• Enter your Zip Code

  
  

  Do you currently have auto insurance?
  Yes No
  

Car Insurance for Teenagers

Teenage drivers are the riskiest drivers on the road. There are many reasons for this fact, but predominately it is due to their lack of real world driving experience. When a teenager in your family is ready to begin driving, it is important that they are prepared before getting behind the wheel. This includes taking driver's education courses at school, driving under the supervision of a more experienced driver, and being completely comfortable with all the rules and regulations of the road.

Once you feel your teenage driver is ready, you are ready to choose the right car insurance. Below is a list of factors that will not only determine the price of auto insurance for the teenage driver, but also ways to help decrease the cost of insuring them.

Factors that determine policy costs

Many factors determine the cost of auto insurance for teenagers. Much like older drivers, these factors include:

• Type of vehicle -  Driving a new car or performance model such as a sports car will cost more to insure than a used or "safety first" vehicle. When deciding upon a specific vehicle, be sure to compare prices with multiple insurance providers to get the best rate possible.
• Age -  Drivers who are one the road at age 16 are twice as likely to be involved in an accident than drivers aged 18 to 19.
• Sex -  Especially in the teenage years, males are much more likely to be involved in car accidents.
• Driving history -  Those teenage drivers who elected to take a driver's education course or private driving lesson are less likely to be involved in accidents.
• Location -  Teenagers living in large cities are more likely to be involved in collisions as well as more likely to be the victim of vandalism and theft as compared with rural residents.

Research and statistics

In 2006, more than 42,000 people died in motor vehicle crashes according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Of that number, 5,156 were teenagers aged 13 to 19. Although the number of teenage deaths caused by motor vehicles has declined substantially over the years, there are still a disproportionate number of motor vehicle deaths involving teenagers. The Insurance Institute also reports that most accidents involving teenagers occur between the hours of 9 p.m. and 12 midnight, and most teenage driver accidents happen on Saturday and Sunday.

Tips to save money

Although the teenage driver is more likely to be involved in an accident than a mature driver is, there are still many ways to save money on car insurance.

• Encourage your teenager to perform well in school. Students who maintain at least B averages in school, are usually given a "good student" discount by their insurance provider.
• Ban the use of cell phones from your teenager's vehicle! Each year, careless drivers who are distracted by talking on the phone cause thousands of accidents. In recent years, texting (sending text messages via cell phone) while driving has also become a major problem. It is vital that your teenager knows that when they are driving, they should not be on the phone.
• Add your teenage driver to your policy. Of course, each insurance company has its own set of rules and regulations regarding combining multiple vehicles under one policy. However, with most insurance providers it is less expensive to combine vehicles rather than separate them into individual policies.
• Encourage continuing education. Most states recommend new drivers to complete a minimum of 50 hours of driver training before issuing a license. However, once the 50 hours is complete, it does not mean your child's driver education should cease. Encourage young drivers to continue their education with classes such as defensive driving techniques. Education is especially important for the first few years behind the wheel.