The burning problem of all parents today is that their children are getting older and start driving a car. Parents are very concerned about adding them to their auto insurance policy, as this results in premium increase. But nevertheless all children grow up and when they start driving this certainly should be done. The insurance for young drivers is very high because of the following reasons:
The first reason is the lack of the young driver’s experience. You will need to drive a car for at least 3 years before your insurance premium is reduced.
The next problem is their age itself. If they are under 25 the insurance rates will be considerably high in any case because inexperienced and young drivers seem to have more accidents than older, experienced drivers. Usually a single male driver rates higher than a single female as it is considered that males make more risk for insurance company.
When we start driving a car we feel independence. But actually it is also the beginning of responsibility. A parent should teach a teenager to behave on the road in order to prevent any accident. This is very important as accident, ticket or suspension may double or triple an auto insurance premium. May be it will be wiser if a young driver pays insurance premium himself. Insurance costs hurt our pockets but they help us to realize the importance of proper behavior on the road. It is a parent who should explain how important and necessary car insurance is.
When it is time for teenagers to get a vehicle parents should go with them to choose the most suitable for the budget one. Parents should explain that a regular sedan is cheaper for insurance than a sports car. Only parents must make final decision concerning the car which is to be purchased for the beginner.
Another point is to explain to a young driver the importance of keeping hisher car record clean not to pay outrageous premium. Not only young drivers but everybody must be very careful on the road. However we might be driving carefully but perhaps the person in the other vehicle does not have the same mentality. Parents must encourage young drivers to keep their eyes on the road and not to get distracted by anything else. So the advice to young drivers is, keep your chin up and eyes focused to keep your pocket full.
However despite of parents’ advice, requests even demands the statistics about teenage drivers aren’t good. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 16-year-olds get into accidents almost 10 times more often than drivers between the age of 30 and 59. No wonder car insurance premiums are so high for this age group.
Despite of these facts not all insurance companies follow the same negative point of view about young drivers. And some discounts are available even for this motorist category.
Here are 10 tips how to reduce premiums and keep your teenager’s license free of violations:
1. Help your teen to learn the laws. The young driver should follow them to the letter. Also you should keep in mind that the best way for teenager to reduce the insurance costs is to keep his her driving record clean. We offer you to work out the safe driving family project. It is very important for every member of the family to be aware of the road laws peculiarities in a certain state
2. You should set a good example for your children. If you constantly break the speed limit or shout at other drivers when at wheel, or speak the cell phone at wheel, how can you expect your children to act differently? Watch and analyze your driving habits and you’ll teach your teenagers to be good drivers. Remember, actions act better than words.
3. Add your teenager to your policy. It is better to put your teen driver to your policy as an additional writer than to set an independent policy. In this case all the discounts given to you will be applied to him also.
4. Pay your teenager for getting good grades. Calculate how much money you’ll manage to save if your teenager gets a good grade point average and pass it on to himher. This makes two things: first, it provides a direct reward for academic performance. Secondly, it motivates them to continue getting good grades.
5. Make your teenager attend driving courses as Discounts are available for teens who take recognized driving classes. But consult your car insurance company to find out which schools takes part in this campaign.
6. Get for your teenager a safe car to drive, with the latest safety equipment and this will lower your premiums. Don’t buy expensive sport cars as they make additionally the temptation of fast driving and increase a risk of accident.
7. Get the support of your teens. Don’t think that the only their desire is to vacuum clean your wallet. Promise them to share your savings (see rule #4). Discuss with them the car insurance costs and possible variants of their reducing.
8. Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol, especially if they consider themselves people who keep everything under control. Remember that the consequences of their ignorance can be catastrophic.
9. Make your teens to beat tickets in traffic school, if judge allows it. It will take a month in traffic school to remove one ticket from your kid?s license.
10. Ride with your teenager. Perhaps last year when your kid got the license, heshe was a safe and careful driver. But who knows what has happened since that time. Let your son or daughter take the wheel while you sit back and relax in the passenger seat. If you see them doing something that breaks rules or seems unsafe, point this out in a tactful way. If they are doing a good job driving, praise them for their efforts.
If you follow the tips above you’ll soon understand that your kid is not such an untalented driver as you considered himher to be. Of course, from the very beginning the young drivers are often absentminded, inattentive and may be too hot-tempered. But sooner or later they understand that safe driving is not their parents’ caprice at all, and careful behavior on the road can save not only your money but something that is of much greater importance, somebody’s life for example. And you as a parent should do all possible to make your kid understand this as early as possible. Don’t worry; it is not as difficult as seems from the first sight. Just keep in mind that your success depends on cooperation and understanding from both sides of the generation gap.