Safe Teen Driving Blog

Many parents view the licensure of their teen driver with some trepidation, not only because of concerns for their teen's safety but due to practical considerations such as the high cost of auto insurance for teen drivers. Luckily, one of the ways you can reduce the cost of your teen's insurance will also keep your teen safer - selecting a vehicle equipped with certain safety features.

Your insurance company may offer discounts for the following safety features. If not, it pays to shop around. Discounts for vehicle safety features vary widely among insurance companies.

Air Bags: Passenger and driver-side dual airbags are now required in all vehicles sold in the United States. Air bags must be used with safety belts for maximum effectiveness.

Head Injury Protection: This feature, which lessons the blow if your head hits the interior roof of your vehicle, has become standard in recent years. If you select an older vehicle for your teen, it may not have this safety feature.

Advanced Headrests: These systems allow the back of the seat and headrest to move down and back if the vehicle is hit from the rear, reducing the forward motion and thus decreasing the severity of head and neck injuries.

Automatic Daytime Running Lights: This feature makes it impossible for your teen to drive without headlights, making your teen's vehicle more visible when driving, even during daylight.

Anti-lock Brake System: This feature eliminates the need to "pump the brakes" when you have to stop quickly, preventing the wheels from locking up and the vehicle from skidding. ABS pumps the brakes for the driver; the driver keeps constant pressure on the brake pedal and concentrates on steering. This allows the driver to regain control in bad weather conditions or quickly avoid a crash.

Traction Control: While ABS helps drivers maintain control while braking, traction control helps them do so while accelerating. This feature stops the spinning of a wheel due to wet roads, loose gravel, or fast acceleration by braking it, reducing the fuel or cutting spark plug ignitions, depending on the type of system, which improves traction.

Electronic Stability System: This feature coordinates the ABS, Traction Control, and the "yaw" of your vehicle (how much the vehicle rocks side to side). The system reduces tire spinning, skidding, and tractionless cornering, keeping the vehicle's tires in maximum contact with the road.

Read more about how to lower your teens auto insurance rates through driver safety and driver education courses.

Labels: auto insurance, save, teen.driver

As with your own auto insurance rates, your teen's rates are comprised of several factors believed to determine the risk the insurance company takes when selling you a policy that covers your child. Unfortunately, teens fall into a high-risk category at once due to age - mile for mile, teenagers are involved in three times as many fatal crashes as all other drivers.

Since you can't do anything about your child's age, it's important to try to minimize the cost of your teen's insurance in ways you and your teen can control. First, make sure your teen understands the concept of auto insurance - how much it costs, what it covers, and what makes the premium increase or decrease. Ask your agent how much one traffic violation on your teen's driving record will raise your rates (usually two to three times) and explain the consequences of a traffic ticket to your teen. Make sure your teen understands that keeping premiums as low as possible is part of her or his family responsibilities.

Second, make sure your teen is driving a regular, safe vehicle - nothing fancy or high-powered, but nothing too old either. Older vehicles may not have safety features, which help keep your teen safe in a crash and also help you earn insurance discounts.

Third, continue driver instruction for your teen even after she or he is licensed. Learn the graduated driver licensing laws in your state and be sure your teen complies. Ride with your teen periodically to be sure she or he isn't slipping into bad driving habits. Monitor your teen's cell phone bill to make sure the teen isn't making calls or sending texts during times she or he is usually on the road.

Fourth, enroll your teen in driver education courses and treat these courses just as seriously as you do other aspects of your teen's life. Too many parents pass their attitude about driving courses on to their teens - that driver training is boring and time-consuming with little reward. Since driving is the leading cause of death for people up to age 34, it's the most dangerous thing your child will be doing for a long time. Teens are not mature enough to realize this independently, and will take their cues from you.

Labels: auto insurance, insurance rates, teen insurance