How much does it cost to insure my teen driver?
Cost for insuring your teen driver relies on many different factors, such as age, where you live, type of vehicle, age of vehicle, etc. Young drivers are more expensive to insure due to lack of experience driving. If you live in a larger city, your premium will be higher due to that. To reduce costs, consider purchasing an older vehicle for your teen driver to use. Having liability only on a vehicle vs. full coverage will help to keep the premium lower. If your child has a 3.0 or higher in school, they will be eligible for a good student discount with many insurance companies. Typically, this discount can reduce the premium about 10% for the driver receiving the discount.
Tips to help avoid claims for a teen driver:
Distracted Driving: Stress the importance of not texting while driving to your teen driver. It has shown that texting and driving can be 10x more dangerous than drinking and driving.
Alcohol/Drug Use: This one may seem obvious, but with the new freedom of having a driver’s license, it might be the best time to discuss the ill effects of driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Bad Weather: Always avoid the first solo ride for your child when there is inclement weather (ex: snow storm, high winds, heavy rain). It is best to experiment in parking lots during this time to better prepare your young driver for future . Also, ensure the windshield is kept clean & free of any debris that will interfere with visibility while driving.
Distance behind gravel trucks: Gravel flying off of trucks can be very harmful to a vehicle’s windshield. It can cause the windshield to have to be repaired, or fully replace. Make sure your child keeps 2 car’s length of distance between themselves and the truck to avoid being hit with falling gravel.
Lending and Borrowing: Do not let your child lend out the vehicle they are driving to their friends or borrow their friend’s vehicle, even if it is just for a quick ride. If your child borrows the car to their friend, and the friend gets in an accident, the responsibility falls onto your child’s insurance policy. Car insurance follows the vehicle, not the driver.
Need advice about insuring your teen driver? Call the trusted advisers of American Advantage – Petersen Group in New Berlin, Wisconsin today!
Phone: 262-432-0789 Email: info@aapetersen.com