The Truth About Adding a Teenage Driver to Your Car Insurance Policy

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When a teenager is added to a car insurance policy, premiums can go way up.   The rise of crash per mile driven is three times higher for drivers 16 to 19 years old than for drivers 65 to 69 years old.  When you add a teen to your policy, premiums can increase by nearly 50% for a girl and up to 100% for a boy.  However, there are some things you can discuss with teenager to lower your current premiums and to prevent your teenager from paying higher premiums in the future: 

Slow Down

Not only is driving over the speed limit dangerous, if your teenager gets a ticket for a speeding violation, your rates to renew will go up.  Also, if a teenager receives multiple speeding violations, a car insurance company can cancel or refuse to renew your policy.  A speeding ticket will also result in your teenager paying higher premiums when they want to buy their own insurance in the future.

Don’t Drink and Drive

Talk to your teenager about driving and driving.  This reckless behavior not only results in death and injury.  If a teenager receives a DUI ticket, they can face having their car insurance cancelled and can expect to pay a much higher rate for any car insurance they are able to secure for at least 3 to 5 years after receiving the ticket.

Don’t Let Friends Borrow Their Car

You should explain to your teenager that, if a friend borrows their car and has an accident, the insurance company will pay out just as if they were the driver.  Do not allow your teenager to lend their car to friends and tell them not to let their friends drive them in their car. 

Preventing Theft

Make sure to review with your teenagers some steps they can take to avoid their car being stolen or broken into.  What seems like common sense to you, a long-term driver, might not be as clear to a first-time driver.  Tell your teenager to never leave the keys in the ignition, to always park in a well-lit, secure area, to not leave valuables such as a GPS device or a backpack, and when leaving the car unattended, always close all windows and lock the car doors. 

 

As a parent, you take steps to protect your children on a daily basis.  When your teenager earns a driver’s license, this is another major step in your role to guide them as parents.  Make sure to keep the lines of communication open and explain to your teenager that the habits they develop now can result in them not only being safe drivers overall but will pay off in lower car insurance policy premiums for them in the future. 

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