Expensive Teenagers on Auto Insurance Policies: Learn to Decrease Premiums. Any parent with a teenage driver knows, all too well, that adding a child on an auto insurance policy is expensive. On average, adding a teenager to a family policy can run as much as $700 a year. Some parents scream about it, but there's a reason for it - young drivers carry a high risk factor.
The risk of a crash, per mile driven, by a driver who is 16-19 years old is three times higher than of an older motorist. For many reasons, teens tend to have more accidents, and sadly, most of them are avoidable. Some teens just do not seem to listen and the results can be tragic.
Distractions, mostly from inside of the car, are one of the highest reasons for a crash. When it comes to teenagers, talking or texting on cell phones has become one of the leading distractions. Studies have shown that 11 teenagers a day are killed due to texting while driving. While those numbers are getting lower, the message about the dangers of driving and texting doesn't seem to be reaching those most impacted. A recent survey of drivers under the age of 18 showed that nearly half of those questioned actually admitted to texting while driving.
Another crucial distraction has to do with who the passenger is and the sex of the driver. Young males are two times more likely to have a fatal crash than a female who's the same age. Having young passengers riding along can also cause multiple disruptions. Data shows that the presence of friends in a car driven by a teenager increases the risk of having an accident, especially if there are four or more passengers.
These are issues that parents need to be aware of and then convey it to their teenagers for safety reasons and for saving money on auto insurance. Insurance companies are now looking at state laws, especially the 'texting while driving' law, and looking to see if a driver is ticketed for such an infraction; it will add points to their record. If it occurs, insurance companies can raise auto insurance rates, which will result in an increase in monthly insurance premiums. This is not pleasant news for parents who are paying for that car's insurance.
As a parent, there are two things you should know about reducing premiums before adding a teen to your auto insurance. Many insurance companies will offer a small discount for driver's education classes; enroll your teen into a training course. Also, take note of your child's grade point average. Some insurance companies will give a discount for a student with a 3.0 grade point average or higher. -
Expensive Teenagers on Auto Insurance Policies: Learn to Decrease Premiums.