Teen Drivers and Auto Rates
Factors Driving Up Teen Vehicle Insurance Costs – Online Vehicle Insurance
When a teenager first gets their license they’re often filled to the brim with excitement, eager to explore the open road; meanwhile, their parents nervously chew on their fingernails. But before they can jump behind the wheel, like most drivers, they need to be insured. Teens may be alarmed to find out, however, that insurance rates for young adults are often considerably higher than other age groups. This is because people from the age of 16 to 19 are often considered high risk drivers, and are more likely to be involved in an vehicle accident than any other category of people.
If rates are higher when purchasing car insurance for teenagers it is simply because statistics show that they are considerably more dangerous while driving. In 2009 roughly 3,000 teenagers in the United States between the ages of 15 and 19 were killed, while over 350,000 others were treated in emergency rooms for injuries sustained from vehicle accidents. Young drivers ages 15-24 account for nearly 30% of the total cost of vehicle related injuries among males, amounting to nearly $19 billion dollars, and nearly 28% of total medical costs from vehicle related injuries among females, which is about $7 billion dollars. Teenagers are also far less likely to wear seat belts than adults, and in 2008 roughly 3 of every 4 youths killed in an vehicle accident as a result of drinking and driving was not wearing the proper restraints. Insurers will often asses all of these risks when calculating premiums, and with these statistics it is obvious why rates are increased for younger drivers.