Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death in young people 15 to 20 years old. This same age range makes up 12% of fatal accidents, and 15% of all car crashes. These statistics translate into insurance companies classifying young drivers, especially teenagers, as high risk. The costs of adding a young driver to an insurance policy increases correspondingly.

Many teenagers are risky drivers because they don’t always think about their actions’ consequences. When late for school, the obvious decision is to go faster to get there sooner. When there are other people in the vehicle, they feel that they have to participate in conversation and activities, instead of paying attention to driving. Despite there now being laws against it, teenagers also talk on cell phones or text while driving 30% more than adult drivers do – and as many adults as we see perpetrating these things, this is a frightening fact.

Auto insurance is expensive for teenagers for good reason – it is because they are so inexperienced at driving. Teenagers simply have less experience behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. This causes the chances of an accident to go much higher. This cost can be a burden on parents who are trying to get their children insured, but coverage is necessary not only for the parents’ financial protection, but for the protection of other people on the road, as well. In spite of the cost of insurance, there are things that you can do to offset the expense.

One of the biggest problems that parents face with insuring teenagers, after the cost, is the possibility of a minor accident causing them to lose any discounts and no-claim benefits that they might have acquired on their own driving records. Having to make a claim after a teen’s fender-bender can wipe those benefits off the record. A great way around this is by getting a teenager temporary car insurance - you can find uk details at Finance 1. This will provide the protection of insurance without having to put a teen on the parents’ insurance policy. temporary car insurance typically lasts anywhere from a few days up to six months, allowing it to be renewed at that time.

Another good idea is parents driving with their teen as much as they can. This will help you to make sure your teenager is driving safely and can help to keep a teen from getting into an accident or receiving any speeding tickets in the first place. Tickets can have a big impact on insurance rates. Discussing the importance of safe driving and speed limits should become a regular occurrence – most parents know that a one-time talk isn’t enough, when it comes to teenagers.

Enrolling your teenager in a defensive driving course is an excellent idea. Defensive driving goes beyond simply teaching the mechanics of driving a car and drilling rules into a teen’s head. It reduces driving risks by teaching how to anticipate a dangerous situation whether because of the mistakes of others or because of other conditions around the driver. Anyone can take these courses, but they can be particularly useful for a teenage driver.