Teen Drivers and Auto Insurance

The 21st century teenager. Over the millennia, it has evolved into a creature of many curious habits.

Notice the speed in which its thumbs move across the keypad of its smartphone. Or how it will stand silently when asked by its parent about the events of its school day. It can even flawlessly execute a stunning roll of the eyes in order to communicate equal parts boredom and disgust.

But one skill the modern teen struggles to master is the practice of operating a motor vehicle. Because of this, auto insurance providers must try to mitigate their risk of paying out accident claims for teen boys and girls who are still trying to learn how to drive. These companies do this by charging significantly higher insurance premiums for teens than they would for typical adult drivers.

Teen Auto Insurance WILL Be Expensive

when a typical married couple adds a teenaged driver to their auto insurance policy, the total premium surges by an average of 79%. In other words, a couple who pays $1,000 for six months’ coverage would see that figure skyrocket to $1,790 after enrolling their teen for auto coverage.

It’s worse for boys than for girls, simply because statistics show that teen boys are involved in more collisions than their female peers. While the average 16-year old girl’s inclusion on her parents’ policy raises the combined rate by 67%, a boy of the same age added to the family policy typically results in a more drastic 92% increase.

These numbers underscore the importance of comparison shopping for auto insurance coverage for teenaged drivers. After all, it’s a major purchase much like a house, car, or large appliance; and in those cases, you wouldn’t simply buy the first product that you see, right?