If you are looking for cheap car insurance for a 16 year old boy, you might be frustrated to learn that there really is no such thing as cheap auto insurance for kids. You see, drivers under the age of 25 cause the majority of accidents in every state in the country.
According to FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System), males cause twice as many of those accidents as their female counterparts. So much for all those “women driver” jokes!
What all this boils down to is that insurance companies consider 16 year old males a high risk factor, which makes their insurance costs much higher than an experienced male driver with a clean driving record would pay.
The news isn’t all bad, however. Although you will pay higher costs, there are ways for you to save money. By reading through this article, you can learn how you can save money on auto insurance for your teen.
After reading though this article then be sure to take advantage of the #1 thing that you can do to find cheap 16 year car insurance rates (or car insurance rates for anyone of any age) and that is to shop around. Enter your zip into the free tool on this page to get free car insurance quotes!
The Best Car for a 16 Year Old Boy
The first thing that you need to consider when you have a teen driver is the vehicle that they are going to drive. If you have a newer vehicle that is financed, then adding your teen son to your insurance is going to cause your rates to skyrocket. In addition, the higher the value of the vehicle the more expensive the insurance is going to be on that vehicle, especially if you add a teen to your policy.
Consider purchasing a vehicle for your teen that doesn’t require financing. No, we aren’t suggesting that you purchase a clunker that bellows out smoke and is an embarrassment for your teen. Instead, choose a later model vehicle that still has modern safety features such as anti lock breaks, air bags, and possibly an alarm. If you purchase a vehicle that doesn’t have a lot of value then the insurance is going to be lower. One with safety features will qualify for more discounts, thus reducing the insurance costs.
In addition, there are certain types of vehicles that insurance companies consider to be a higher risk for teen drivers, such as SUVs. Because SUVs are so big and heavy, the risk of having one overturn is higher than on other vehicle types. Teens, who are inexperienced to say the least, tend to overcompensate when driving SUVs, which causes more accidents. In addition, vehicles that are too small are just as risky because the risk of death is higher in a serious auto accident. You should consider vehicles that are medium in size, have four doors and have a smaller engine. An insurance company will take all of these things into consideration when writing an insurance policy for a teen driver.
Safety Features for Teen Drivers
Not only is a driver’s education course an excellent way for your child to learn how to drive, but many insurance companies offer discounts for teen drivers that take driver’s ed. In addition, many insurance companies offer discounts to drivers that take defensive driving courses as well. Most high schools offer driver’s education courses for credit, which means that you don’t have to pay for it and it counts as part of their education. These classes have a tendency to fill up fast so enrolling your teen when they get their learner’s permit is a good idea.
Of course, if your child can’t get into a class at school then you have the option of paying for driving lessons. These lessons can range in price from $150 to $500 depending on where you live and how long the course lasts and whether you choose in classroom only or both classroom and actual driving courses. Make sure that the course is certified by your state or it will be a waste of money.
Some insurance companies will offer discounts if your teen driver keeps their learner’s permit longer so that they can get more driving experience with an adult present. Many states are requiring that teens log a certain amount of hours driving before they can get their regular driver’s license. These laws have helped to reduce the amount of teen related auto accidents because teen drivers have more driving time, which means more experience driving.
Many teens copy their parents who often drive while smoking, talking on a cell phone, eating, fiddling with the radio and waving their hands around expressively while talking to the passengers. Teach your kids safety by example. If you have bad driving habits, talk to your teen about them and then demonstrate your commitment to safety by driving the same way you want your teen to drive.
Extra Discounts and Lower Prices
Every insurance company offers some sort of discounts to their drivers, but they don’t all offer the same discounts. When shopping for auto insurance, choose a company that offers more discounts that apply to your situation. If you are buying a vehicle for your teen to drive then choose a company that offers discounts for having multiple policies with them. In addition, many insurance companies offer discounts to students with a good GPA. You may want to consider making good grades as one of the conditions for your teen to drive.
In addition to shopping around for discounts, you also want to shop around for lower prices. This means that you will want to get quotes from more than one company. What’s more, even if you already have insurance with a company you like, you shouldn’t assume that they are going to give you the best rates when you add your son. Many insurance companies increase your rates by 100% the minute you add a teen to your policy. This means if you are paying $80 a month you could end up paying $160 a month or even more.
Finding the Cheapest Teenage Boy Car Insurance Quotes
Getting quotes from multiple companies is easy with our free quote tool. Using a quote tool eliminates the need to visit multiple sites to get the quotes you need. In addition, you can see the quotes side by side when you use our quote tool. What’s more, you can get the information that you need to make an informed choice about your auto insurance without having to spend 10 to 15 minutes filling out forms on each site, which is what would happen if you tried to visit multiple sites for independent auto insurance quotes.
Using our quote tool also takes the guesswork out of determining what insurance companies sell insurance in your state. It’s pretty frustrating to visit an insurance website only to learn that the insurance company doesn’t even offer insurance in your state. When you enter your zip code in our quote tool you get results for companies that are licensed to sell auto insurance in your state.
The decision is easy and so is the process. Just enter in your zip code to find the most competitive car insurance rates for your teenage boy today!
