What To Expect When Updating Your Auto Policy
The day has finally come; your teen has gotten their learners permit or actual driver’s license. Before letting them behind the wheel, it’s important to ensure that they are covered by an auto insurance policy. Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion surrounding insurance for teens, and a lot of parents are concerned as to how adding their teen driver will affect their monthly premiums.
Your Auto Insurance Rates Will Go Up, So Plan Ahead
In the auto insurance industry, the entire pricing platform is based around risks and statistics. Using sophisticated algorithms, your insurer has evaluated how likely you are to file an insurance claim. Drivers who are statistically more likely to file a claim, such as those who have a less-than-perfect driving record, or who own a car that is more likely to be stolen, will pay a higher insurance premium. Experienced married drivers with clean driving records and good credit living in neighborhoods with fewer accidents driving vehicles with high safety ratings will generally enjoy the lowest premiums. It’s just math.
Statistically speaking, young drivers are the riskiest group on the road. Studies have shown that they’re more likely to exhibit dangerous behavior like speeding or texting while behind the wheel. Even the most responsible young drivers often simply lack the experience necessary to recognize dangerous situations and to make a swift judgment call to avoid causing an accident. With the combination of being more likely to exhibit risky behavior and a lack of experience, it’s no surprise that teen drivers aren’t cheap to insure.
There’s Good News
Fortunately, there are a few measures you can take to reduce, or at least offset, the expense of adding a teen driver to your policy.
Ask About Good Student Discount
Good Student discounts can take a big sting out of that higher premium. In fact, you may be able to see a discount as high as 25 percent if your high school or college student maintains at least a B average. Requirements and discounts vary widely by insurance company, and your auto insurance agent can help you know whether your household qualifies for this discount.
Know Where to Cut Corners
If your child has their own vehicle that’s only worth a few hundred dollars, then it’s probably in your best interest to forgo collision and comprehensive coverage. Because it would likely only take a mild accident to total the vehicle, paying for that coverage may not make sense. Just don’t skimp on liability insurance; because an accident that your teen is responsible for could result in tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in damages to the other driver, you should carry the best liability coverage that you can afford.
Raise Your Deductibles
If your teen is not driving an older vehicle, and you want to make sure the vehicle is covered with comprehensive and collision on your policy (this fixes your vehicle), you could consider a higher deductible, because higher deductibles on a policy are less likely to file claims, they generally have lower premiums than policyholders with lower deductibles. Just be sure that you don’t raise your deductible higher than you could afford at any given time. If you or your teen did get into an accident and your vehicle required an expensive repair, you would not be able to get your vehicle back from the shop until you paid your deductible.
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Show Them How to Drive Correctly
Teaching Someone How to Drive
Learning to drive can be daunting for anyone. As the teacher, you have the responsibility of not only helping the person you are teaching pass their driving test but also ensuring they gain the knowledge and experience needed to navigate the roads safely. If you are teaching your child or a friend to drive, being prepared and knowing what to expect can make the process more effective.
Before You Begin
Before you and your student get in the car, make sure that you have the legal requirements necessary to teach someone to drive. In most cases, you must hold a driver’s license for at least two years. It is also important to ensure that your auto insurance policy is current and covers learner drivers. If you are not sure what your auto insurance policy covers, talk to your auto insurance agent.
Making a Lesson Plan
To make sure that the person you are teaching is prepared to handle different situations, it is a good idea to sit down and make a lesson plan. For someone who is new to driving, there is a lot of information to absorb, so keep lessons brief and focus on one or two skills at a time. Some things to cover in your lessons include:
- Information about the car itself, including what the mirrors are for and how to adjust them, lights, blinkers, controls and diagnostics
- Rules about changing lanes, turning on red and determining right-of-way
- How to be a courteous driver and what to do if pulled over by law enforcement
- Driving in large, empty parking lots or quiet, low-traffic streets to get a feel for the car
- Driving at higher speeds on the highway and learning to merge into lanes
- Driving on steep hills or in bad weather, such as heavy rain or high wind
Things to Keep in Mind
As the learner is driving, encourage them to narrate what they are doing as they drive and how they are avoiding potential risks. Early on, it may be helpful to ask the driver questions about how they will handle upcoming situations such as a lane ending or how to turn left at a green light.
Throughout the lesson, it is important to monitor the new driver’s reactions. If they are gripping the wheel tightly, holding their breath or breathing heavily, are wide-eyed or become irritable, that may be a sign that it is time to take a break.
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Professional Driver Education + Discounts
Taking driving lessons is one of the best ways for teen drivers to learn, and as a bonus, to get a discount on their automobile insurance. Many insurance companies offer discounts for teen drivers that take driving lessons from a DMV licensed driving school. Insurance companies usually require the teen driver to complete at least 6 hours of driving lessons with a professional driving instructor.
Auto Insurance With A Learners Permit?
Coverage Under Parents Auto Insurance Policy
So your child has finally achieved the legal right to drive a motor vehicle and can’t wait to get behind the wheel. Congratulations! Though they aren’t fully licensed, drivers with learner’s permits are still required to be insured when on the road. It is against the law to drive without proper auto insurance coverage anywhere in the streets of Nevada.
You don’t need to apply for their own auto insurance policy unless they’re driving their own car, in which case you as the parent will need to sign on the policy if they are under 18 years of age. If they are driving a parents’ car, they will be insured under the parent’s insurance policy. It isn’t so automatic, though, as some car insurance companies require anyone old enough to drive and living in the household to be added to the policy as an included driver.
Learners Permit Auto Insurance Policies
Car insurance is not something you should be making assumptions about. Even if some insurance companies will extend coverage for permitted drivers under the parents’ policy without being informed of the situation, it’s always prudent to inform the auto insurance company that a child will be driving the parent’s’ car.
While your child is learning to drive, you’ll want to make sure they have been added to the policy as an included driver. If you assume they are covered, and it turns out they aren’t, you can run the risk of having a claim denied if they are in an accident and are the at-fault party. Sometimes, the auto insurance company will increase your comprehensive and collision deductibles to $5000 if your child goes from being a permitted driver to a licensed driver, without being added to your policy!
Adding a Driver with Learners Permit to Your Auto Insurance Policy
A lot of parents/guardians are usually concerned as to how adding their teen drivers will affect their auto insurance premiums. In most cases, automobile insurance policies will automatically cover your teen driver without additional charges until the new driver gets an official license. That said, it’s so important to check with your insurance company to be certain if that’s the case. All Nevada licensed driver MUST have liability insurance coverage at a minimum.
Auto Insurance Coverage for Teenage Drivers
Statistically speaking, young drivers are perceived to be a risky lot, as seen from the disproportionate number of accidents caused mainly due to dangerous behavior like speeding and texting. Even the most responsible young drivers often lack the experience needed to make a swift judgment call when faced with dangerous situations. So, with risky behaviors coupled with a lack of experience, it’s no surprise that teen drivers aren’t cheap to insure. Being added to your auto insurance policy is costly, but it’s usually more affordable than getting a policy of their own. Costly or not, young drivers need to be on a policy.
Keeping Your Teen Safe on the Road
The 100 Deadliest Days for Teen Drivers
The 100-day period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is notoriously dangerous for young drivers. School is out and teen drivers spend more time behind the wheel, and unfortunately, the combination of inexperience and bad driving behaviors can be deadly. In fact, one report indicates that teen drivers are three times more likely to be involved in a deadly accident than older drivers.
While it may be tempting to lock your teen up to limit the time they spend on the road, gaining valuable experience is among the best defenses against careless and costly mistakes. Instead, it is important to model good driving behaviors and help them understand the biggest culprits behind crashes.
The Top Three Factors Behind Fatal Crashes for Teen Drivers
As teen drivers spend more time on the road during their summer break, it is a good time to remind them how to stay safe behind the wheel.
Driving with Distractions
Distractions are the biggest danger for drivers of all ages, particularly for those who are less experienced and tend to have slower response times. Smartphone use, including answering calls, reading, or sending texts and looking at the GPS, is the biggest culprit behind distracted driving. Even hands-free methods of answering calls and texts can pull their attention from the road and should be used sparingly. However, interacting with other passengers in the vehicle can also be a big distraction that pulls your teen driver’s attention away from the road.
Remind your teen of the importance of minimizing distractions when driving. Encourage them to pull over to make phone calls or answer texts and consider limiting the number of passengers in their vehicle.
Forgetting to Buckle Up
Seat belt use is one of the simplest and most effective ways to save lives and cut down on injuries in car accidents. About 75% of those ejected from a vehicle in a collision die from their injuries. Seat belts help ensure that the driver and their passengers are secured in the event of an accident and should be used on every trip, regardless of how far or how fast the vehicle is going.
Ignoring Posted Speed Limits
Among crashes that were caused by a teen driver error, about one in five were due to driving too fast. Helping your teen driver to remember to follow posted speed limits, drive appropriately in certain weather and road conditions and give themselves plenty of stopping distance can help reduce accidents.
Nevada Insurance Enrollment Can Help You Find Discounts
Under Nevada law, parents are liable for the negligence of a newly licensed minor if they signed for them to obtain a driver’s license. As a leading insurance agency in Las Vegas, Nevada, we can help you get the best auto insurance coverage that guarantees you’re well protected as a family. Being a local agency, we have a working knowledge of the plans offered and can help you choose the auto insurance coverage that suits your needs.
If your teen driver practices good driving habits, has taken a driver education course and has good grades, you may be able to save money on your auto insurance. Many companies reward safe drivers, including young drivers who tend to cost more to insure. Talking to an auto insurance agent at Nevada Insurance Enrollment can help you identify discounts that you qualify for and find the best auto insurance policy for your household’s needs.
Contact us today and speak to one of our licensed, friendly and knowledgeable auto insurance agents.
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