Traumatized By Your New Teen Driver? Tips To Prevent Dangerous And Expensive Driving

As a parent, you most likely want to keep your child healthy and safe at all times. Unfortunately, when your child turns into a teenager, this can become more difficult. While it's an important rite of passage for your teen, having your child get a driver's license can be a stressful and expensive experience for you. With the cost of a vehicle, gas, and increased insurance premiums, the expenses can really add up. Considering your auto insurance premiums may double after adding your new teen driver to the policy, finding ways to save money is key. Using this guide, you can reduce the possibility of accidents, traffic violations, and further increases in your insurance policy.

Driving Smart

You and your teen's instructors should discuss the importance of driving smart for safety. However, your teen may not place much emphasis on learning safe-driving techniques. To protect your teen and prevent further increases to your insurance policy,  teach your new driver the following safe-driving tips:

  • Pack the Phone Away – Most teenagers have a smartphone, but it should be put away while driving. Unfortunately, your teen may slide their phone in a bag or an area in the vehicle, but it still may be accessible. Be sure your teen places their phone in the trunk of a car or the back of their vehicle to ensure they do not answer calls, send texts, or comment on their social media accounts while driving.
  • Controlling Speed – While surprising to hear, 25 percent of teens admit to driving over 85 mph. Speeding is not only dangerous to your teen and others on the road, but it is also a common traffic violation that results in expensive court costs and insurance increases. Be sure your teen always operates the vehicle under the posted speed limits.
  • Reducing Passengers – Your teen may feel a great deal of excitement after receiving their license. In many cases, they may want to pick up friends and celebrate. Unfortunately, multiple passengers can affect your teen's ability to drive safely. Socializing, playing music, and using mobile devices is problematic for one person, but it can be incredibly dangerous in a vehicle with multiple passengers. Allow your new teen driver to transport only one other person in the vehicle to ensure they remain safe.

Driving the Right Vehicle

Most teenagers dream of a fancy new sport's car or luxury automobile to celebrate their Sweet 16, but these vehicles are not only expensive to purchase, but also dangerous and costly to insure. If you plan on purchasing a new vehicle for your teen driver, consider a safe, reliable, and affordable vehicle. Use the following tips to prevent accidents, promote safe driving, and receive an affordable rate on your insurance premiums:

  • Age – Avoid buying a brand new car or SUV for your teen driver. New vehicles are not only more expensive to buy, but more expensive to repair if they have an accident.  Purchase a vehicle that is in the middle of its lifespan to save money and reduce costs.
  • Size – Many teens may ask for a large SUV or truck, but these full-size vehicles are more challenging to operate, maneuver, and maintain. A crossover vehicle is a great investment since it offers more space but is not difficult to drive compared to a larger SUV, which is why crossovers are the most affordable vehicles to insure.
  • Engine – It is also beneficial to purchase a vehicle with a standard 4-cylinder engine. Your teen may find a V6 or V8 engine more exciting to drive, which can increase the possibility of speeding, tickets, and accidents.

Your teen may find their new role as a licensed driver exciting, but instilling the importance of safety in their minds is imperative. Using these tips, you can reduce the risk of traffic violations, accidents, and insurance increases while ensuring your teen driver is safe. 

For more information about keeping insurance costs low, visit sites like http://www.unitedsecurityagency.com. 


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