A teen getting their driver’s license is cause for celebration—and nervousness. Even experienced drivers can get in a car crash, and a teenager’s lack of driving experience puts them at heightened risk for getting in an accident. Indeed, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in teens and young adults ages 15-24. Per mile driven, teen drivers are more than three times as likely to be involved in a fatal crash as drivers 20 and older. The leading causes of teen crashes and injuries are:
- Driver inexperience
- Driving with teen passengers
- Nighttime driving
- Not using seatbelts
- Distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Reckless driving
- Impaired driving
Because teen drivers present a greater risk for accidents than other drivers, their insurance premiums tend to be higher.
Do Teens Need Their Own Policy?
In the state of Arkansas, drivers must be 18 and older before they can have their own auto insurance policy. Therefore, adults must add their teen drivers to their own auto insurance policies. Adding a new driver to your policy is easy:
- Contact your insurance agent.
- Provide your teen’s driver’s license information and information on any new vehicles you may be adding.
- Take the time to talk through your policy changes, and be sure to ask about every possible discount available.
How To Reduce the Cost of Your Teen’s Insurance
Your insurance company likely has many discounts available to reduce the cost of your insurance. Some insurance companies aren’t exactly forthcoming about what discounts they offer, so it pays to be proactive. To that point, you can review the auto insurance discounts that we offer right here, including our good student discount. Many discounts will even stack, so ask about all of the discounts you may qualify for.
If you intend to add a vehicle to your plan for your teen to drive, a car with a high safety rating may be less expensive to insure. A car that is easier to repair is also less expensive, so take the time to do some research.
Check to see if your insurance company offers bundle policies like home and auto insurance to reduce your costs.
DriveDown
At Farm Bureau Insurance, we encourage our drivers to enroll in our DriveDown program. It not only helps our insureds save on their deductibles in the event of a claim but also helps them become safer drivers in the process. DriveDown enrollees connect their account to the free Routely App (available on Apple and Google Play), which runs on their phone in the background and uses your GPS to track your driving performance. Along the way, the app will offer advice on your driving to encourage better habits.
Insure Your Teen With Farm Bureau Insurance
Your teen driver needs a quality car insurance plan to adequately cover them in the event of an accident, as well as incredible customer service to help walk them through it. To learn more about the benefits of insuring with Farm Bureau Insurance, talk to a local agent.