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Lisa G.
What’s so Sweet about Sixteen?
We Understand the Shock of Teen Driver Rates in Orange County!
As parents, we look forward to the milestones of our children’s lives. Who will forget the sense of accomplishment they felt the first time their kid discarded training wheels and sped down the street perfectly balanced? Unfortunately, we don’t usually feel the same joy the first time they roll out the driveway in the family car.
That Dreaded Question: “Mom, can I borrow the car?”
The words, “Mom, can I borrow the car?” are more likely to make us grit our teeth than clap our hands. Our anxiety is not likely to be improved by seeing what a teenaged driver does to our Auto Insurance rates. Most of us are shocked when we first hear just how much it is going to cost to insure our teenaged driver. Many parents have said, "My kid’s going to be riding his bike until he’s 20.” That’s always an option, but—realistically in Southern California—not a very good one.
To tell the truth, I thought the same thing myself until the day the local newspaper’s lead story was about a cyclist being hit and killed by a car on PCH. That article was accompanied by a column of statistics on how many bikers are hit by automobiles each year in Orange County. Of course, you can always just keep driving your teenage son or daughter around—but with the typical teenager this can turn into quite a burden, not to mention that they still have to drive someday. In many ways it may be better for them to get that experience while they’re still living at home and (somewhat) under your influence.
Ask about our Available Discounts that May Help Your Young Driver Rates
It especially makes financial sense for your teenager to earn their “Good Driver Discount” while living at home (or while a student away at school) because while on the family policy, your child will benefit from all the various discounts on the family policy—and don’t forget the “Good Student Discount” (3.0 and above) which can be a great motivator for your student to keep their grades up. Also, ask your agent about "reduced liability limits" which may be available for your teen driver. This is a way to save some premium dollars those first years. (Please ask your agent to explain this endorsement.)
Be Economical, but Be Cautious!
When deciding what car to get your son or daughter, there are several ways to go. If you buy an older vehicle without a lienholder, you can save premium dollars by dropping the comprehensive and collision coverages. It should be noted though, that an old clunker might not be the safest car for your teen. The older the vehicle, the less likely it will come equipped with important safety options. When shopping for a used car, look for those that have an anti lock braking system, traction control, stability control, front and side air bags, and safety-belt pretensioners. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the Insurance Information Institute (III) advise that newer cars are better for young drivers because they offer updated safety features.
It’s also a good idea to forgo the SUVs and any vehicle with a higher probability of rolling because inexperienced drivers tend to overcorrect steering mistakes. In a passenger car with a lower center of gravity the vehicle may slide and spin out. In an SUV, over correcting or making sharp turns can cause the vehicle to roll over. The IIHS warns: "The single-vehicle rollover death rate in lighter utility vehicles in 2000 was more than six times as high as the rate in the largest cars.” Parents are encouraged to stick with midsize, sedan-type vehicles.
Why Are Their Rates SO High?
Well, let me provide a couple of examples from our agent, Kare's, two sons during the high-risk years. Simply put, their rates are so high because the risk is so high. How high? According to the IIHS, the risk of being involved in a crash per mile driven by 16 to 19-year-olds is FOUR times the risk of older drivers. This is partly due to lack of driving experience and partly due to lack of life experience. Part of maturity is realizing bad things can happen to you. We all know our teens tend to think they are invincible. Until one has actually experienced the loss of control, it’s hard to imagine the tremendous forces that can occur in even the smallest of accidents. Provided below are a couple of examples from our agent, Kare, that showcase her two son’s incidences during their high risk years.
Below is the sad end of 19-year old Arthur's VW Jetta. It was totalled on a Saturday night while he was driving on an Oakland highway.
Below is what 19-year-old John Grams did to his Grandmother's beloved, red
Lincoln while home from college on winter break. John is 27 now, but still living
this one down.
What Can a Parent Do to Keep Their Kids Safe?
What can a parent do? Personally, I took the time-worn route of nagging as much as possible. Additionally, in the year before each of my sons was to get his license I saved newspaper stories involving teen accidents for them to read. Unfortunately there was no lack of articles to save. It was truly shocking how many young people had been lost in wrecks during the year. The day before they took the driving test, I made both my boys sit down and read every one of those articles—to at least try to impress that it could happen to them. I don’t know if it helped, but it didn’t hurt. At least in their accidents (both cars totalled) no one was injured.
Even so, young people often don’t recognize the inherent danger in some situations and, well... accidents happen. As parents we can’t eliminate the risk, we can just reduce it—and that is basically what Insurance is all about. Reducing your risk is why we're here.
by Kare Grams