Auto insurance for young drivers” />Looking for Car insurance for a young driver in all the wrong places will lead a policyholder to the highest rates in town. This is not something any policyholder wants, but it is necessary to find insurance for a teenage driver despite the high costs that are so commonly found. Listed below are 8 ways we have come up with that can help policyholders save money on their teen’s insurance. They shouldn’t be considered a cure-all since insurance isn’t a one size fits all regime, but there will be at least one that every driver can apply to their insurance practices and save some money.

#1. Set Their Record Straight

Having a clean driving record is key to always getting low insurance rates for the rest of a person’s driving career. Teen drivers may not know the importance of this, and may decide to ignore the advice of avoiding tickets and accidents. However, teen drivers who are given traffic tickets or who are involved in accidents will watch as their premium rates skyrocket, even with only one offense. And what these teens don’t always know is that their record stays with them, and the offenses are only wiped clean after a certain number of years. If a driver receives one ticket every year, their record will usually carry at least 2-3 tickets at a time which causes rates to go up significantly. Young drivers who care about their record and avoid these costly marks should shoot for a clean record for years to come. They’ll be the ones to always have lower prices.

#2. Be Modest

It would be wise advice to not allow a teen driver to operate a sports vehicle or any other luxury vehicle that is expensive by nature or appears to be driven fast. Teenagers are statistically shown to drive faster more often, and they are also involved in many more accidents than the average driver who is not a teen. A safe assumption would be that the majority of teen drivers will be involved in an accident at some point of their teenage driving career, and handing the keys of a sports car would only be guaranteeing this activity. Allowing the teen driver to drive a safe and modest vehicle could help decrease their chances of being tempted to speed or do anything else in a flashy car. It’s more important that the teen is safe while driving, not how they look in their car.

#3. Give Guidelines

Most often, it is the parent or guardian who gives the teen the most direction in their life, and driving rules should be no different. Communication is vital at this age, and when expectations are directly expressed to the teen, there is little room for excuses or whining about the consequences. Giving the teen driver rules about where and when they can drive will be beneficial in getting lower rates because it helps keep them off the road, even if this lasts for only a few months or the first year. Giving them guidelines may also help instill in them a feeling of importance of obeying traffic laws and the consequences for not doing so.

#4. Suggest Alternatives

Auto insurers want to know the estimated mileage of the vehicle the teen will be driving, and rates increase as the estimated mileage increases. Expecting the young driver to take the bus to school and/or work will keep them off the road more often. They can still gain driving experience throughout the summer or on weekends, preferably during the day when there’s less of a chance of an accident.

#5. GPA Matters

Encouraging the young driver to get good grades will help the policyholder get lower rates. There is a discount commonly referred to as the good student discount that is offered to student drivers who earn a certain grade point average every quarter or semester. All they need to do is send in a copy of their report card to the insurer and they will be given this discount. This, coupled with other discounts, can really help the savings add up.

#6. Get Their Help

There is nothing wrong with asking (or demanding) the teen driver to help pay for their own premium charge. This is a separate charge to the premium as a whole, if the teen is joining their parent or guardian’s existing policy, and the teen can pay for part of the increased amount or all of it. By having the teen pay for their own insurance, they will learn one more thing about living expenses and how driving isn’t a right but a privilege. There is a chance they will be more cautious on the road because they know any negative marks on their insurance record will lead to higher rates, and if they are responsible to pay for those higher rates there’s a good chance they will do better at not being involved in tickets and accidents. Plus, it keeps the premium the same amount for the policyholder.

#7. Continuing Driver’s Education

Some insurers offer driving courses that can be taken by any of their drivers, which once passed will lead to a discount in their final premium charge. Teens can sometimes take these courses and also get a lower rate for their insurance. They will be taught the importance of defensive driving and how to maneuver their vehicle to avoid accidents better. Also, if a young driver is issued a ticket, encourage them to attend traffic school to keep the ticket off their record. Having a clean record will pay off in the long run as it contributes to cheap insurance for young drivers.

#8. Be A Good Example

Children learn from their parents, including their bad habits. Don’t be surprised to learn the young driver rear-ended someone because they were tailgating, especially when it’s a habit of the parent. The same goes for cutting people off, speeding, or rolling through stop signs. It becomes easier for a young driver to obey traffic laws and have respect for them and other drivers when they see their own parent demonstrate that very same attitude. This attitude will help the young driver avoid traffic incidents and keep their record clean.