Auto Insurance for Teenagers: What You Should Know

If you're a parent with a child about to turn 16, you might be feeling more than a little anxious. The one thing most people know about teenagers and driving is that auto insurance for teenagers can be a pricey proposition. Auto insurance premiums are based on risk, and unfortunately for teenagers and their parents, teen drivers are risky bets. According to industry statistics, the risk of crash for every mile driven is about three times higher for 16 to 19 year old drivers than it is for drivers in the 65 to 69 year old age group. If you're a teen or the parent of a teen, though, there are things you can do to get cheap car insurance for teenagers.

Add Your Teen to Your Policy

In general, you'll get the cheapest auto insurance rates for teenagers when you add your teen to your own policy than if you insure your teenager separately. Your insurance premiums will go up slightly, but it won't be nearly as expensive as a separate policy specifically for your teenager. If you want to teach responsibility, charge your teen the difference in premium to cover his share of the insurance.

Push High Grades

If your teen driver is still in school, push him to maintain a high grade average. Most insurers offer discounts on auto insurance for teens who maintain a B or better average. The discount with some companies is as high as 25 percent.

Documented Road Experience

A formal driver training course can net you an additional 10 percent discount on car insurance for teens. Courses with at least 50 hours of road time with an experienced driver will garner the cheapest auto insurance for teens. Defensive driving and accident avoidance courses are additional perks.

Don't Drink and Drive

Traffic tickets and moving violations affect insurance rates for teens even more than they do adults, and a DUI ticket can result in cancelled insurance and extremely high rates for auto insurance for as many as five years. Drive carefully and keep the record clean to get the cheapest car insurance for teens.

Shop Around

Hit the Internet and check out auto insurance quotes online. Insurance premiums can vary widely from one insurer to the next - sometimes by hundreds of dollars, even when it comes to car insurance for teenagers. Get quotes from multiple companies so that you have a good selection of cheap auto insurance rates to choose among.

Pick an Insurance Friendly Vehicle

Mom's minivan may be a buzz-kill, but a vehicle like it will cost a whole lot less to insure than some sporty little number. Insurance companies offer lower premiums for cars that are safer, less likely to be stolen and less expensive to repair. Before you pick out a car, check with your insurance company to see how much it will cost to insure.

Insurance Safety/Tracking Programs

Some insurance companies make use of monitoring technology to help parents track driving behavior in their teens, such as a GPS device that records where and how fast a car is driven, and in-car cameras that record driver behavior. It may seem a little big-brotherish, but those insurance companies often offer hefty discounts on car insurance for teen drivers who agree to the tracking technology.

Despite the risk, nearly all insurance companies will provide auto insurance for teenagers. Following the tips above will help you find the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers on the market.

To learn more about subjects like Auto Insurance for Teenagers please visit the web site at: http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/teenagers/

For more information and informative related articles and links about this subject matter and content, please visit Majon's Automotive | Parts Accessories directory: http://www.majon.com/directory/automotive-parts-accessories. Also visit our Shopping Directory Marketplace for more related sites.

About the Author

+Chris Robertson is a published author of Majon International. All Rights Reserved. Copyright 2011 (Sun Feb 05 2012) Majon International. Majon International is one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing and internet advertising companies on the web. Visit their main business resource internet marketing web site at: http://www.majon.com