Teen drivers are notoriously more expensive to insure than other drivers. If your family has a teenager who is ready to start driving, and the time has come for you to consider adding the teen to your car insurance policy you’re going to want to think about a few different things in order to have affordable and adequate insurance coverage.
Is Adding a Teen to the Policy the Right Choice?
For some families, adding the teen to the same auto insurance policy is a good option. Though this will likely raise the cost of insurance for the entire family, it allows the family to get a discount by having multiple cars insured with one policy. However, there are times when it might make more sense for the teen to purchase their own insurance policy. Every family dynamic is different, family budgets are unique and driver needs can vary from family to family. Your local independent insurance agent can help you find the best solution if you are confused about all of the options available.
Look for More Than the Price in a Policy
Most people are naturally going to focus on the price when they’re looking for an Ohio car insurance plan. However, this is not all you should be looking into, coverage is an essential consideration with type and limits of insurance coverage you choose. It’s important to remember that there’s a higher chance a teen will be in an accident before they graduate from high school. In fact, around half of all teens will be in a car accident during the earlier portion of their driving history. Since there is such a high percentage chance a teen will have an accident, it may be worthwhile to pay a little more premium for an insurance policy that is going to be a better fit with more peace of mind until your teen is a more experienced driver.
Look Into Discounts that Are Available
Though the better insurance policy might cost a little more, if you are looking into car insurance in Ohio, you can check out discounts that might be available for your specific situation. This enables you to get a better policy but not spend a lot more money to insure your new teenage driver. Some of the discounts to look into include the following:
Safe Driving Discount – This discount may be available for teens who take driver’s education courses or other public safe-driving courses.
Discount for Good Grades – Students who have a B average or higher might be able to get a substantial discount for having good grades. They’ll need to keep their grades above the minimum to continue receiving the discount.
Older Vehicle Discount – Newer vehicles cost more to insure. If the teen is driving an older vehicle, they may not want as much coverage. This can lead to significant savings for the family. Check into going without Comprehensive or Collision coverage.
If you have a teen in your family who will begin driving soon, it’s time to start looking at your insurance policy and how much it might cost to add your teenager to the policy. Use the tips here when you’re shopping for car insurance.
