Cheapest Auto Insurance

Reader’s Question:

My daughter has been requesting for her own car for the longest time. I think that it is right about time to give her this since she has been a very good student these past years. My only problem is that the cheapest auto insurance rates are definitely not for teenage drivers. What should I do? I do not want to let my daughter down this time.

Carla

Trenton, NJ

It sure would be a disappointment to your daughter if you are not able to at least give her this reward for being such a good student in school for the past years. But I totally understand your case. Finding the cheapest auto insurance rates for teenage drivers shall prove to be a great challenge, especially since you live in a large city. No one can actually escape the fact that teenagers and people who reside in large cities are given sky-high auto insurance premiums.

Why? It is actually a matter of probability of getting into an accident.

Yearly, statistics show that most vehicular accidents have teenage drivers involved in one way or another. Whether the teenagers have a mere speeding ticket, or whether the teenage driver is at-fault in the accident or not, it does not matter. All of these just suggest some form of a pattern of recklessness on the teenagers’ part. On the other hand, people who reside in large cities are more exposed to vehicular accidents simply because there are more cars in cities than in rural areas.

Now, it may seem unfair to generalize all of the teenagers as reckless drivers. So, in order to give a solution to this problem, auto insurance companies offer various discounts that will surely turn the sky-high auto insurance premiums to the cheapest auto insurance rates.

First, a teenager must have good grades in school in order to avail of “good student” discounts. In the eyes of auto insurance providers, a teenager who can be responsible in school most probably can be responsible, as well, on the road. Second, it would also help if the teenager finishes driving courses that are offered in high schools and other local establishments. Driving skills are enhanced through driving courses, and at the same time traffic rules and regulations are taught to the driver, making him or her aware of the responsibilities that come with driving. Third, I would not suggest buying newer cars. They are not only more expensive to repair, but they are also more attractive to thieves. Older cars updated with safety features are better. They run slower than newer cars, making them less prone to accidents, whereas safety features translate to lower medical bills in the event of an accident. Lastly and most importantly of all, make sure that your daughter would never, never drive while intoxicated. A DUI offense would raise your daughter’s auto insurance premium, not to mention all the other consequences that come with it.