7 things teens should know about car insurance

Teens and car insurance

As a teenager, car insurance might not be your favorite thing to think about. It’s not fun, admittedly, and it’s not “cool”. But it is a necessary thing, and it’s important to know the basics. So, we’ve got a quick list of things teens should know about car insurance. Don’t worry – we’ll keep it light and not-boring.

7 things teens should know about car insurance.

1. Driving safe is essential.

Okay, so the thing is that being young means that car insurance rates are kind of against you. Young drivers don’t have a lot of experience behind the wheel. It’s important to drive safe so as to avoid tickets, which have a lot of consequences –  the anger of the parental units and being in trouble among them. But they can also mean higher insurance rates. (But of course the primary reason to drive safe is to avoid accidents that could hurt you and others.)

2. Getting good grades can help your rates.

There are a lot of reasons to hit the books and keep your grades up. One of those reasons is that it could help you get lower car insurance rates. That’s because it can help you score a Good Student Discount. And discounts on car insurance (particularly for teens) are a good thing. Now, keep in mind that you’ll probably need to show some sort of proof of your good grades – like a report card – and meet the qualifications set by the insurance carrier. But still – if you make good grades in school, don’t be shy about it. Ask if it can earn you a discount.

3. Drivers’ ed can also help your insurance rates.

Taking a drivers’ ed class that’s approved by your insurance company can also help you when it comes to your car insurance rates. Okay, yes, driver’s ed might not sound like the most thrilling thing out there. But you can learn valuable stuff from a class, and if you think about it, it’s just a temporary thing. It’s not like it’s forever. It’s definitely something to think about and find out about.

Teens and car insurance 2

4. There’s a reason you need to drive a sensible vehicle.

Okay, okay, we get it. Everyone wants to drive the shiny, fancy, expensive car. But if you drive a safe, sensible car, you could (once again) have lower car insurance rates. So, yes, you might desperately want your parents to get you a fancy ride, but in reality your parents might be onto something by having you drive the family SUV or minivan. It’s a sensible plan, really.

5. It’s probably best to be on your parents’ policy.

Rather than being on your own policy for your car insurance, your parents should likely ad you to their car insurance policy. If they have good driving records this will probably help your family’s overall insurance situation. So, it’s yet another consideration when it comes to getting you properly insured. Insurance can be complicated, but it’s something your parents will likely be discussing.

6. Different coverages do different things.

It’s important for teens to understand that different insurance coverages do different things. Here are some of the common ones:

Bodily injury liability: Can help cover the other driver’s medical expenses if you injure them in an accident. Plus it can help cover your legal expenses if you get sued over the accident.

Property damage liability: Can help cover the costs of repairing someone’s property if you damage it in an accident (i.e. the other driver’s car).

Collision coverage: Can help repair your car if you’re in an accident (though you’ll still have to pay your deductible) or if you hit something.

Comprehensive coverage: Can cover damage to your car not caused by an accident, such as vandalism, animal strike, falling objects (i.e. tree branches), and hail. It can also cover theft.

Uninsured/Underinsured motorist: Can help you if you’re hit by a driver who doesn’t have insurance or who doesn’t have enough insurance enough insurance to cover the incident.

7. Georgia has minimum limits of car insurance.

It’s also important to note that the state of Georgia has minimum limits of insurance that drivers have to have. Drivers have to carry at least $25,000 of bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 of bodily injury liability per occurrence, and $25,000 of property damage liability. Anyway – the point is that it’s essential to carry the appropriate insurance. Always make sure that you’ve got plenty of car insurance. It can bail you out of some really sticky situations.

If your family needs some car insurance quotes, our team can help. We like to make insurance easy and help people save money on their insurance. To get int ouch with us, all you have to do is fill out our online form, give us a call, or message us on LiveChat.