Probably one of the biggest days in a youth’s life is the day they are able to drive a vehicle on their own. As soon as a child blows out the candles on their sixteenth birthday cake they are eager to ditch the driver’s permit and run down and take their driving test to get their overprotective mom or dad out of the passenger seat. Once they pass the exam and the teen gets their driver’s license the first thing they want to do is jump behind the wheel and pack the vehicle with friends and head out to the local hot spot; this is usually the first taste that a youth has of being a grown up and some independence.  Unfortunately, there is one small matter that must be attended to before driving off, auto insurance.

A proud parent of a newly licensed driver is probably not as enthusiastic about paying for coverage because they are well aware that car insurance for 16 year olds can be quite expensive. There are many reasons for this, mainly because youthful motorists have little experience behind the wheel. With insurers, experience goes a long way and unfortunately teens do not show a past of being the most responsible while operating something as important as a vehicle. From a statistical standpoint, a sixteen year old is three times more likely to be involved in an accident than 18 and 19 year olds and teenagers as a whole are four times more likely than more mature drivers. Therefore, insurers will charge higher premiums to protect against a potential loss.

Tips to Affordable auto insurance for a 16 Year old

Although it may take a little extra time and effort to find affordable premiums for a newly licensed sixteen year old, getting these youths insured at a reasonable price can be done by evaluating a few options and diligently shopping around. Since these young drivers are considered to be associated with higher risks to insure, the most vital step to finding cheaper rates is to obtain as many quotes as possible from multiple companies. There are car insurance carriers that specialize in insuring high risk motorists and may be able to offer coverage at a rate that is lower than insurers who target a “standard” and “preferred” clientele base with lower risks. As these teenagers being shopping around they will quickly see the difference in prices from one company to the next based on the way the provider structures their pricing; therefore shopping around is extremely important in order to locate an affordable premium.

As teens shop around they should explore the option of being added on to a parent’s existing policy or even see if another company can offer a cheaper price if they are insured with their parents; by simply getting quotes from various companies with the parents on the policy and quotations for policies without parents they can see which option would be more cost effective. If the parent owns a high end or sports vehicle then the premium may skyrocket, but if they own a safe economical automobile then it should be cheaper than getting the teen insured on their own.

Discounts are also a great way to lower the cost of coverage; the Ohio Consumer Guide to Teenage auto insurance suggests that students should maintain good grades so that they can take advantage of the good student discount which can reduce premiums significantly and some insurers even offer discounts to youths who complete a recognized driver’s education course. Insuring a 16 year old can be expensive, but by doing a little homework and shopping around it can be done at a fair price.