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Teen Drivers

Auto Insurance Coverage For Teen Drivers

Driver Education

At The Sorgi Insurance Agency we take teen driving very serious, that is why we like to talk to every teen before they go to get their drivers license. We explain an insurance policy to each teen, show them how their parents’ premiums will be impacted if the teen gets tickets or has an accident and we give them a few pointers on driving safely. Over the past 9 years since we started having teen talks, we have seen a drastic decrease in tickets and accidents from our teenage clients.

Teen drivers have the highest crash risk of any age group. Per mile traveled, they have the highest involvement rates in all types of crashes, from those involving only property damage to those that are fatal. The problem is worst among 16 year-olds, who have the most limited driving experience and an immaturity that often results in risk-taking behind the wheel.

Read More About Young Driver Policies From Erie Insurance

Driver Error

Compared with crashes of older drivers, those of 16 year-olds more often involve driver error.

Sixteen-year-old drivers have a higher rate of crashes in which excessive speed is a factor.

Distractive Driving

According to the NHTSA, over 3,331 people were killed and over 387,000 injured in motor vehicle accidents connected to distracted driving. That represents 10 percent of all fatal crashes and 17 percent of all accidents that caused injuries. … Young drivers are at the greatest risk for distracted driving incidents. Distracted driving consists of eating, dashboard adjustments, using phones and even putting on makeup.

Passengers

Sixteen year-old’s fatal crashes are more likely to occur when other teenagers are in the car. The risk increases with every additional passenger.

Alcohol

Although this is a problem among drivers of all ages, it’s actually less of a problem for 16-year-olds. In 1998, 13 percent of fatally injured drivers had positive blood alcohol concentrations (BAC). Only 8 percent had a BAC of 0.10 percent or greater.

Night driving

This is a high-risk activity for beginners. Per mile driving, the nighttime fatal crash rate for 16 year-olds is about twice as high as during the day.

Low seat belt use

People are less likely to use a seat belt if sitting in the back seat.

What Parents Can Do:

When parents understand the risk factors involved in letting 16-year-olds get behind the wheel, they can act to improve the situation for their own children.

Car Insurance

1. Don’t rely solely on driver education

High school driver education may be the most convenient way to learn driving skills, but it doesn’t always produce safer drivers. Parents also should set good examples when they drive while reinforcing the lessons their teens learned in drivers ed.

2. Restrict night driving

Most nighttime fatal crashes among young drivers occur between 9 p.m. and midnight, so you can reduce their risk of a crash by restricting nighttime driving after 9 p.m. The problem isn’t just that late-night driving requires more skill. Outings late at night tend to be recreational. In these circumstances, even teens who usually follow all the rules can easily be distracted or encouraged to take risks.

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