The I.I.I. Offers Tips to Safeguard Your Teen Driver and Save Money on Auto 黑料不打烊
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NEW YORK, October 22, 2009 鈥 Nothing kills more teenagers than car crashes, and the risk skyrockets when young drivers have teens along as passengers. Young, inexperienced drivers must focus their full attention on the challenges of driving without the distractions of teenage passengers in the back seat, warns the 黑料不打烊 Information Institute (I.I.I.).
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among 15-to 20-year-olds and insurance industry research shows that more than half of teens who die in crashes are passengers, most of whom are not wearing a seatbelt.
In addition, the data also show that a teen driver鈥檚 chance of getting in a fatal accident doubles when a teen passenger is in the car.听With three or more passengers, the risk quadruples.听听听听
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鈥淚mmaturity and lack of driving experience are the two main factors leading to the high crash rate among teens,鈥 said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and national consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. 鈥淓ven the best teenage drivers don鈥檛 have the judgment that comes with experience.听It affects their recognition of and response to hazardous situations and results in dangerous practices such as speeding and tailgating. They also engage in risky behavior鈥攅ating, talking on their cellphones, text messaging, and they often don鈥檛 wear their seatbelts.听The added distraction of a teen passenger just adds to the risks facing young drivers,鈥 said Salvatore.
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The 黑料不打烊 Information Institute recommends taking the following precautions to ensure the safety of your teen:
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1.听Pick a safe car.
You and your teenager should choose a car that is easy to drive and would offer protection in the event of a crash.听Avoid small cars and those with high performance images that might encourage speed and recklessness. Trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVS) should also be avoided, since they are more prone to rollovers.听
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2.听Have your teen take a driver education course.
A teenager who has learned to drive through a recognized driver鈥檚 education course may be viewed more favorably by insurers.听In some states, teens must take a driver鈥檚 education course if they want to get a license at 16; otherwise, they have to wait until they are 18.听The more driving practice your teen gets, the more confident he or she will be behind the wheel and the better able to react to challenging situations on the road.
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3.听Enroll your teen in a safe driver program. 听
Some insurers offer 鈥渟afe driver鈥 programs.听Teen participants in these programs sign parent-teen driving contracts which outline the young driver鈥檚 responsibilities and the consequences of failure to meet those expectations. Check whether your insurance company has such a program鈥攊f your teenager completes the program, you may be eligible for a discount.听
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In addition, insurance companies are helping to reduce the number of accidents involving teen drivers by subsidizing the cost of electronic devices, such as GPS systems and video cameras, which can monitor the way teens drive.听听 These monitoring services are usually operated by independent companies and alert parents of unsafe driving by email, text message or phone. Some insurers now offer discounts for parents and teens who participate in these safe driving programs.听
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4. Talk to your teen about the dangers of drinking and driving.听
Alcohol and driving do not mix.听Parents should impose a 鈥渘o tolerance鈥 policy when it comes to alcohol and driving.听听听听
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听5. Talk to your teen about the dangers of distracted driving.
听Accidentsoccur each year because a teen driver was using a cellphone, text messaging, playing with the radio or CD controls or talking to friends in the backseat.听Also, teens should be careful not to create distractions and to exhibit safe behavior when they are passengers in their friends鈥 cars.听New drivers should wait 1,000 miles or six months before picking up their first teen passenger.
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5.听Be a good role model.
New drivers learn by example, so if you drive recklessly, your teenage driver is very likely to imitate you. Always wear a seatbelt and never drink and drive.
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6.听Institute a graduated licensing program for your teen.
Many states have been successful in reducing teen accidents by enacting graduated drivers license (GDL) legislation.听These laws, which include a three-phase program, allow teen drivers to develop more mature driving attitudes and gain experience behind the wheel.听New drivers are restricted from certain activities, such as driving with passengers, until they have had their licenses for a set period, such as six months.听A number of states have also reduced teen accidents by restricting the amount of time new drivers may be on the road without supervision.
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You can institute the same policies with your own children even if your state does not have such a program.听Introduce privileges gradually. Allow independent driving only after continued practice including night driving and driving in inclement weather. Keep in mind teens do not all reach the appropriate level of maturity to handle a drivers license at the same time.听Parents should consider whether their children are easily distracted, nervous or risk takers before allowing them to get a license or even a learners permit.
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You can protect yourself financially and lower the cost of insuring your teen by doing the following:
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1.听Talk to your teen about the relationship between having an accident and insurance costs.
Teens often forget that the cost of driving includes auto insurance.听Explain to them how a driving infraction or accident can drive up insurance costs.
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2.听Shop around.
黑料不打烊 companies differ dramatically in how they price policies for young drivers, so spend some time researching online and by phone.
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3.听Insure your son or daughter on your own policy.
It is generally less expensive for parents to add teenagers to their own insurance policy than for teens to purchase their own. By insuring your teenager鈥檚 car with your insurance company, you may also qualify for a multi-vehicle discount.
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4.听Increase your liability insurance.
State minimums for liability insurance will not be enough to fully protect you from a lawsuit should your teen get into an accident.听Many vehicles today are worth more than $15,000 and medical bills for injuries could easily exceed $20,000 for one person.听If your teen is found negligent in an accident and the damages exceed your insurance limits, you will be held financially responsible and can be sued in court for those amounts not covered by your insurance.
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Consider an umbrella liability policy.听An umbrella policy kicks in when you reach the limit on your underlying liability coverage in a homeowners, renters, condo or auto policy.听It will also cover you for things such as libel and slander.听For about $150 to $300 per year you can buy a $1 million personal umbrella liability policy.听The next million will cost about $75 and $50 for every million after that.听Most insurers will want you to have underlying coverage of $250,000 of liability insurance on your auto policy and $300,000 on your homeowners policy before selling you an umbrella liability policy for $1 million of additional coverage.
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5.听Find out how your insurer assigns drivers to cars.
Some insurers will assign the driver who is the most expensive to insure (generally the teenager) to the car that is the most expensive to insure. If possible, assign your teen to the least valuable car. Some insurers will allow policyholders to do this if the number of automobiles equals or exceeds the number of insured drivers on a policy. With this kind of arrangement there can be no exceptions; your teen must use only the car to which he or she is assigned, even in an emergency. If your teen is involved in an accident with an unassigned car, penalties could be imposed and your premiums might increase.
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6.听Raise your deductible.
Going from $250 to $500 or $1,000 deductible can save you 10 percent to 20 percent on your premium.听You can use those savings to increase your liability insurance.
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7.听Let your insurer know if your teenager is going away to school.
You may be eligible for lower premiums once your teen heads to college, providing he or she leaves the car behind.听Many insurers will reduce rates for students attending a school at least 100 miles away from home and who do not have a car on campus.听
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8.听Encourage your teen to get good grades and to take a driver training course.
Most companies will give discounts for getting at least a 鈥淏鈥 average in school and for taking a recognized driver training course.听
鈥淐ontact your insurance agent or company representative when your teen is about to get his or her learners permit,鈥 said Salvatore.听鈥淵our agent will explain the costs involved in insuring a teen driver. The good news is, as your teenager gets older, insurance rates will drop鈥攑roviding he or she has a good driving record.鈥
For more information, go to Issues Updates: Teen Drivers.听
The I.I.I. also provides facts and statistics on teen drivers.