Allegiance Insurance Group Columbia South Carolina 6/16/2020 803 546-4707 www.aigsc.com
Your teen driver has obtained their driver's license. Now, a checkup may be in order to determine if your new additional driver is properly covered and ways to keep your rates from skyrocketing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, in 2017 teen drivers (15–19) were involved in nearly 8 percent of the cost of fatal and nonfatal motor vehicle crashes, representing $13.1 billion in damage. Additionally (based on numbers compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), licensed teens age 16–20 constitute 5.3 percent of all drivers in 2017 but had the highest fatal crash rate per 100,000 of all age groups, including drivers age 65 and older.
Additional information from the CDC further highlights the risk teen drivers pose to your car insurance rates:
- Teen drivers who are male (16–19) have a death rate from driving that is twice as high as female drivers of the same age.
- Teen drivers driving other teen drivers are at an increased risk of being involved in a crash.
- Younger teen drivers who have recently obtained their license (16) have a crash rate higher than older teens (18 - 19).
All these statistics contribute to the notion that teens cost your auto insurer money and help keep your rates higher than they should be. Mitigating the risk of fatal and nonfatal accidents is of particular benefit for you if a teen driver exists in your household.
Ways To Mitigate The Impact Of Teen Drives On Your Car Insurance Rates
The risk of your teen impacting your car insurance rates can be lowered through education on these risk factors:
- Experience – Teen drivers lack the judgement and experience older drivers possess. There is no substitute for age and experience. However, the more opportunities your teen has to drive with you and learn proper techniques and decision-making, the less likely they will be to get in an accident.
- Morale Hazards – This is an indifference toward a consequence of a teens actions while driving. Speeding, lack of seat belt use and drunk driving are all morale hazards which increase the likelihood of a nonfatal or fatal accident. Discouraging your teen from engaging in an indifferent attitude toward these hazards can help reduce loss associated with the behavior. This, in turn, can keep your Automobile insurance rates low.
- Driving Between 9 PM And 6 AM – The nighttime is a dangerous time for teens, who are responsible for 40 percent of fatal crashes that occur during nighttime hours. Placing a driving curfew on your teen can be useful in this situation.
Mitigating the risk factors facing your teen driver that can lead to higher car insurance rates helps you pay less for your coverage. It can also help ensure your teen is a more careful and responsible driver on the road.