One of the most important tips anyone can offer a teen driver about obtaining, and keeping, cheap car insurance, is the tip of driving safely and responsibly. This advice does not mean just buckling up and driving the speed limit. Driving safely and responsibly goes beyond those basics – especially for teen drivers.
Below are some tips and advice for teens to drive safely and responsibly.
Obey the law. Obeying the law means buckling your safety belt (wearing a safety belt is a legal requirement in most states); driving the speed limit (speed limits change in different parts of town, especially in school and work zones); knowing, and respecting, what the colors of traffic lights mean; not driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or any other controlled substance; placing at least the length of one vehicle between you and the car in front of you; always signaling your next move to the vehicles surrounding you; and driving only during the times drivers your age are legally allowed to drive.
Respect your surroundings. Respecting your surroundings means driving in accordance with everything around you. Drive slower than the speed limit when weather elements such as rain and snow require it. Keep watch of pedestrians, especially children who may be playing close to the road. Pay attention to all vehicles around you, especially in high traffic areas.
Avoid unnecessary distractions. Unnecessary distractions include things such as putting on make up, eating, chatting on your cell phone, blasting the radio, and cramming too many friends into your vehicle. Many states have laws regulating how many passengers teen drivers are allowed to have. Know, and follow, those laws. When in doubt, never allow more passengers than your vehicle has safety belts.
Car insurance companies already view teen drivers as high risk. By driving safely and responsibly, teen drivers can keep traffic violations and accidents to a minimum, thus helping them maintain cheap car insurance.
Cheap Car Insurance For Teens
The teenager shopping for car insurance is at a decided disadvantage. Car insurance rates are based on age and driving experience as well as driving record. The best way for teenage drivers to work their way into better rates is stay on their parents policy in order to gain driving experience and a driving record. There is a good chance that after three years and a clean driving record that a preferred policy from the parent's insurance company can then be issued on the teen drivers that want to have their own car and pay for their own insurance. There are numerous discounts for the young driver today. Drivers training education is the most common discount. The drivers training course normally consist of 30 hours of driving with an authorized instructor along with 6 hours of classroom work. Some companies give discounts for good students that carry a 3.0 grade point average in high school or college. There is also a resident student discount available by some insurance companies. The student has to live over 100 miles away from home to receive this discount.
Age Rating Tiers – Most insurance companies have age rating tiers on young drivers. The ages from 16 to 21 is one tier and the rates are the highest in this time period. The next age tier begins at age 21 and ends at age 25. The rates drop significantly at age 21 and again at age 25.
Vehicles Make a Difference – The younger the driver the higher the rate. The rates are very high for young drivers on newer vehicles that require collision and comprehensive coverage. Older vehicles that only require liability coverage as a minimum state requirement is one way to cut costs for the teen driver. Utility vehicles like pick-up trucks receive a small discount and the teen driver can take advantage of that discount also. The teen driver needs to stay away from high performance vehicles and sports cars because the rates will be very high and these cars may not qualify for standard car insurance.
Both Elizabeth Newberry & Gavin Bloom are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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