Now that it is time to add your teenager to your auto insurance policy, you are probably thinking that your rates will increase dramatically. Drivers 16 to 19 years of age are in a high-risk demographic, so you definitely can expect your auto insurance company to raise your rates significantly. However, if you seek a quote from an insurance agent from another company, you may find that you will be quoted a rate that is much lower.

You can further decrease your rates in Katy, Texas if you ask your insurance company about bundling. You are “bundling” when you purchase more than one type of insurance from one insurance company. For example, if you purchase homeowners insurance and auto insurance from one company, you will be offered a discount.

Why Auto Insurance Companies Charge Higher Rates for Teens

Auto insurance companies are naturally wary of teenage drivers because they are inexperienced, and this is the main reason that they are at the highest risk of being involved in an auto accident. They also receive more tickets for traffic violations than any other age group. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed a long list of reasons why.

First, teens have difficulties determining when a hazard is present and when one is not. Driving requires that a person accurately perceives potentially dangerous stimuli and processes it in a timely manner. It is a skill that takes time to develop.

When drivers perceive potential threats, they also need to be able to determine whether or not they can handle the threat. Young drivers often decide that a threat is not as hazardous as it actually is, and they also tend to believe that they can overcome real threats when they do not have the skills necessary to do so.

Because teens are overconfident when they are driving, this leads them to drive in a much riskier manner. That is why so many teens are stopped for speeding, making illegal turns and running red lights.

Seat belts reduce the severity of injuries in car crashes, but teens are the least likely to wear them.

It has been documented that driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol increases the incidences of crashes on the roads as well as the severity. Because teens are not averse to displaying risky behavior, they are more likely than those in older age groups to drive after drinking or taking drugs.

Making the Road Safer for Your Teens

After reading the above information, you might want to keep your teen from driving a vehicle. This solution is not necessary because there are things that you can teach your teens to do that will keep them safe and give them a chance to obtain the experience that they need.

Insist that your teens keep their cellular phones off when they are driving. It does not matter whether the phone is hands-free or not; studies have found that talking on the phone is equivalent to driving while drunk.

Make a rule that there will be no texting while driving. Studies have shown that people take their eyes off of the road for five seconds in order to text, and this is enough time for any number of horrible things to happen. Furthermore, it is not safe to text while stopped at a traffic light either because this takes your teen’s focus off of the road.

Teach them to turn the headlights on even in the daytime. It will enhance their visibility, and other drivers will be able to see them better.

Do not allow your kids to transport a passenger. A passenger dramatically increases the risk of a collision because of possible distractions, and always tell them to obey the speed limit.