Insuring a Teen Driver

Finding affordable car insurance offers for a teenage driver can be a challenge. Here are ten tips to help you keep your teen's auto insurance rates down.

1. Teach your teenager the rules of the road. You should familiarize yourself with traffic laws so you can teach them to your teenager and encourage compliance. A clean driving record is the secret to the most competitive car insurance offers.
2. Walk the talk. You can't expect your teenager to obey the speed limit and leave a safe following distance when you don't do it yourself. Set a good example when your teen is in the car by driving safely and in accordance with traffic laws.
3. Include your teenager on your policy. You will find much better car insurance offers if you include your teen on your existing policy rather than creating an independent policy for him/her.
4. Reward good grades. If your teenager has a good grade point average, you can save up to 10% on car insurance offers. Try passing on these savings to your teen as a reward for keeping his/her grades up.
5. Sign your teen up for driver's ed. Most insurance companies offer a discount for teenagers who have completed a recognized driver's education course. Your teen's school might offer such a class for free.
6. Avoid sporty models. Don't give your teen a fast and/or sporty vehicle. These cars are dangerous for teen drivers, and you will face less affordable car insurance offers. Instead, choose a safe car with plenty of safety equipment. Doing so might qualify you for certain discounts.
7. Get them involved. Explain to your teenager how much car insurance costs and how much you will save if he/she stays claim-free. You might even ask for your teen to share in the financial responsibility of paying for premiums to give him/her an incentive to stay safe.
8. Talk candidly about driving under the influence. It may be years before a teen caught driving under the influence can ever get reasonable car insurance offers again. More importantly, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol can be lethal to your teen and others. Make it clear that you have a zero-tolerance policy on impaired driving.
9. If your teen gets a ticket, opt for traffic school. If your teenage driver gets a ticket, encourage him/her to attend traffic school if given the option. Attending traffic school can sometimes remove the violation from your teen's record, thus preventing your car insurance offers from shooting up.
10. Drive with your teenager. Try riding with your teen on a regular basis to make sure they continue to practice safe driving habits. If you see your teen doing something unsafe, point it out.

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