As a parent, ensuring the safety of your teenage driver should be one of your top priorities.When your teen gets behind the wheel for the first time, it’s a milestone that fills you with a mixture of pride and anxiety.
While you may have spent years teaching them proper driving techniques and safety, there are so many unknowns once they are driving solo or with friends.
One of the most important things you can do is make sure your teen has the proper insurance coverage.
However, insuring a teen driver often comes with high costs and complex decisions.
In this article, I’ll provide some helpful tips and recommendations to guide you through the process of insuring your teen driver and finding a policy that gives you peace of mind without breaking the bank.
Why Teen Drivers Are High Risk to Insure
As a parent, insuring a teen driver can be complicated and expensive.
Teenage drivers are considered high risk to insure for good reason.
According to stuD*es, teen drivers are three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers over 20.
Teenage males, in particular, have the highest risk of any group.
This is primarily due to lack of experience and maturity, as well as tendencies toward reckless and distracted driving behaviors.
Until teens gain more time behind the wheel and better decision-making skills, premiums will remain high.
Some steps I would recommend to help lower costs include:
Add your teen to your own policy.
This can often save you money versus a separate policy.
Check with your insurance provider about multi-car and safe driver discounts that may apply.
Set clear rules and boundaries.
Place restrictions on nighttime driving, number of passengers, cell phone use, and access to the vehicle.
StuD*es show this can reduce accident risk.
Enforce consequences if those rules are broken.
Choose a safe and reliable vehicle.
An SUV or mid-size sedan is better than a high- performance sports car.
Consider additional safety features like anti-lock brakes, stability control and multiple airbags.
The safer the vehicle, the lower the rates.
Monitor your teen’s driving and consider using a telematics device.
Many insurance companies offer discounts for safe driving habits like low mileage, limited hard braking or acceleration, and avoiding nighttime trips.
Let your teen know their driving is being monitored to encourage safe behaviors.
Increase deductibles to lower premiums.
The higher your deductibles, the more out-of-pocket costs you’ll pay in the event of an accident but the lower your overall premiums will be.
Find the right balance of risk versus reward for your situation.
With time and the right strategies, insuring a teen driver can become more affordable.
The most important things are keeping them safe, helping them develop good judgment, and finding ways to minimize risks however possible.
If we all do our part, the roads will be safer for everyone.
Setting Rules and Expectations for Your Teen Driver
As the parent of a teen driver, setting clear rules and expectations is one of the most important steps you can take.
To start, establish a curfew for when your teen must be home in the evening.
A good rule of thumb is to have them home by 9 or 10 pm on weeknights, and midnight on weekends.
You’ll want to adjust based on your teen’s maturity and responsibility level.
Enforcing curfews and consequences if they are broken will help ensure your teen’s safety.
Next, limit the number of passengers your teen can have, especially teenage passengers.
According to research stuD*es, the risk of a fatal crash increases significantly with each additional teen passenger.
I would recommend allowing just one additional teen passenger, at least for the first 6-12 months of driving.
You’ll also want to prohibit cell phone use, texting, and distraction while driving.
Require your teen to pull over if they need to make a call or send a message.
Banning cell phones altogether while driving is the safest approach.
Consider using a telematics device to monitor your teen’s driving and set speed alerts.
These devices track location, speed, and braking/acceleration to give you insight into your teen’s driving habits and allow you to set speed limit alerts.
They have been shown to positively impact teen driving behavior.
Set a good example with your own driving.
Model the safe driving behaviors and limits you want to see from your teen.
Your actions and accountability as a parent are critical.
With clear rules, close monitoring, and leading by example, you’ll give your teen the foundation they need to become a safe, responsible driver.
Take the time to frequently review the rules and have open conversations about their driving experiences.
Your guidance and involvement can make a life-saving difference.
Choosing the Right Car and Insurance Policy
As a parent, choosing the right vehicle and insurance policy for your teen driver is one of the most important decisions you will make.
The type of car your teen will drive significantly impacts their safety and insurance rates.
When selecting an automobile, look for a model with essential safety features like anti-lock brakes, multiple airbags, and electronic stability control.
A mid-size or larger sedan is ideal for new drivers.
Sporty, high-performance vehicles should be avoided.
Once you have selected a suitable vehicle, shop around at different insurance companies to find the most affordable policy that meets your needs.
Given teens’ lack of driving experience, their premiums will be higher.
However, there are few steps you can take to lower costs:
Add your teen to your own policy.
This is usually cheaper than a separate policy for a teen alone.
Your good driving history can help offset their lack of experience.
Increase coverage on their vehicle only.
Raise coverage limits for liability, collision and comprehensive coverage on the teen’s vehicle.
Leave coverage the same on your other vehicles.
This focuses the extra protection where it’s needed most.
Set restrictions and monitor driving.
Many insurers offer discounts for teens with driving restrictions and monitoring devices.
Consider limits on nighttime driving, number of passengers, and a telematics device to track driving behavior.
Increase deductibles.
Choosing higher deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage, such as $1000 instead of $500, can lower premiums significantly.
Only do this if you can afford the out-of-pocket costs in case of an accident.
Maintain good grades.
Most insurance companies offer discounts for teens with a B average or better.
Grade point average is a good indicator of overall responsibility.
Navigating insurance for a new driver can be complicated.
However, by choosing a safe vehicle, shopping around at different companies, and taking steps to keep costs under control, you can find an affordable policy to protect your teen on the road.
With your guidance and support, the teen years of driving can go smoothly.
Using Telematics and Dashcams to Monitor Driving Habits
As a parent, monitoring how well your teen drivers are actually driving is critical for their safety.
While teaching them proper techniques and setting rules are important first steps, ongoing supervision and accountability are key.
Two useful tools for this are telematics devices and dashcams.
Telematics
Telematics devices can be installed in the vehicle to track metrics like speed, braking, cornering, and mileage.
My teen’s telematics device sends alerts to my phone if they exceed the speed limit or brake suddenly.
It also gives weekly driving reports so I can coach them on any concerning trends.
Some insurance companies offer discounts for using a telematics device, since data shows teens with telematics have fewer at-fault accidents.
Dashcams
Dashboard cameras, or “dashcams”, are video cameras mounted inside the vehicle to continuously record the road and cabin.
I have found dashcams to be invaluable for monitoring how my teen actually drives when I’m not there.
The footage provides concrete evidence of any dangerous behavior or traffic violations.
Reviewing dashcam video together is an opportunity for me to give my teen meaningful feedback and set clear expectations for safe driving practices going forward.
While technology cannot replace involved parenting, telematics and dashcams have given me valuable insights into my teen’s driving habits and the peace of mind that comes from truly supervising them on the road.
Implementing a combination of rules, teaching, monitoring, feedback and accountability has helped ensure my teen develops safe driving skills and habits to last a lifetime.
These tools, used constructively, can give teens the guidance they need to become responsible drivers.
Having Open Discussions About Safe Driving
As a parent, discussing safe driving practices with your teen is one of the most important steps you can take to keep them safe on the road.
Having open and honest conversations about safe driving habits and expectations is critical.
I sit down with my teen regularly to set clear rules and boundaries to follow, like no cell phone use, speeding or driving with friends until a certain time of night.
We also discuss defensive driving techniques, the dangers of distracted or drowsy driving, and how to handle emergency situations.
It’s also important to lead by example through your own driving behavior.
Model good habits like wearing a seatbelt, obeying the speed limit and avoiding distractions.
Your teen is always observing you, so practice what you preach.
Set a driving curfew to limit late night driving, especially with teen passengers, who can be a distraction.
StuD*es show the risk of a fatal crash is higher at night for teen drivers.
A reasonable curfew, like 9 or 10pm, can help reduce risks.
Consider using a telematics device to monitor your teen’s driving and set limits.
These tools track details like speeding, braking and location.
They provide reports to help you coach your teen and set consequences if needed.
Some insurers offer discounts for using these devices.
Riding along with your teen at first is the best way to assess their skills and comfort level.
Provide calm, supportive guidance as they gain experience.
Look for warning signs like difficulty maintaining the speed limit or changing lanes efficiently.
If needed, you may want to restrict driving privileges until their skills improve.
The most important thing is keeping the lines of communication open.
Continue to talk through challenges, set new rules as needed, and express your support and belief in their ability to become a safe, responsible driver.
With patience and practice, your teen will get there.
Conclusion
As parents or guardians of teenage drivers, we have a responsibility to ensure they have proper insurance coverage.
While it may seem expensive or inconvenient, taking the critical steps to add them to our existing policy or help them obtain their own policy is necessary for their well-being and financial security, as well as our own peace of mind.
By reviewing available coverage options, determining the right amount of coverage based on their needs, and choosing a reputable insurance provider, we can find an affordable solution.
Though it requires time and effort, providing insurance for teen drivers is one of the most important ways we can support them as they embark on this new phase of independence and help keep them safe on the road.
0 Comments