I’ll Never Be Able To Get My Teenager Car Insurance!
In our day and age, when you think of having to insure your teenage son or daughter, you begin to question your sanity along with your finances. There are common sense strategies to incorporate.
Probably the first strategy to use is to be a good example. That means showing your kids that you’re a safe, considerate driver. Kids learn from their parents and many times mimic their behavior. Being a safe, considerate driver has many benefits including probably the most important benefit: lower rates.
Acting responsibly and keeping your eye on ways to save money on insurance for your teenagers is important. You can ask your agent for information on things that your kids can do to keep their rates as low as possible i.e. completing a driving course, maintaining good grades and not smoking. It’s, absolutely, ok for your kids to help pay for their insurance. Indeed, some foot the whole bill. But, normally, they can save a small fortune by being included in the family plan. How much they pay is totally determined by each family’s individual circumstance.
Being involved in your kids lives has a huge impact. If your kids hang out with the wrong crowd, don’t be surprised if it’s reflected in their driving behavior. The saying “Practice makes perfect” is very true when it comes to driving. Your teenager really shouldn’t be behind the wheel all alone if they don’t feel comfortable. I would suggest riding along with your kids until you feel they’re ready to drive alone. This advice is very applicable when your kid is driving a car with a manual transmission. That is a stick.
If you look at statistics, teenagers are the most dangerous drivers there are. A teenager’s 1st year of driving is the most dangerous. Did you know that teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are 4 times more likely to be in an accident for every mile driven than any other age group? Males are especially wreckless with speeding, tailgating and driving under the influence accidents. Roughly, 400,000 teenagers each year in the US are seriously injured in a car accident. 5000 are fatally injured. Boys are 33% more likely to be involved in a fatal accident than a girl. 36% of all deaths for this age group are a result of car crashes.
So why are these kids having so many accidents? Because a teenager is less experienced and underestimates things like hazardous road conditions and dangerous situations in general. In alcohol related accidents, of all teenaged fatalities, 74% of those fatally wounded weren’t wearing a seat belt. Teenagers also have the worst seat belt usage rate. Realistically, this number could be seriously reduced with better parenting and closer supervision.
So, be a good example, acting responsibly and keeping your eye on ways to save money on insurance, being involved in your kids lives and riding along with your kids until you feel they’re ready to drive alone are all great ways to approach the reality of obtaining car insurance for your teenagers.
