There are many things to consider, but first and foremost, you’ll want affordable car insurance for your young driver that is going to offer some protection for them, as well as you.
For young people, driving can often feel both exhilarating and frustrating. It is exhilarating because driving offers a sense of freedom and mobility. It is frustrating because the world of automobiles is full of confusing elements and rules.
One of those elements is most definitely auto insurance. It is difficult for any driver to figure out exactly how much insurance coverage they need. If you are a young driver or helping a young driver get car insurance, that question is even harder to answer.
That’s where we come in. Our guide will help you discover which car insurance is best for young drivers, as well as how to save money on the monthly premium!
Why Do Young Drivers Pay So Much for Insurance?
If you’re reading this, chances are you have discovered just how expensive it is for young drivers to get car insurance. Before we go any further, we need to answer the big question: Just why do young drivers have to pay so much for car insurance?
There are several reasons why it’s difficult to get cheap car insurance for young drivers, and they are all related. It all comes down to how much risk the insurance company feels it is taking by insuring a young and less seasoned driver.
First, young drivers are inexperienced, making them likelier to get into car accidents. Second, young drivers are likelier to engage in risky driving behavior. Statistics back this up.
In terms of numbers, the CDC calculated that in 2019 an average of seven teens died each day due to automobile crashes and hundreds more were injured. Insurance carriers would lose a lot of money if they offered cheap coverage to the people who are likeliest to get into a car accident. Fortunately, there are a few different ways you may be able to lower your monthly premium if you are a young driver!
Understanding Types of Coverage
The easiest way to lower or raise your premium is to change how much car insurance coverage you have. Do you know what these types of coverage are and why each one is important? While there are other types of insurance you can add, the three main types of insurance are liability, collision, and comprehensive.
In an at-fault state, liability pays only for damage that you have caused another driver when you are determined to be the cause of the accident. In a no-fault state, no matter who is at fault, your liability pays for only your own damages.
Depending on the state you live in, liability is typically the basic legally-required insurance you must carry. Some states require additional forms of coverage, such as Personal Injury Protection (PIP) designed to pay for your medical bills and uninsured/underinsured coverage to protect you against drivers who cause an accident and are not carrying any or an insufficient amount of car insurance.
Collision pays only for damage to your car. Comprehensive insurance covers many things that can happen to your vehicle when you aren’t driving (including theft and vandalism).
If you have all three types of coverage, this is known as “full coverage.” This offers serious protection, but it also increases your bill. Young drivers – and their parents – must eventually strike a balance in how much coverage they need and how much they want to pay. Talk to your agent about the benefits of a family plan.
Take note that your protection is only up to the amount you have chosen on your policy. In other words, if you are in an accident and your medical bills are greater than the $25,000 your policy covers, you may be paying the remainder out of pocket.
Never Get Liability Only
At this point, you might think that the math is very simple. If having more than one type of coverage adds to the bill, then you can keep costs low by only getting the minimum insurance coverage, right? In most cases, that means only getting liability coverage.
In terms of the monthly bill, it’s true: Having only liability coverage will lead to the lowest possible bill. But this could end up being very expensive if you or your young driver gets in a wreck!
Keep in mind that the state-required liability coverage only pays a minimal amount for medical and property damages. In most states, that means it will pay to fix damage to other vehicles but not your own. If you are at fault for an accident, having liability only will not repair or replace your vehicle. If the wreck is bad enough, you may end up with no vehicle at all.
Our advice? Young drivers should have both liability and collision coverage, at the least. This makes sure you can get your vehicle repaired or replaced regardless of who was at fault.
Your Age and Your Car Matter
Many young people get annoyed when their parents suggest older, safer cars as a first vehicle. Left to their own devices, most young people would like to drive something sleek and sporty. But this is one of those cases where mom and dad were right!
Car insurance carriers are already factoring your age into how much you pay. Generally, teenage drivers pay the most for car insurance, though that price will naturally lower as you get older.
While you can’t change how old you are, you can change what you drive. Insurance carriers pay attention to which types of vehicles are involved in accidents more often. So driving around an old “beater” of a car may not be very exciting, but it may be a good way to keep your monthly bill down.
Explore Special Discounts for Young Drivers
Speaking of keeping your bill down, what if lowering your bill was as easy as picking up your phone?
Every insurance carrier offers special discounts to drivers. These discounts are based on certain driver behaviors and groups. Best of all, you may already qualify!
For example, many carriers offer a good student discount. If you typically maintain a high GPA, then letting your insurance company know about it could save you money each year.
Carriers typically offer safe driving discounts, as well. If you’ve been driving for a while and kept a clean driving record, then you may qualify for this. You can usually receive another discount if you’re willing to take a safe driving course.
There are many other discounts available, and that means you may already qualify for plenty of different ways to save money. But you won’t know which discounts are available until you call the carrier. And for that matter, you should compare by exploring quotes and discounts from a variety of different carriers.
Get the Best Car Insurance for Young Drivers Today
Now you know everything young drivers need to know to get the best coverage at an affordable price. But do you know which carrier is ready to offer that to you, here and now?
Freeway Insurance helps drivers of all ages get the coverage they deserve. To make things easy for you, Freeway Insurance can quickly and easily provide you with an online quote. Feel free to give us a call at (800) 777-5620 or visit us at an office near you.
