Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Getting Affordable Teenager Car Insurance

If you think that insurance for a responsible adult is expensive, just wait until you have to purchase teenager car insurance for your child. Like it or not, the moment your child earns his or her license is going to be an expensive one for you. But there are plenty of things that you and your child can do to minimize the cost of teenager car insurance and find a good deal.

First of all, you need to recognize why teenager car insurance is so expensive in the first place. Teen drivers are inexperienced drivers with unpracticed skills. They have been proven in studies to make poorer judgments on the road and have slower reaction times to unexpected road hazards. Teens also tend not to focus on anything but the car immediately in front of them when driving, making them more likely to get in accidents. This risk is multiplied when a teen driver has friends in the car.

Because teenage drivers are more likely to cost insurance companies money, they are classified as high-risk drivers and are more costly to insure. As a parent you may be saying "Now, wait a minute! My teen is very responsible. It's not fair to group my kids in with others like that." That may be true, but that's how insurance companies evaluate risk and assign premiums.

It's recommended to sit down and have a chat with your teen before they get their license. Explaining the costs of car insurance and their responsibilities as a driver is probably a good idea. Having them help to pay a portion of the insurance premiums each month will also give them a feeling of ownership in the process and make them more motivated to qualify for good student and good driver discounts.

These are two areas where your teen's behavior is directly reflected in the premium amount. There areas are grades and a good driving record. Teenagers who are responsible in school and get a B average or better qualify for good student discounts under most major insurers. Teens can also qualify for good driver discounts if they keep their record clean of any speeding tickets, parking citations, or other traffic offenses. Encourage them to observe speed limits, traffic rules, and safe driving practices at all times. You may even want to limit when they can drive or with whom in order to foster good driving habits.

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