Parents: keep your teenage driver safe and your auto insurance rates lower
The most dangerous time in your teenagers’ lives is when they start driving. As a parent, it’s up to you to coach your teens about safe driving practices, get them the driving experience they need and make sure you have adequate auto insurance for the new drivers in your family.
October 20-26 is designated National Teen Driver Safety Week to raise awareness about why teen drivers crash at such a high rate and how to prevent those crashes for your teen drivers. Car crashes kill more teens than anything else, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
In 2011, 1,987 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 died in motor vehicle crashes and an additional 180,000 young drivers were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Teaching and modeling safe driving is an essential part of making sure your teen grows up to be a safe-driving adult. Because of teens’ higher risk of an accident, however, you will see a rate increase when your teen starts driving. Adding a teenager to your Auto Policy can mean a 50 percent or more increase in your auto insurance premium. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to help keep that rate increase as small as possible."
The NW Insurance Council and Insurance Information Institute offer the following tips to keep your teenage driver safe and your auto insurance premiums down:
- Enroll your teen in a Drivers Education Course and a Graduated Drivers License program. Every state has a graduated drivers license law that includes a three-phase program to help teens gain experience behind the wheel and develop a more mature driving attitude.
- Pick a safe car for your teen to drive that offers protection in the event of a crash. Avoid small cars, sports cars and SUV’s, which are prone to rollovers.
- Discuss the dangers of drug and alcohol use. Remind your teens never to phone or text while driving and tell them to keep distractions, such as listening to the radio and chatting with friends in passenger seats, to a minimum. Also, require your teenager to wear a seat belt at all times.
- Prohibit talking on a cell phone or texting while driving. Studies show that texting while driving or talking on a hand-held cell phone can impair a driver as much as driving drunk or driving under the influence of controlled substances.
- Always be a good role model for your teenager. New drivers learn by example. If you exceed the speed limit or drive recklessly, your teenage driver is likely to imitate you.
- Shop around for the best insurance rates. Rates for younger drivers can differ dramatically, so ask agents, brokers or insurance companies for price comparisons.
- Adding your teenager to your own auto insurance policy is generally less expensive than a stand-alone policy. Also, you may qualify for a multi-vehicle discount if you previously had only one car in your household.
- Find out if your insurance company offers a "safe driver" program. If your teenager completes the program you may be eligible for a discount. Also, some insurance companies will subsidize the cost of electronic devices, such as video camera and GPS systems, to monitor the way teens drive and will alert parents of unsafe driving by email, text message or phone.
- Some insurance companies offer a Good Student Discount, which is generally available to students who have a 3.0 grade point average or higher.
- Consider increasing your liability insurance limits or purchasing an umbrella liability policy. If your teen is found negligent in an accident and the damages exceed your insurance limits, you will be held financially responsible for those amounts not covered by your insurance. An umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on your underlying liability coverage in a Homeowners, Renters or Auto policy.
- Raising your deductible can save you 10 percent to 20 percent on your premium. That savings could go towards purchasing more liability coverage.
For more information and tools on how you can keep your teenager safe behind the wheel, visit the website Drive It Home: Helping You Keep Your Teen Driver Safe. For more information about teen driving and Auto Insurance, contact NW Insurance Council at 800-664-4942.
