When your teen becomes old enough to drive, you will probably be a little concerned about her safety. After all, inexperienced drivers are more than twice as likely to have an accident as older, experienced drivers. If you are an Alabama resident, you’ll also have another concern – car insurance.
Because Alabama requires all drivers to be covered under an automobile insurance policy before they can legally drive on Alabama roads, you will have to insure your teen with an auto insurance company licensed in Alabama. Unfortunately, Alabama insurance companies recognize the high risk associated with teen drivers, and charge much higher rates than for adult drivers.
There are several ways you can save money while providing coverage for your teen driver in Alabama. First, don’t buy your teen a sports car or a new Mercedes Benz. Coupling an inexperienced driver with a powerful or expensive vehicle will send your insurance rates through the roof. Instead, have your teen drive an older, reliable sedan. Although you’ll have to listen to complaints from your teen, you”l spend far less on auto insurance.
Another popular way to save money while providing insurance coverage for your teen is to encourage him to excel in school. Statistically, young drivers with good grades have fewer accidents than those with average or poor grades. If you are willing to send a copy of your teen’s stellar report card to your insurance company every three or six months, you might save up to 10 percent on your auto insurance premiums.
You might think that making your teen buy her own insurance policy will teach her independence and responsibility. Although this may be true, it will likely cost your family more in insurance premiums. If you insure your teen under a family policy, the insurance company, you’ll likely pay less per driver than if you and your teen maintained separate policies. A family policy also allows you to take advantage of multi-car discounts, which can further reduce your Alabama car insurance costs.
Maintaining the auto insurance necessary to protect your family is never cheap when you have a teen driver in your household; however, these strategies can help minimize insurance costs while your teen learns the rules of the road.