August 15, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
credit: Peter GorgesCar insurance rates for teens can be considerably higher than the rest of us. In fact, anyone under the age of 25 will have much higher rates than anyone over the age of 25 in general.
There are several reasons that this is the case but there are some things that you can do to help keep auto insurance rates for your teens down.
When teenagers first start driving they have no frame of reference so they don’t fully understand how dangerous it can be. All they have to go by is what they are told by their parents and their friends. Many teenagers drive fast and recklessly which is why more people between the age of 15 and 20 die in auto crashes than from any other cause. For this reason, insurance companies see them as a very heightened risk so their auto insurance rates are much higher.
If you have a teenager there are some things that will keep their auto insurance rates lower. Most insurers offer a discount for good students. Usually a good student discount means that the student keeps a 3.0 GPA or higher. Other ways to get discounts are to drive safe cars like Honda’s and Volvo’s. Certain features like airbags, anti-lock brakes, side air bags and automatic seat-belts can bring the rates down even more. Avoid getting high-risk, flashy sports cars because they can increase your rate. Keeping a clean driving record is the biggest way to keep your auto insurance rate down. Even a single accident on the driving record of a teenager can send their rates through the roof.
If you are a parent it is your responsibility to set a good example for your teenager to follow and to set and enforce strict driving rules. Make sure you let your teen know that driving is a privilege and not a right. Make sure your teen follows simple safety rules such as slowing down, buckling up, putting the phone down, not driving with reckless friends and never driving with alcohol in their system. It is the responsibility of the parent to make sure their teens practice safe driving. It will keep your car insurance rates down but more importantly it will save lives. Looking For San Diego auto insurance quotes or San Diego renters insurance quotes?
Updated August 15, 2011. Published August 14, 2011. Bill Szydlowski
