Auto Insurance Hikes AKA Your New Teen Driver

Auto Insurance Hikes AKA Your New Teen Driver

One of the best things about being a teenager is that you are experiencing life for the first time and are exercising the freedom that goes along with your age.  One of the worst things about being a teenager is your inexperience.

Teenage drivers can be careless, reckless, and dangerous on the road.  Though people aged 15-24 account for 14% of the US population, male drivers this age are responsible for 30% of the cost of motor vehicle injuries ($19 billion).  Female drivers of the same age group accounted for 28% ($17 billion).

In fact in 2008, 3,500 teens were killed in crashes, and 350,000 had to be treated in emergency departments for injuries caused by an accident.

So how do you keep your teen safe while giving him the freedom he craves?  Here are some statistics and tips that can help you decide what limits and restrictions he should adhere to when on the road.

10 Deadliest States for Teens who Drive

Some states are more dangerous for teenaged drivers than others.  The top ten deadliest states between 2003 and 2008 are:

10. New York (1,412 deaths)

9. Missouri (1,428 deaths)

8. Illinois (1,463 deaths)

7. Ohio (1,542 deaths)

6. Pennsylvania (1,780 deaths)

5. North Carolina (1,818 deaths)

4. Georgia (1,825 deaths)

3. Florida (3,659 deaths)

2. Texas (4,219 deaths)

1. California (4,486 deaths)

Statistics for Teenaged Driving

Several statistics have been compiled regarding teenaged drivers.  For instance, did you know that two-thirds of teens killed in an auto accident were males?

Of all teenage passenger deaths in 2008, 63% occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.  19% of all passenger deaths involved teen driving, and 81% of teen crash deaths were in a passenger vehicle.

Those drivers who are sixteen years old have the highest crash rate of any other age group and are three times more likely to die in an accident than the average of all drivers.

The leading cause of death for those ages 15-20 is a car accident.  12% of fatal crashes involved a person of this age group, and 14% of them were involved in a police reported accident.

In fact, 2,739 died in 2008, which is down 13.7% from 2007 and down 20.2% from 1998.  About 5,864 of this age group were involved in a fatal crash in 2008.  That is down 16.0% in 2007 and down 26.6% from 7,987 in 1998.

And the stats continue to get grimmer.

According to the National Traffic Safety Administration and the National Center for Statistics and Analysis, 37% of males 15-20 were speeding when involved in a fatal crash.

55% of 16 to 20 year olds killed in an accident did not have their seatbelts on at the time of the crash.  31% of all 15 to 20 year olds had been drinking when killed, and 25% of them were alcohol impaired, meaning they had 0.08 grams per deciliter or more of alcohol in their blood at the time.

Some good news is that in Colorado, where graduated drivers license programs have been introduced, things are getting better. In 2007, they had a 34% decrease in teens killed in an accident compared to 2006.  The number was down 60% when compared to 2002.

In addition, it is estimated that since 1875, the establishment of a minimum drinking age has saved approximately 24,560 lives.

Driving Distractions

One of the most dangerous things a teenager, or any driver for that matter, can do is drive while distracted.  A total of 900 teenagers from 26 high schools were surveyed and rated the most distracting activities.

The following were rated “extremely” or “very” distracting:

• Text messaging or Instant Messaging while driving- 37%
• The emotional state of the teen driver- 20%
• Several friends in the car-19%
• Talking on a cell phone while driving-14%
• Eating or Drinking- 7%
• One friend in the car- 5%
• Listening to music- 4%

When Teaching a Teen to Drive, Do . . .

As parents of a teen getting ready to get on the road, you should do all you can to help prepare him for the road.

So when teaching them to drive . . .

1.  . . . Set limits.  Driving can be dangerous at night.  Give them some limits for driving at night until they have some experience behind the wheel.

2.  . . . Require 10 hours of driving before he takes the test.

3.  . . . Write a contract and have him sign it.  This will make it clear what he can and cannot do and what you expect from him now that he has this responsibility.

4.  . . . Hire a driving school to teach him to drive for the first time.  You may be able to get a discount on your new insurance rate.

Don’t . . .

While there are some things you should definitely do, there are others that you should not do when teaching a teenager how to drive.

Don’t . . .

1.  . . . Scare them.  As scary as they may be behind the wheel, try to stay calm.  If they sense confidence and security from you, they will be more confident and secure on the road.

2.  . . . Take them on the road the first time out.  Transition slowly.  Try to find a driving school or take them to a nice, large, empty parking lot.

3. . . . Let them learn from friends.  Not only can they pick up bad habits, but most states require a driver with a permit to be in the car with a driver who has held their license for at least a year.

4.  . . . Set a bad example.  Drive the way you want them to drive.  Follow all the rules of the road and show them how a good driver drives.  That means no cell phones, please.