Have your question or comment appear below!

Insuring your teen driver

UNinsure your teen driver

Teen Car Insurance Strategies

Drivers under 25 are four times as likely as older drivers to die in an accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Check out our page on teen driver laws by State. Adding a new teen driver to your auto insurance policy is very expensive. Premium increases of 50 to 100 percent are common. To reduce your teen driver's auto insurance premiums:

• Make your teen driver pays for their portion of the coverage.
• Make them aware if they get a ticket or accident they could lose or pay much higher auto insurance rates
• Make the kids wait to get their licenses. Young, newly licensed drivers are the most likely to get into accidents, and insurance companies will probably shock you. Rates usually go down a little after the driver turns 18, and the price drops again at age 21 and/or 25.
• Have them buy them an old clunker with minimal worth
• Keep the car in your name (unless there is loan)
• Make sure your teen drives within the State limits of their license.
• Ask your insurer if you can assign your teen driver to just one of your cars (the lower value, safer one)
• If your teen drives a car they are not assigned to and gets in an accident, your rates could really jump, or your policy could be canceled.
• Let your insurer know if your child is a good student (B or better grade point average). Many insurers offer good-student discounts of 5 percent to 10 percent
• Have your child take a driver's education course (possible discounts of up to 15 percent) approved by your insurer.
• If your teenager complete a safe driver program, you may be able to cut another 5 percent from the additional premium.
• Consider taking out a separate policy for your young driver.
• If you and your spouse have a low claims record, you're probably best off simply adding your teen driver to your own policy and paying the increased premium. Just threaten them with death if they get into an accident.
• If you have claims and tickets, it may be cheaper to get your teen a separate policy.
• Consider moving your teen to a separate policy when your insurer classifies them as adults (Between age 23 and 25 or who marry).
• A safer and lower priced used car will be easier on your insurance rates. It's less likely to be stolen, and probably will do better in a crash test.
• Ask if any discounts are available if your teen has a graduated or restricted license where they cannot drive at night or with passengers. Some insurers may give you an additional discount.
• Ask if your insurer will reduce rates for students attending a school at least 100 miles away from home who don't have a car on campus.
• Get insured as soon as your teenager gets their learners permit. If you don't and your child is involved in an accident, your insurance company generally will cover it, but they can retroactively charge the higher premium that you should have been paying and / or revoke your coverage.
• Don't reduce your coverage in order to reduce your premiums increase, because you are covering a higher-risk driver.
• Helping your teen understand safe driving by being a good example yourself.
• Traffic violations and accidents caused by your teenager can cause your premiums can jump by several hundred percent.

Written by Craig J. Casey

Financial Writer helping people with their insurance problems on the net since 1998.

blog comments powered by Disqus