As the last quarter of 2009 approaches, Center for Disease Control and prevention notes that road accidents remain as the primary cause of death for United States teenagers. The same is true two years ago, when 11 teens aged 16 to 19 die each day because of vehicle crashes. That is a total of 4,200 teens dying from crashes in 2007. That is why advocacy groups are calling out to parents to reach out to their kids and them how to save lives and money as well.
In the United States, teen drivers pay highest premiums, up to three times higher than senior motorists. But experts advise parents not to worry about their kid’s auto insurance cost since they can be trimmed down. Parents are advised to encourage their child in joining a driver’s education class, which teaches teens about road safety and crash avoidance.
Specialists say teens may enroll in any advanced driving class as long as it is approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles so they can avail discounts from their insurers.
Teenagers may also enroll in graduated driver licensing, a local government-backed program offered all over United States that aims at helping teens get firsthand experience behind the wheels. It also involves training courses for drivers 20 years old and below.
US Department of Transportation announced upon the commencement of National Teen Driver Safety Week, which started October 18, that parents can help reduce the chances of teens getting into accidents by 70 percent. Industry experts also say mom and dad can cut their teen’s car insurance rates down by adding them up to their policy.
Insurance Information Institute notes that premium rates for older drivers typically increase 50 to 100 percent when they add their kids. However, some specialists say this can be avoided through different ways.
One method they cite is by insuring young motorists in a non-primary driver status. This works best for families who have more people on their policy than cars on their garage. Parents are advised to delay their child’s new car and having those young motorists drive their own car. Teenagers who share cars with other members of the family are charged lower rates since they generally drive less often. he Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia reported this month that teenagers who drive their own car are twice more likely to engage in a motor vehicle crash.
Experts also say that parents who let their teens use their older vehicles may drop comprehensive and collision coverage since vehicle insurance costs could be higher than the car’s actual value.
