Car Insurance Tips to Teach Your Teen

One of every parent’s most dreaded moments is handing their teenager the keys to a motor vehicle. In this moment, they know that they are trusting their child to operate a piece of machinery that can be seen as either a tool for independence, or, worse, a weapon. Unfortunately this time will come at some point or the other for every parent, and the best thing you can do for peace of mind is to ensure that your child knows how to drive as safely as possible.

Teaching your teenager how to drive properly, obey the rules of the road, and also, maintain a low car insurance premium, is very important. Teaching your child how to drive properly is a direct way of ensuring they will maintain a low car insurance premium, especially if you are the one who is going to be paying it. It is common knowledge that car insurance premiums for young drivers with little or no driving history can be very expensive. Because your child is a new driver, this makes it even more important for them to be insured when they are on the road.

The first thing you need to do is to ensure that your teenager is completely able to drive properly. This may seem like an odd thing to focus on, as many people may be of the mind that if their child passes the driving test, that means they can drive. This is not always necessarily the case. Passing the driving test based on all the formalities that have been practiced for, is very different to being a motorist on the roads on an almost daily, if not totally daily, basis. Drive with your teenager as often as possible in their learning experience. Teach them in a calm, confident and non-judgmental way to drive cautiously and carefully, observing and obeying the rules of the road as concisely as possible. Practice makes perfect, so no matter how wary you are of driving as a passenger with your teen, you may need to literally take a back seat on occasions. Observing how your child drives and giving them handy hints whilst on the road can be completely invaluable to their driving future. Beware of overstepping the very thin line though, as a lot of strong minded teens trying to prove themselves and their driving abilities, may not be impressed with a nagging back seat driver. Maintain a helpful but trusting tone at all times. This is the best thing you can do for your new teenage driver.

Encourage your child to take as many driving lessons as possible. Too much is never enough with driving experience under the hand of a licensed instructor. It may be costly, but if your child has an accident the price you pay could be even higher.

A lot of teenagers get over excited and swept up over getting a new motor vehicle. They may feel the pressure and urge to get the fastest or smartest car possible. If you or your teenager, depending on who is purchasing the vehicle, can afford it, rather encourage your child that safety in a motor vehicle comes first. A vehicle that comes loaded with safety features will be far cheaper to insure, repair and replace than something that is geared more towards looking good or driving really fast.

Enforce the safety of your teenager’s vehicle in their minds at all times. Ensure that they know how to work the alarm and immobilizer system, and any other safety features that are in place in the car. Tell them to put these safety features on at all times, even if they are only leaving the car unattended for a short while. It takes a thief only a few minutes to break into a motor vehicle.

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