Teen Driver Safety
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention has a great resource for teen drivers in their motor vehicle safety section.
The statistics are alarming: In 2010 seven teens died daily from motor vehicle injuries. Seven. Teen drivers were found to be three times more likely to be in a fatal crash than drivers 20 years of age and older. Vehicle death rates for male teen drivers were almost twice that of female teen drivers.
Surprisingly, even though teens cannot legally purchase or consume alcohol, the rate of involvement of alcohol in motor vehicle crashes for teen drivers was higher than older drivers.
Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt usage than any other age group. Only 54% of teens report always using a seat belt.
Teens start off with the highest insurance rates of all drivers (before considering accidents, traffic tickets, etc…). A single traffic incident can make a teen driver almost impossible to insure. The lack of experience on the road, behind the wheel makes all the difference. Combine that with bad decisions and it is easy to see why teen drivers have such high accident, injury and death rates.
How To Shop For Car Insurance – Tips from Smart Money
Over at Smart Money, they published a guide back in 2011 with advice for how to shop for car insurance. Some of the key points of the article:
Determine what sort of policy will suit your situation.
Sort out the different parts of the coverage to see what you really need and where you can find savings. Create a list of companies. Not every insurance carrier is licensed in every state, so you need to find out the which carriers can cover you and you car in your state. Here at OnlineCheapInsurance.com, we generate a list of A.M. Best nationally rated insurance carriers who offer quality insurance coverage at great prices in your area. All you need is your zip code to see the list of top rated insurers for your area.
Compare companies
Prices vary between carriers, but it is important to compare coverages, premium and terms to make sure you understand the different offerings. Pick more than one insurance company to get your quote from. Three quotes is a good start, but more comparison is better.
Find places to save
Once you have a quote on coverage, try to find ways to save even more. Raise your deductible to see what difference it can make on your premium. Do you need towing or rental coverage? Try dropping one or both from your quote to determine if it can make an impact on your rate. If you have an older car, it may save significant dollars to reduce the level coverage on it.
What not to do when shopping for car insurance
Don’t get *cheap* coverage – you want a cheap premium, not a cheap policy! Don’t wait for discounts, ask for them. A pretty good tip here is don’t buy a car, then shop for your coverage. Compare coverage costs for different models of cars before you even hit the car lot.