Friday, August 21, 2009

Teen Driver Fact...

Nearly 9 out of 10 teens describe themselves as safe drivers. However, teen crash statistics clearly reveal risky driving behavior.

www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/AllAmerican gives parents the tools to open up a dialogue with their teen driver. As part of a comprehensive approach to safe driving, it's filled with valuable information for new and experienced drivers alike.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Ask any parent...

Ask any parent who has just added a kid to the family's insurance policy and they'll tell you how expensive it is to have a teen behind the wheel. But the overall cost of teen driving is as tragic as it is staggering.

According to a recent report from AAA, car accidents involving drivers 15 to 17 cost society more than $34 billion in medical expenses, property damage and related costs in 2006. AAA also reports, in 2006 drivers ages 15 to 17 were involved in approximately 974,000 crashes that injured 406,427 people and killed 2,541. Here are more sobering statistics:

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among U.S. teens, accounting for 36 percent of all deaths in this age group.

The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among 16- to 19-year-olds than among any other age group, and per-miles-driven teens ages 16 to 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to crash, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Risk is highest at age 16, and the crash rate per miles driven is twice as high for 16 year olds as it is for 18 and 19 year olds, according to the IIHS.

IIHS statistics show that 16- and 17-year-old driver death rates increase with each additional passenger.

Parents can reduce the high cost of insuring their teen drivers. There are special discounts that can really make a big difference in how much you will have to pay for your teen to drive. Some of these discounts include:

  1. Good Student- If you teen driver has a "B" average or better, you can save up to 10%.
  2. Multi-policy- If you insure your home and cars with the same company, you can save up to 15% on both policies
  3. GPS Teen Driver Monitoring System- There is one company that offers a 15% discount for installing this unit in the teen driver's car
  4. Safe Driver- If your family has a clean driving and claims record, you can save up to 15%
  5. Good credit- Some companies reward responsible customers based on their credit. This can be very significant and can save you as much as 35%.

The bottom line is that the most responsible families will pay the lowest premium. Stress to your teen that avoiding tickets and accidents is most critical to not only keeping your insurance rates down, but of course, assure the safety of your teen driver and others. You can learn more about ways to save on your insurance and how you can keep your teen safe by calling Toll-free at 866-765-2200.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Developing Skills

Driver education programs play a role in preparing teens to drive, but should not be viewed as the end of the learning-to-drive process. In order to develop safe driving skills, inexperienced drivers need opportunities to improve through gradual exposure to increasingly-challenging driving tasks. Teens become safer drivers with more driving experience.

In some states, the completion of driver education qualifies a teen for full driving privileges. The National Safety Council believes this is not a wise approach. Research shows that significant hours of behind-the-wheel experience are necessary to reduce crash-involvement risk. Parental involvement and state-imposed Graduated Driver Licensing play important roles in developing skills.