The time you have long dreaded has come. Your little baby is turning 16 years old and thinks that he is ready for that modern transition from childhood to freedom and adulthood—He wants to get his driver’s license and a car of his own.

While you may be excited and terrified in equal parts to see your child on the road, here are some things you may want to consider before you give your child that all important little card.

Teen Driving Statistics

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen (17-20 years of age) death in the United States. An average of 6,000 teens die and another 300,000 are injured annually across the nation. Teens crash for many reasons, but the most common are overconfidence, speeding, impaired driving, distraction and inexperience. In addition, seat belt use among teens is the lowest of any age group on the road.

Across the US, teens are involved in an average of 15% of accident. Recent statistics show that automobile accidents are to blame for 70% of teen deaths in America but account for only 2% of deaths overall. Although there are many reasons why teens are more susceptible to auto accidents some reasons include speeding, distraction, fatigue, inexperience and lack of seat belt use.

Driver Education

In fact, because of the high death toll involved with teen driving, many states have already enacting Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) laws.

Graduated Driver Licensing introduces teenage drivers to the road in stages, over an extended period of time and in an environment that minimizes risk. First is the Permit Phase where the teen practices with supervision. Next is the Provisional or Probationary Phase where the teen is allowed independent driving with restrictions. Only after successfully completing both phases will the teen be granted full driving privileges. As your teen learns this new and important skill, practice is very important. As a parent or guardian of a new driver, spend as much time as possible helping and teaching your teen good driving habits.

Many states have restrictive laws that go along with having a GDL license, such as:

• May not drive between midnight and 5:00am
• May not have more than one passenger in the car who is under 21 and not an immediate family member
• May not use a cell phone (including hands free), or any other hand held electronic device
• Driver and ALL passengers must wear seat belts

These laws may vary a bit by state but are now becoming extremely common.  In most states with GDL laws, your child must complete at least 6 months of driving, and be at least 16 years of age, before they can apply for a standard Auburn driver’s license with no restrictions.

Auburn Fraud Laws and Auto Insurance

In regard to your auto insurance policy, it is important to know what to expect when you add a teenage driver to your policy. Since statistics show that new teenage drivers are more likely to have an accident than a typical driver, the insurance premium on a teenage driver is typically much higher.

While many parents are tempted to “forget” to add their child onto their auto policy because they do not want to pay the added cost, the State of Auburn has certain fraud laws that allow an insurance company to deny a claim in the event that the driver is an undisclosed household operator. In addition, you could be fined by the Attorney General for thousands of dollars.

Insurance-Friendly Cars For Teens

As you address the issue of buying your new driver a car of their own, here are some tips in choosing a car that will help ease the burden of your rising insurance premium.

Insurance companies typically surcharge youthful operators in three areas:

• Liability
• Comprehensive (theft)
• Collision (damage caused to the vehicle in an accident)

So if you buy a vehicle that is older and does not require comprehensive or collision coverage, the premium would be significantly lower than it would be if you were to purchase a new car for your new driver.

Let us assist you in making a good choice for your teen.  Contact Resource Insurance Group and one of our agents can help you make the right decision when buying that first car for your teenager.