Straight Talk - The Arnold Insurance Blog

Adding Your Teen Driver

Written by Marcus Harris | Jun 1, 2020 9:34:24 PM

It can be stressful when your teenager starts driving on their own for the first time. One of the ways that you can reduce your worry, is by making sure that they have the insurance they need. Often, you can add your teenager to your existing auto policy as long as they have their driver’s license or permit. In this case, your teen driver will have the same coverages and limits that you do on your policy. Although teen drivers will often drive less than adults, they are less experienced and therefore more likely to be in an accident. Here’s why it’s almost always more affordable and beneficial to add your teen driver to your existing policy, rather than putting them on their own stand-alone policy:

 

1. Cost

Your teenager will benefit from the savings that you’ve earned as an experienced driver with a clean driving record and an established insurability score.

2. Control

Since you already control and monitor the policy, you will be able to add and update coverages to make sure that your teen driver and their vehicle have the right protection.

3. Car Sharing

If your household has multiple vehicles, your teenager will be covered when driving your car and vice/versa if they are all on the same policy.

4. Convenience

You’ll only have to manage one policy and let’s be honest, that’s always helpful.

Is it ever more affordable for my teen to be on a separate auto policy?

It is very rare that this is the case. If you drive a luxury vehicle or an expensive sports car and your teen does not, it might be cheaper for your teen to be on their own policy.

How does coverage work for my teen driver?

If you add your teen driver to your policy, they’ll benefit from the same protection that you do:

  • All listed drivers will have access to all cars that are listed on the policy.

    • If you drive their car or they driver yours, you both will have coverage.

  • You share your liability limits.

    • Sometimes parents will raise their liability limits to compensate for the added risk of putting their teen on their policy.

  • Your teen benefits from your extra coverages.

    • If you have roadside or rental reimbursement, your teen driver will benefit from these coverages as well.

What is the average cost for teen car insurance?

By now you’ve probably heard that insuring your teen driver can be expensive. They are more likely to drive distracted, speed, or not wear a seatbelt. That risk is why you will generally see higher car insurance rates. The exact rate will ultimately be determined by age, zip code, driving history, gender and type of vehicle.

How Can I Get Discounts for my teenager?

  • Good student discount: B average or better and your young driver can ear a discount for good grades.

  • Multi-car: If your teenager is driving their own vehicle, you’ll receive a discount for adding another vehicle to your policy.

  • Teen driver: Some carriers will actually add a discount to your policy if your young driver is 18 years or older.

  • Telematics: Most carriers are offering a safe driving program that offers additional discounts and rewards good driving.

Will the rate drop when my teenage turns 18 or 21?

Depending on the carrier, rate can drop as much as 10% when a driver turns 18 and another 15% at 21. As your teenager becomes a more experienced driver and avoids tickets and accidents, the price for teen auto insurance should naturally keep going down.

Average Rates By Age

  
Chart provided by Progressive on personal autos from 1/17-6/17.

 

Source: Progressive