Keeping your Teenage Driver Safe This Holiday Season

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When a teenager is added to a car insurance policy, premiums can go way up.  Teenagers can be dangerous, distracted drivers.  The rise of crashes per mile driven is three times higher for drivers 16 to 19 years old than for drivers 65 to 69 years old.  With more accidents and more claims, car insurance premiums rise.  The hectic holiday season is a perfect time to have a talk with your teenager about making the right choices to keep themselves safe and your car insurance costs down.

Don’t Drive Under the Influence

Talk to your teenager about DUIs.   Not only are teens drinking alcohol this time of year, recent studies have found marijuana use is at an all-time high for teenagers.  Using drugs or alcohol and getting behind the wheel is reckless behavior that can lead to death and injury.  Further, if a teenager receives a DUI ticket, their car insurance coverage can be cancelled and, if you keep their coverage or apply for future coverage, their rates will be significantly higher for up to 7 years following a ticket.

No Speeding

The holiday season seems to move faster each year.  Explain to your teens it’s better for them to late to an event than to drive over the speed limit.  Not only is speeding dangerous, if your teenager gets a speeding ticket and points added to their license, your premium at renewal of the policy will go up.  With multiple speeding tickets, a company can cancel or refuse to renew your policy.   Also, a speeding ticket now will result in your teenager paying more for car insurance in the future.   

Keeping the Car Safe

Talk to your teenagers about keeping the car safe from being stolen or broken into this holiday season.  Make sure they don’t leave presents or valuable such as a GPS device or a backpack where criminals can see them.  Tell your teenager to never leave the keys in the ignition, to always park in a well-lit, secure area and always close all windows and lock the car doors when leaving the car unattended. 

Don’t Let Friends Use Your Car

What makes sense to us as a long-time car owner might not be as clear to a teenager.  Take the time to talk to your teenager and explain to them that, if a friend borrows their car and has an accident, your insurance company will likely end up paying and your rates will go up.   Make sure your teenage does not allow friend to drive their car or borrow their car, even for a short trip.   

As a parent, you take steps to keep your teenager safe on a daily basis.  During the holiday season, you can use this as an opportunity to talk to them about their use of the car and guide them as parents.  The habits they develop now will pay off in lower car insurance policy premiums for them in the future.  

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