I like to think of myself as someone who beats the system while playing by the rules. That’s why I love to blog! But when it comes to car insurance, there’s precious little room for negotiating — especially for people under 25.
While age is the most important factor, gender is also a major factor in the states that allow it to be considered (Connecticut and New York allow companies to consider gender). Female drivers below the age of 25 tend to have lower rates than male drivers of the same age. No matter the gender, that age group is fairly risky to insure both because of their lack of experience and some terrible, terrible decision making as shown below:
- 39% of teens report texting or emailing while driving.
- Speeding was a factor in 28% of all fatal crashes that involved teen drivers.
- 43% of high school students admit to not always wearing a seatbelt.
- 17% of high school students reported riding with a driver who had been drinking.
- Teens are more likely than older drivers to speed and allow shorter headways (the distance from the front of one vehicle to the front of the next).
- Michigan is the most dangerous state for teen drivers and has the third-highest monthly insurance premium for teens in the country. Conversely, Hawaii is the safest state for teen driving.
The most disturbing figure was that — per mile driven — teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers aged 20 and older. It’s enough to make you want to buy all the cars and sink them near Titanic. If that’s not practical, there’s always education — home-spun lessons from you and formal classes from a driver’s education school. At JHA, we can help your kid study for the tests about signs, etc. — and maybe even the driving test, depending on what the lawyer says.
For more information, contact us.
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