Getting Car Insurance for Teenage Drivers

Accident 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. It's not a surprise, then, that car insurance premiums are so high for this age group.

However, not all car insurance companies take the same bleak view of young drivers. And some discounts are available to help you cut costs. Remember, the higher the risk, the higher the cost of insurance premiums. This should be your guiding principle as you shop for insurance.

 Here are some suggestions that can help lower premiums and keep your teenager's license free of violations:

1. Help your teen learn the laws and follow them to the letter. By far, the best way to lower car insurance costs for teens is for them to keep their a clean drivung record. Safe driving can become family project. In some states, restrictions apply to new drivers. Parents should know what the laws are and make sure that their children follow them.

2.Many parents forget to set a good example. Do you break the speed limit and tailgate? Do you yell at other drivers when you're behind the wheel? If you are guilty of doing these things, how can you expect your children to act differently? Start watching your own driving long before they get their license and you'll have a much easier time convincing them to be safe drivers. Remember, actions speak louder than words.

3. Put your teenager on your policy. Rather than setting up an independent policy for your teen driver, put them on your auto insurance policy as an additional driver. In this way, all the discounts applied to your policies will be passed on to them.

4. Compensate your teenager to get higher grades. Here's a different tip — find out how much you save if your teenager gets a good grade point average and pass it on to them. Usually, having a 3.0 or higher GPA will reduce your car insurance premium by 10 percent. Calculate exactly how much this saves you and give that cash to your teenager. This accomplishes two things. First, it provides a direct reward for academic excellence. Secondly, it motivates them to continue getting good grades.

5. Have them take driver education courses. Discounts are available for teens who take accredited driving classes. Be sure to call your car insurance company to find out which schools are covered before paying big bucks.

6. Don't get your teen a sports car. Don't placate your teenager by giving them the hot car you couldn't get in high school. Getting your teenager a safe car to drive, with the latest safety equipment, will lower your premiums. Not only will you save money on car insurance, but fast driving will be less of a temptation.

7. Get their support. Don't assume that your teenager just wants to get money from you. Ask them for help cutting costs and point out that you will share in the savings (see rule #4). Educate them about how much car insurance costs and show them how this fits into the family budget. If nothing else, you will score points for treating them as adults.

8. Talk to your kids about drugs and alcohol. This can be a very tough subject to approach with teenagers, who think they have everything under control. But the consequences of saying nothing can be disastrous. Take the time to lay down some rules in this important area.

9. Take traffic school to beat traffic tickets. Once a ticket is on your teen's license, it takes months to get the violation removed. Instead, if the judge allows it, encourage them to take traffic school. A day spent thinking about the consequences of unsafe driving can bring rewards for years to come.

10. Ride with your teenager. Your teenager was a safe driver last year when he or she got a license. But what's happened since then? Let your teenager drive 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 as diplomatic way as possible. If they are doing a good job driving, praise them for their efforts.

If you follow the above suggestions, you'll discover that you can make it safely through the teenage years — and without paying through the nose for car insurance. It just takes cooperation and understanding from both you and your offspring.