking Tires adds, "Just as soon as you see a silver lining on the cloud, however, you realize the thunderstorm is still on its way: Insurers are also expecting to see repair costs go up as the cost of raw materials continues to climb. This means that the claims insurance companies' field will become more expensive, even if there are fewer of them to cover."

There is a way to make sure some of the insurance industry's bounty comes back to you, however.

The Denver Post notes, "Commuters who have reduced the distance they drive to work each day, either by using alternate transportation or telecommuting, can save a good bit more money by tweaking their auto policy to reflect their reduced driving, according to the Consumer Federation of America."  Most people never think of updating their policies "until a major event occurs, such as buying a new vehicle or adding another driver," according to the CFA, but auto policies are priced, in part, based on how much you drive.

If you're carpooling to work, or just combining errands and otherwise driving as little as possible in the face of skyrocketing gas costs, it might make sense to let your insurer know.  Connecticut's Hartford Courant reports that, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, most Americans could save anywhere from $47.50 to $142.35 per year simply by letting their insurance company know that they're driving less often.

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