Teen Driver insurance

Whether you currently have a teen in your house ready to drive or you’re just preparing for one to get their temps, the biggest concern on the minds of parents is “How much more is this going to cost?” And while the answer is invariably “more” there are some things to consider when a teen starts driving:

Explore adding the teen driver to your existing auto insurance policy rather than purchasing a separate policy for the teen. There are benefits of having other drivers and vehicles on the policy since most insurance companies will take an average of all of the household members when determining the new premium.

This can lessen the “sticker shock” associated with the premiums of teen drivers. Additionally, the teen will be covered for all of the autos in the household if you only have one policy for all of the drivers and vehicles.

Insurance companies know that adding a teen driver is expensive. So many of them have developed discounts specifically for young drivers to try to minimize the financial impact for parents.

Examples include Good Student discounts and certain Driver Safety Course discounts. Make sure you ask whether these discounts are available when making your insurance decision.

If you’re considering buying a car for your teen driver, whether it be new or used, look for vehicles with a suite of safety features. Discounts are often available for anti-lock brakes, traction control, anti-theft devices, and even On-Star or other monitoring services.

In most states, drivers with learner’s permits aren’t required to be listed separately on an insurance policy. So oftentimes you won’t need to add the teen to your policy until the youthful driver is fully licensed. But it’s best to check with your insurance company to confirm this.

The best way to find out when to add a teen driver is to ask a licensed agent in our office. We can assist you with adding the driver and provide you with some quotes from several of the top insurance companies.