Car Insurance and Safety Tips for Teen Drivers

Teens ages 16-19 account for over 12% of car accidents a year though teens are about 10% of the US population.  The scarier statistics include a fatality rate of 5,000 teens a year and 400,000 teens a year being seriously injured.   Due to these facts, car insurance costs are significantly more expensive for teen drivers and driving school is significantly more important for your teen.

Alcohol and reckless driving have always been an issue for teens but in modern day, we have other factors involved.  Teens growing up nowadays have technology ingrained in their systems.  Though drivers’ education courses cover the use of cell phones while driving, it is important that parents go over the risks with their teens as well.   13% percent of accidents caused by teens are due to cell phone use while driving.

Not all states require drivers’ education but all states have the option available and taking a course can significantly lower the cost of insurance for teens.  There are also options for a second, more in depth drivers’ education course that can lower costs even further.

If you are planning to purchase a car for your teen, getting them a pricey, high-end model, is not the best option due to higher insurance rates as well as the statistics for teen drivers.  As we said, teens are more likely to get in an accident and a higher end model will cost more money to fix.  It is best to go with a cheaper, reliable car to reduce insurance costs.

Another great way to lower insurance costs for your teen driver (though they might not be thrilled with this option), is to hold off on buying them a car until they prove their driving abilities to the insurance company.  Adding your teen to your existing policy on a car that you own as an occasional driver will lower their car insurance costs as well as proving to the insurance company they are a good driver by avoiding accidents.

An excellent program that many insurance companies have in place allows for lower car insurance rates for teens that get good grades in school.  Perhaps they believe that with good grades come more responsible teens.  Most insurance companies that instate this program require your teen to have a B average but some further the discount the higher the grades.  Speak with your insurance provider to find out what they offer for this program.

Driving is a big responsibility for teens and though it’s convenient for parents to have their teens driving themselves around, it is still risky.  We constantly hear of states trying to up the legal driving age.  Earlier, we discussed some of the reason teen insurance is higher and some distractions keeping it at a high rate.  For parents, it’s important to familiarize yourself with all the risks teens deal with in driving.  Let’s discuss some issues that specifically affect teen drivers.

The first issue is speeding.  Teens are more likely to speed than experienced drivers because at a young age, they feel invincible.  Adhering to the speed limit is especially important since teens aren’t used to being on the road.  In fact, you might advise that, in your teen’s first few months of driving, they stay 10 mph under the speed limit.  Speeding accounts for more than 40% of car related deaths for teens.  This is a scary statistic and certainly an issue they are schooled on in driver’s ed.  It’s important that this issue also be discussed between the teen and the parent.

We touched on the danger of using technology while driving but this is another issue important to reiterate with your teen.  With the use of cell phones and advanced technology, there are a million ways your teen can get distracted while driving.  You need to be firm with the fact that anything they might be doing on their phone while driving is not okay.  This includes talking, texting, changing music, Facebooking, Instagramming, and the like.  Even the time spent searching for a contact and pressing send can cause up to 5 seconds of your teen not focusing on the road.  It is best to suggest they don’t listen to music for their first few months of driving but if they will be listening, have them choose the music before they set off on the road.

Teens will naturally want to drive their friends around when they first get their license, but this can actually double the risk of a collision.  A teen passenger accounts for another distraction, as well as the possibility your teen will try to show off in front of them.  This might mean increased speeds, tailgating a car in front of them, or dancing along to the radio—all creating further risks for your teen.

One factor some might not take in to consideration is exhaustion.  Teens have to rise early for school but often stay up late doing homework which can lead to your teen being very tired.  Did you know a tired driver could prove to be as dangerous or more dangerous than a drunk driver?  When you are tired your reaction time is reduced significantly and your awareness is not strong.  Talk to your teen about being aware of their body and allowing someone else to drive if they are feeling too tired.

Another issue seen often with teen drivers is risk taking and statistics show this issue to be more common with male drivers than female.  Young drivers are more likely to take risks such as switching lanes quickly to get in front of a slow driver, tailgating or keeping an unsafe distance with the car in front of them if it is moving to slow, or even driving under the influence though they know it is wrong.  Talk to your teen about the importance of obeying the law and stopping at a yellow light rather than taking a risk and speeding through it.

Though your teen staying safe is the most important thing, the benefit of lower car insurance is a perk of a good teen driver.  We have gone over important tips to keep your teen safe on the road, avoiding accidents, and lowering the cost of auto insurance.  Don’t assume everything has been talked about in driver’s education courses.  Be certain it has been spoken about because you have spoken to your teen about safety.