According to many sources, October is the month that is most fraught with accidents and injuries for teen drivers. With that in mind, I thought it might be appropriate to share some statistics about teen drivers with you. As you will see, a 16 year old driver is certainly much more dangerous than a 17 year old. Therefore, parents must be really vigilant to help their teens through their first year of driving.
Let’s start with traffic tickets. This is the one area where the 16 year old drivers have a slight advantage. This is because it takes time for some young drivers to develop the confidence to begin speeding. In addition, many teens wait to obtain their license so that there are not as many 16 year drivers on the road as there are 17 and 18 year old drivers.
Here are the numbers on traffic citations. This lists the number of citations per 100 drivers for each age:
16 year old drivers 31 per 100
17 year old drivers 36.6 per 100
18 year old drivers 38.9 per 100
All ages 17.3 per 100
Now let’s take a look at the crash rates for teen drivers. This is the number teens involved in an accident per 1000 drivers.
16 year old drivers 61.4 per 1000
17 year old drivers 46.2 per 1000
18 year old driver 45.4 per 1000
All ages 16.8 per 1000
Said another way, the crash rates for 16 year olds is 3.7 times that of 20 years olds and the crash rates of drivers between ages 16 and 19 is 2.7 times higher than that of all other drivers.
Last of all, I want to take a quick look at what causes the accidents with teen drivers.
As you can see, the primary cause of accidents by teen drivers is unsafe speeds.
Unsafe Speed or Speeding 35.3%
Right of Way 20.4%
Improper Turn 14.8%
Sign or Signal 8.1%
Alcohol or Drugs 5.1%
Passing or Lane Change 4.3%
Wrong Side of the Road 3.1%
Other 8.7%
There are many tools you can use to help keep your child safe while he or she gains the valuable experience needed to be a safe driver. Visit www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/clinard for more information or simply read some of my previous blog postings as I have covered a lot of these techniques in this blog already.
Showing posts with label Teen Driver Protection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Teen Driver Protection. Show all posts
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Before Your Teen Takes Out The Car, Teach Them To Do A Safety Check.
Before your teen begins driving, you should demonstrate fro them how to perform a quick safety check of the vehicle. Now is a good time to have a brief discussion about vehicle maintenance. Explain basic maintenance items such as when oil changes are due and proper tire inflation. Verify that all lights and turn signals are functioning properly and free of obstruction.
Safety Tip: Minimum Gas Levels. For emergency purposes, teach your teen to keep at least ¼ tank of gas in the car at all times. You do not want them running out of gas in an unsafe area. Additionally, you will avoid the frustration of having to unexpectedly stop for gas when your teen has been driving your car.
Safety Tip: Hazard lights. Make sure your teen knows how to locate and turn on the hazard lights in each of your cars!Familiarize your teen with the location and operation of the vehicle controls. It is important that your teen is comfortable in the driver’s seat. Today’s newer cars are capable of adjusting the seat, mirrors, steering wheel, brake pedal and accelerator. Review proper operation of the heater, air conditioning, cruise control and wiper blades.
Safety Tip: Dashboard Gauges! Explain the dashboard gauges and their purpose. Taking the time to explain the gauges will help maintain the vehicle in proper working condition. Furthermore, it may save you a large repair bill. After all, the time for your teen to understand the temperature gauge is not after the car has overheated! Another good habit to form is maintaining a mileage log. The log should detail the date, miles on the vehicle, the number of gallons of gas added and the miles per gallon obtained on the prior tank of gas. With many cars yo you can do this automatically by teaching your child to reset the gas mileage counter after each fillup. When the gas mileage decreases it is an early warning signal that the engine needs maintenance.
Safety Tip: Changing Tires. I strongly recommend that you have your teen change a tire before he/she obtains their license. With the prevalence of cell phones, many parents assume their teen can call them or AAA for assistance. Depending on the location and time of day, it may take 2-3 hours before assistance can arrive.
Safety Tip: Tire jacks can KILL! Practice with them the proper use and ‘placement of the jack”. People die from this every year. Don’t forget to show them how to chock the tires.
Safety Tip: It is very dangerous to change a tire on the highway. Call the state police to assure drivers move over and the safety of your teen.
Safety Tip: Emergency Kits. Maintain an Emergency kit in the trunk complete with: flares, a flashlight and batteries. Practice lighting flares.
Insurance Tip: Roadside Service is part of the Teensurance Program from Safeco. Help will be dispatched to help change tires or even deliver gas! For more information on the Teensurance Program, visit my web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard.
I Hope this helps your family and brings everyone home safely!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Why Does Insurance For Teen Drivers Cost So Much?
By Wake Clinard, Founding Member of the Society of Family Insurance Specialists.
As an insurance agent, this is probably one of the most frustrating responses I get from parents who are adding their teen to their car insurance. I understand this frustration and after I explain the reasons, they usually respond with “But, my teen is a good driver…” That may be true and you’ve probably spent countless hours helping your teen become a safer driver. If you have, then you should be glad that the chances of your teen getting into an accident will be less likely than most teens on the road. But let me emphasize… Less Likely Than Other Teens… not experienced drivers.
It takes thousands of hours behind the wheel to get the experience to avoid accidents and become the safest of drivers. And this can take years. Here’s a statistic to prove this point. The crash rate for 16 year olds is nearly 3 times higher than 19 year olds and nearly 6 times higher than drivers 20 to 24 years old. Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay high rates for your teen to drive. But, you can take steps to avoid paying the highest rates and keep them down.
Step One- Use an insurance agent that specializes in insuring teen drivers and their families. Family Insurance Specialists represent companies that offer good rates but most importantly offer quality insurance protection that can help you avoid paying out of your own pocket for an accident if your teen causes an accident.
Step Two- Make sure you are getting every discount you deserve. Available discounts may include safe driver, claims-free, good grades, multiple policies with the same company, and in some states you can qualify for a lower rate by keeping a good credit rating.
Step Three- Buy a safe, older, lower profile vehicle for your teen to drive. Make sure it has airbags and anti-lock brakes and is not considered a dangerous vehicle. Your Family Insurance Specialist can help you decide which vehicles are least expensive to insure.
Step Four- Increase your deductibles or drop the collision on older vehicles. If your teen is driving an older, less expensive car, you can “self insure” the car. That means of course, if something happens, you’ll have to pay for the damages to your car, but it can save you a lot of money- nearly 1/3 to 1/2!
Step Five- Get a Teen Driver Monitoring Device installed in your teen’s car. In some states, some insurance companies offer special discounts for these systems. The greatest advantage of these systems is that this will most likely prevent your teen from speeding. Speeding tickets can greatly increase your insurance rates and jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurance companies know that if a teen driver gets a speeding ticket, the likelihood of an accident in the near future is great. You could get cancelled and it may be more difficult to get another insurance company to pick you up.
To learn more about how you can get the right protection for your teen driver, find out other ways you can save on your car insurance, and keep your teen driver safe, sign up for exclusive VIP access at www.teendriverinsurance.com/clinard or call our office toll-free @ 877.687.7557
As an insurance agent, this is probably one of the most frustrating responses I get from parents who are adding their teen to their car insurance. I understand this frustration and after I explain the reasons, they usually respond with “But, my teen is a good driver…” That may be true and you’ve probably spent countless hours helping your teen become a safer driver. If you have, then you should be glad that the chances of your teen getting into an accident will be less likely than most teens on the road. But let me emphasize… Less Likely Than Other Teens… not experienced drivers.
It takes thousands of hours behind the wheel to get the experience to avoid accidents and become the safest of drivers. And this can take years. Here’s a statistic to prove this point. The crash rate for 16 year olds is nearly 3 times higher than 19 year olds and nearly 6 times higher than drivers 20 to 24 years old. Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay high rates for your teen to drive. But, you can take steps to avoid paying the highest rates and keep them down.
Step One- Use an insurance agent that specializes in insuring teen drivers and their families. Family Insurance Specialists represent companies that offer good rates but most importantly offer quality insurance protection that can help you avoid paying out of your own pocket for an accident if your teen causes an accident.
Step Two- Make sure you are getting every discount you deserve. Available discounts may include safe driver, claims-free, good grades, multiple policies with the same company, and in some states you can qualify for a lower rate by keeping a good credit rating.
Step Three- Buy a safe, older, lower profile vehicle for your teen to drive. Make sure it has airbags and anti-lock brakes and is not considered a dangerous vehicle. Your Family Insurance Specialist can help you decide which vehicles are least expensive to insure.
Step Four- Increase your deductibles or drop the collision on older vehicles. If your teen is driving an older, less expensive car, you can “self insure” the car. That means of course, if something happens, you’ll have to pay for the damages to your car, but it can save you a lot of money- nearly 1/3 to 1/2!
Step Five- Get a Teen Driver Monitoring Device installed in your teen’s car. In some states, some insurance companies offer special discounts for these systems. The greatest advantage of these systems is that this will most likely prevent your teen from speeding. Speeding tickets can greatly increase your insurance rates and jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurance companies know that if a teen driver gets a speeding ticket, the likelihood of an accident in the near future is great. You could get cancelled and it may be more difficult to get another insurance company to pick you up.
To learn more about how you can get the right protection for your teen driver, find out other ways you can save on your car insurance, and keep your teen driver safe, sign up for exclusive VIP access at www.teendriverinsurance.com/clinard or call our office toll-free @ 877.687.7557
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Tears for My Friends
With today's blog I thought I would let someone else's words do the talking for me. There are no safety advice or tips in this message but the words are very powerful and they remind us that if we fail in our mission to keep our children safe, the consequences for us will go on for as long as we live.
Tears for My Friends
By Debbye Butler
I have a friend named Jeannette. She had a daughter and a son, until October 1986. Her daughter tested the odds of the effects of alcohol on her motor skills and judgment versus her knowledge about the roads with which she was so familiar.
The alcohol won.
Cindy never saw her 21st birthday. Jeannette, however, has to live through every one of her daughter’s candles-and-cake days — wondering what her daughter would look like now and what she would be doing with her promising life.
I have another buddy. His name is Bill. He is a devoted family man, and until a dreaded October night in 1992, he had two sons and a daughter. Now he has one son, one daughter, and 17 years of memories of a child who will never grow older. Bill, too, had to live the worst parental nightmare possible — a tired teenager with a set of car keys, a can of beer, and an invincible attitude on a late weekend night.
Both of my friends are incredibly loving people and responsible parents. They were looking forward to graduations, a son- or daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. But they have been cheated out of some of the best and most meaningful adventures in life, and nothing or no one can change that cruel, crushing reality.
Maybe you know someone who has lost a son or daughter because of this deadly combination. Maybe it’s a neighbor. Maybe it’s a friend. Maybe it’s someone in your own family. Maybe the children’s deaths were caused by another person who was driving while intoxicated.
It’s hard for me to believe I would ever have personally known one family — much less two — that would have to live through this gnawing, once-it-happens-it-never-goes-away pain. And it’s even more difficult to know what to say to them. Hugs help. But they’ll never replace the hugs from the children who are gone because of alcohol.
When Bill was saying goodbye to his son during the funeral, he did the most loving, courageous thing that any parent could do in a situation like this. With a lump in his throat that must have felt like the size of a softball, he looked out at the stunned young faces of his son’s high school friends. He said he never wanted to have to come to a funeral for this reason again. He said, “Don’t drink and drive.”
Bill told me later he hoped he didn’t sound like he was preaching. Well … I hope he did. I hope everyone listened. And I hope everyone remembers.
© Debbye Butler. Used with author’s permission. May not be reproduced in any fashion without author’s express permission. Debbye Butler is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Ind.
Tears for My Friends
By Debbye Butler
I have a friend named Jeannette. She had a daughter and a son, until October 1986. Her daughter tested the odds of the effects of alcohol on her motor skills and judgment versus her knowledge about the roads with which she was so familiar.
The alcohol won.
Cindy never saw her 21st birthday. Jeannette, however, has to live through every one of her daughter’s candles-and-cake days — wondering what her daughter would look like now and what she would be doing with her promising life.
I have another buddy. His name is Bill. He is a devoted family man, and until a dreaded October night in 1992, he had two sons and a daughter. Now he has one son, one daughter, and 17 years of memories of a child who will never grow older. Bill, too, had to live the worst parental nightmare possible — a tired teenager with a set of car keys, a can of beer, and an invincible attitude on a late weekend night.
Both of my friends are incredibly loving people and responsible parents. They were looking forward to graduations, a son- or daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. But they have been cheated out of some of the best and most meaningful adventures in life, and nothing or no one can change that cruel, crushing reality.
Maybe you know someone who has lost a son or daughter because of this deadly combination. Maybe it’s a neighbor. Maybe it’s a friend. Maybe it’s someone in your own family. Maybe the children’s deaths were caused by another person who was driving while intoxicated.
It’s hard for me to believe I would ever have personally known one family — much less two — that would have to live through this gnawing, once-it-happens-it-never-goes-away pain. And it’s even more difficult to know what to say to them. Hugs help. But they’ll never replace the hugs from the children who are gone because of alcohol.
When Bill was saying goodbye to his son during the funeral, he did the most loving, courageous thing that any parent could do in a situation like this. With a lump in his throat that must have felt like the size of a softball, he looked out at the stunned young faces of his son’s high school friends. He said he never wanted to have to come to a funeral for this reason again. He said, “Don’t drink and drive.”
Bill told me later he hoped he didn’t sound like he was preaching. Well … I hope he did. I hope everyone listened. And I hope everyone remembers.
© Debbye Butler. Used with author’s permission. May not be reproduced in any fashion without author’s express permission. Debbye Butler is a freelance writer based in Indianapolis, Ind.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Teen Driver Auto Insurance - What You Don’t Know Will Hurt You
In today’s article I want to talk to you about a little known loophole in NC insurance law that could be costing you a lot of money if you have a teen driver on your policy. I’m not sure if this law applies in other states but in NC it is a nasty little trap to catch some of your money and funnel it to the rich insurance companies.
Lucky for you, you bothered to check in on my blog. This little tidbit saves the average teen driver family about $389 per year for the 3 years that their teen is a driver on their policy. It might even save you more than that.
To understand this premium trap, you first must understand how insurance companies charge for teen drivers. Basically there are 3 tiers of rates for your teen as the teen becomes more experienced. These tiers are related to the number of years the teen has been licensed. For example, when you teen first receives his or her license, you are charged the highest tier 1 rate because as a new driver your teen’s chance of having an accident are very high. On the anniversary of the day that they received their license, they are eligible to be moved into the 2nd tier which of course has a lower rate than the first tier. On the 2nd anniversary of their license then they can move to tier 3 which is even lower cost than tier 2 and on the 3rd anniversary of your teen’s license then they are considered to be an experienced operator and none of these very expensive inexperienced operator surcharges apply any more.
But here is the rub. In NC you are eligible to move your child from a higher rated tier to the next tier on the date that your child reaches each year of experience. That means that the very day they are eligible for the new tier, your policy can be adjusted and a refund sent to you even if your policy doesn’t renew for another 11 months. However, the insurance companies are not required to make this change in the middle of a policy term if you don’t request it. If they don’t hear from you, they are allowed to simply wait until your next renewal and then make the adjustment. This could mean that you pay the higher rate for a year longer for each tier! Sadly, many insurance companies have chosen to exercise this right as a way to increase their premiums. So now in many cases it is up to the consumer to ask for the rate reductions that are due them in the middle of the policy term.
At Clinard Insurance Group we flag our teen driver files to automatically send a mid term request letter to adjust the rates on each anniversary date of the teen’s license. We feel that it is important that our clients don’t get caught in this obscure premium trap. If you are not one of our clients, I hope that you will pay attention to your teen’s license date and notify your company that you would like to have your policy adjusted at the anniversary date of your child’s license, not at the policy renewal date. Insuring teen drivers is expensive enough for families, there is no need to throw away more money simply because you didn’t understand the rules.
Lucky for you, you bothered to check in on my blog. This little tidbit saves the average teen driver family about $389 per year for the 3 years that their teen is a driver on their policy. It might even save you more than that.
To understand this premium trap, you first must understand how insurance companies charge for teen drivers. Basically there are 3 tiers of rates for your teen as the teen becomes more experienced. These tiers are related to the number of years the teen has been licensed. For example, when you teen first receives his or her license, you are charged the highest tier 1 rate because as a new driver your teen’s chance of having an accident are very high. On the anniversary of the day that they received their license, they are eligible to be moved into the 2nd tier which of course has a lower rate than the first tier. On the 2nd anniversary of their license then they can move to tier 3 which is even lower cost than tier 2 and on the 3rd anniversary of your teen’s license then they are considered to be an experienced operator and none of these very expensive inexperienced operator surcharges apply any more.
But here is the rub. In NC you are eligible to move your child from a higher rated tier to the next tier on the date that your child reaches each year of experience. That means that the very day they are eligible for the new tier, your policy can be adjusted and a refund sent to you even if your policy doesn’t renew for another 11 months. However, the insurance companies are not required to make this change in the middle of a policy term if you don’t request it. If they don’t hear from you, they are allowed to simply wait until your next renewal and then make the adjustment. This could mean that you pay the higher rate for a year longer for each tier! Sadly, many insurance companies have chosen to exercise this right as a way to increase their premiums. So now in many cases it is up to the consumer to ask for the rate reductions that are due them in the middle of the policy term.
At Clinard Insurance Group we flag our teen driver files to automatically send a mid term request letter to adjust the rates on each anniversary date of the teen’s license. We feel that it is important that our clients don’t get caught in this obscure premium trap. If you are not one of our clients, I hope that you will pay attention to your teen’s license date and notify your company that you would like to have your policy adjusted at the anniversary date of your child’s license, not at the policy renewal date. Insuring teen drivers is expensive enough for families, there is no need to throw away more money simply because you didn’t understand the rules.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Why Are Insurance Rates For Teens So High?
As an insurance agent, this is probably one of the most frustrating responses I get from parents who are adding their teen to their car insurance. I understand this frustration and after I explain the reasons, they usually respond with “But, my teen is a good driver…”
That may be true and you’ve probably spent countless hours helping your teen become a safer driver. If you have, then you should be glad that the chances of your teen getting into an accident will be less likely than most teens on the road. But let me emphasize… Less Likely Than Other Teens… not experienced drivers.
It takes thousands of hours behind the wheel to get the experience to avoid accidents and become the safest of drivers. And this can take years. Here’s a statistic to prove this point.
The crash rate for 16 year olds is nearly 3 times higher than 19 years and nearly 6 times higher than drivers 20 to 24 years old.
Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay high rates for your teen to drive. But, you can take steps to avoid paying the highest rates and keep them down. Here are the steps you should take:
Step One- Use an insurance agent that specializes in insuring teen drivers. Family Insurance Specialists represent companies that offer good rates but most importantly offer quality insurance protection that can help you avoid paying out of your own pocket for an accident if your teen causes an accident.
Step Two- Make sure you are getting every discount you deserve. Available discounts may include safe driver, claims-free, good grades, multiple policies with the same company, and in some states you can qualify for a lower rate by keeping a good credit rating.
Step Three- Buy a safe, older, lower profile vehicle for your teen to drive. Make sure it has airbags and anti-lock brakes and is not considered a dangerous vehicle. Your Family Insurance Specialist can help you decide which vehicles are least expensive to insure.
Step Four- Increase your deductibles or drop the collision on older vehicles. If your teen is driving an older, less expensive car, you can “self insure” the car. That means of course, if something happens, you’ll have to pay for the damages to your car, but it can save you a lot of money- nearly 1/3 to 1/2! With my teens, they had minor bump ups to their cars and we just fixed what we had to fix to keep the car operating safely. Since they were driving older model cars anyway we could swallow the dings ourselves.
Step Five- Get a Teen Driver Monitoring Device installed in your teen’s car. In some states, some insurance companies offer special discounts for these systems. The greatest advantage of these systems is that this will most likely prevent your teen from speeding. Speeding tickets can greatly increase your insurance rates and jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurance companies know that if a teen driver gets a speeding ticket, the likelihood of an accident in the near future is great. You could get cancelled and it may be more difficult to get another insurance company to pick you up.
To learn more about how you can get the right protection for your teen driver, find out other ways you can save on your car insurance, visit my web site by clicking here.
That may be true and you’ve probably spent countless hours helping your teen become a safer driver. If you have, then you should be glad that the chances of your teen getting into an accident will be less likely than most teens on the road. But let me emphasize… Less Likely Than Other Teens… not experienced drivers.
It takes thousands of hours behind the wheel to get the experience to avoid accidents and become the safest of drivers. And this can take years. Here’s a statistic to prove this point.
The crash rate for 16 year olds is nearly 3 times higher than 19 years and nearly 6 times higher than drivers 20 to 24 years old.
Unfortunately, you are going to have to pay high rates for your teen to drive. But, you can take steps to avoid paying the highest rates and keep them down. Here are the steps you should take:
Step One- Use an insurance agent that specializes in insuring teen drivers. Family Insurance Specialists represent companies that offer good rates but most importantly offer quality insurance protection that can help you avoid paying out of your own pocket for an accident if your teen causes an accident.
Step Two- Make sure you are getting every discount you deserve. Available discounts may include safe driver, claims-free, good grades, multiple policies with the same company, and in some states you can qualify for a lower rate by keeping a good credit rating.
Step Three- Buy a safe, older, lower profile vehicle for your teen to drive. Make sure it has airbags and anti-lock brakes and is not considered a dangerous vehicle. Your Family Insurance Specialist can help you decide which vehicles are least expensive to insure.
Step Four- Increase your deductibles or drop the collision on older vehicles. If your teen is driving an older, less expensive car, you can “self insure” the car. That means of course, if something happens, you’ll have to pay for the damages to your car, but it can save you a lot of money- nearly 1/3 to 1/2! With my teens, they had minor bump ups to their cars and we just fixed what we had to fix to keep the car operating safely. Since they were driving older model cars anyway we could swallow the dings ourselves.
Step Five- Get a Teen Driver Monitoring Device installed in your teen’s car. In some states, some insurance companies offer special discounts for these systems. The greatest advantage of these systems is that this will most likely prevent your teen from speeding. Speeding tickets can greatly increase your insurance rates and jeopardize your insurance coverage. Insurance companies know that if a teen driver gets a speeding ticket, the likelihood of an accident in the near future is great. You could get cancelled and it may be more difficult to get another insurance company to pick you up.
To learn more about how you can get the right protection for your teen driver, find out other ways you can save on your car insurance, visit my web site by clicking here.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
What Price for Privacy?
As an advocate of teen driving safety I rejoiced when GPS devices became available to help parents track their teen drivers’ driving habits. What could be better than to know when your child is driving too fast, or driving after curfew. We know that these behaviors put teen drivers at greater risk so why wouldn’t parents want to know? And if the device reduced their insurance rates so that it was less expensive to have it than not, wouldn’t every parent want this?
After talking to many parents about this issue it seems that there are several reasons that they don’t pursue a GPS tracking device for their child’s car. The most prevalent is that they don’t want to intrude on their child’s privacy. They don’t want to appear not to trust their child and of course they don’t like the whole “big brother” aspect of this technology.
First of all, let me put to rest the “big brother” questions. When you install one of these devices in your child’s car, you are the only one who can view the information generated by the device. It is not a device that lets the insurance companies “spy” on your child. You control all the access to this information.
Now let’s get to the real heart of the matter. You don’t want your child to think you don’t trust them to drive safely. This is your child. She has always been a great kid. He has never given you trouble. I know. I have 3 teenagers. But the truth is that all teen drivers are at risk. The risk is certainly magnified by their inexperience. But they are all at risk as young drivers. If you do trust them completely then I believe you are simply avoiding reality. This may be a bitter pill to swallow so let me give you a similar example.
Let’s say your child is the model student. He studies hard and brings home good grades on tests and homework. Would you then not look at his report card? Would that be telling him you don’t trust him? The only difference here is that we are talking about your child’s very life and safety, not his or her grades. And if your child does screw up and kill or injure herself or someone else, there are no make up exams.
The last point I want to make about the GPS devices is that like report cards, they give your child the chance to show that she is driving safely. And when you see that, you can reward him or her with more freedom and more responsibility.
A GPS tracking device can be misused by a nosey parent or an over controlling one. But used properly, this piece of technology can save lives. If you have considered one in the past, I urge you to reconsider. It might save your child’s life.
After talking to many parents about this issue it seems that there are several reasons that they don’t pursue a GPS tracking device for their child’s car. The most prevalent is that they don’t want to intrude on their child’s privacy. They don’t want to appear not to trust their child and of course they don’t like the whole “big brother” aspect of this technology.
First of all, let me put to rest the “big brother” questions. When you install one of these devices in your child’s car, you are the only one who can view the information generated by the device. It is not a device that lets the insurance companies “spy” on your child. You control all the access to this information.
Now let’s get to the real heart of the matter. You don’t want your child to think you don’t trust them to drive safely. This is your child. She has always been a great kid. He has never given you trouble. I know. I have 3 teenagers. But the truth is that all teen drivers are at risk. The risk is certainly magnified by their inexperience. But they are all at risk as young drivers. If you do trust them completely then I believe you are simply avoiding reality. This may be a bitter pill to swallow so let me give you a similar example.
Let’s say your child is the model student. He studies hard and brings home good grades on tests and homework. Would you then not look at his report card? Would that be telling him you don’t trust him? The only difference here is that we are talking about your child’s very life and safety, not his or her grades. And if your child does screw up and kill or injure herself or someone else, there are no make up exams.
The last point I want to make about the GPS devices is that like report cards, they give your child the chance to show that she is driving safely. And when you see that, you can reward him or her with more freedom and more responsibility.
A GPS tracking device can be misused by a nosey parent or an over controlling one. But used properly, this piece of technology can save lives. If you have considered one in the past, I urge you to reconsider. It might save your child’s life.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
"Trunking"- The Latest Danger to Teens!
Just when you thought you've heard it all...
As I was doing my research for this month's issue of my Driver’s Seat e-newsletter, I came across an article about the latest killer of teens.
We all know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US. Now there is a trend going across the country that is adding to the danger of a teen behind the wheel and it's referred to as "Trunking".
As a teen, I remember hearing about kids in school that would climb into a trunk to sneak into a drive-in movie. Of course, I would never partake in such an act. But today, now that the drive-in movie is obsolete, there's another reason why kids are doing this.
Almost every state in the country now has laws limiting the number of passengers during the first few years of a teen driver's experience. These laws were passed to reduce the distractions in the car that have been proven to cause so many accidents. In order to circumvent these laws, kids are now packing themselves in the trunk of the car to be able to go with their friends. The worst part is that they will stay in the trunk while being driven all over town and even beyond.
The dangers are obvious to us and include suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exposure, freezing, being crushed or thrown out of the car as a result of an accident. You can just imagine how dangerous this could be for your child.
So what do you do? First explain the dangers and then define the consequences/punishment of this type of action. If your child is guilty, take away driving privileges and inform the parents’ of all the involved kids. You'll also want to pass this article on to other parents, just to let them know what kids are up to these days, so they can proactively counsel against it.
To sign up for a free subscription to my e-newletter, Driver’s Seat, visit my website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard and register for VIP Access. You’ll also be able to learn more about you can best protect your family.
As I was doing my research for this month's issue of my Driver’s Seat e-newsletter, I came across an article about the latest killer of teens.
We all know that car accidents are the number one killer of teens in the US. Now there is a trend going across the country that is adding to the danger of a teen behind the wheel and it's referred to as "Trunking".
As a teen, I remember hearing about kids in school that would climb into a trunk to sneak into a drive-in movie. Of course, I would never partake in such an act. But today, now that the drive-in movie is obsolete, there's another reason why kids are doing this.
Almost every state in the country now has laws limiting the number of passengers during the first few years of a teen driver's experience. These laws were passed to reduce the distractions in the car that have been proven to cause so many accidents. In order to circumvent these laws, kids are now packing themselves in the trunk of the car to be able to go with their friends. The worst part is that they will stay in the trunk while being driven all over town and even beyond.
The dangers are obvious to us and include suffocation, carbon monoxide poisoning, heat exposure, freezing, being crushed or thrown out of the car as a result of an accident. You can just imagine how dangerous this could be for your child.
So what do you do? First explain the dangers and then define the consequences/punishment of this type of action. If your child is guilty, take away driving privileges and inform the parents’ of all the involved kids. You'll also want to pass this article on to other parents, just to let them know what kids are up to these days, so they can proactively counsel against it.
To sign up for a free subscription to my e-newletter, Driver’s Seat, visit my website at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard and register for VIP Access. You’ll also be able to learn more about you can best protect your family.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Do You Know Your Child's Driving Personality?
We all know our children right? I mean we really know our children? But do we know just how they will act as drivers once they are out on the road without our supervision? Will they be risk takers, will they be easily distracted, will they over cautious or even fearful of certain situations? If you could know the answers to these questions with certainty, could you better prepare you teen driver and perhaps save his or her life?
I think so. And there is a way to know. The Teensurance safety beacon GPS program has an additional feature that will allow your child to take an online personality assessment in about 45 minutes time. The test can be graded and the results will show you just what types of dangerous behaviors your child is most likely to participate in. And they will help you understand areas of training where you need to put the most emphasis before you let your child out there on the open road.
I think every parent of a teen driver should arm themselves with every advantage to help keep their child safe and alive. A personality assessment is just one more tool. Taking your child through this process will also show them just how serious you are about their safety as a driver.
If you would like more information about the personality assessment for your teen driver, please click here.
I have additional free information and help for you at my teen driver web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard.
I think so. And there is a way to know. The Teensurance safety beacon GPS program has an additional feature that will allow your child to take an online personality assessment in about 45 minutes time. The test can be graded and the results will show you just what types of dangerous behaviors your child is most likely to participate in. And they will help you understand areas of training where you need to put the most emphasis before you let your child out there on the open road.
I think every parent of a teen driver should arm themselves with every advantage to help keep their child safe and alive. A personality assessment is just one more tool. Taking your child through this process will also show them just how serious you are about their safety as a driver.
If you would like more information about the personality assessment for your teen driver, please click here.
I have additional free information and help for you at my teen driver web site at www.TeenDriverInsurance.com/Clinard.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Teens, Cars and Cellphones - A Deadly Combination
We have all heard about how dangerous it is to drive while talking on your cell phone. I have even seen people trying to text while they are driving! Man...now that is scary even for the most experienced drivers to be doing.
Now, think of that same thing happening with a teen driver behind the wheel! Yikes. Take a look at this study that shows how much teens are ignoring laws and regulations that limit cell phone use while driving.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364453,00.html
Parents, we have to take extra steps to make sure that our teens are safe drivers. With the popularity of cell phones, texting, and social networking such as MySpace and Facebook, our teens are more accessible to each other and are also more distracted drivers than ever before. We need to take action now to do whatever we can to keep them safe.
Please visit my website http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/clinard for tips and advice on how you can help your teen be a safer driver. Please sign up for VIP access in order to get my monthly Ezine for parents of teen drivers and get access to my free reports on steps that you, as a parent, can take to help make your teen a safer driver. Help us make it a safe summer for our teens.
Now, think of that same thing happening with a teen driver behind the wheel! Yikes. Take a look at this study that shows how much teens are ignoring laws and regulations that limit cell phone use while driving.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364453,00.html
Parents, we have to take extra steps to make sure that our teens are safe drivers. With the popularity of cell phones, texting, and social networking such as MySpace and Facebook, our teens are more accessible to each other and are also more distracted drivers than ever before. We need to take action now to do whatever we can to keep them safe.
Please visit my website http://www.teendriverinsurance.com/clinard for tips and advice on how you can help your teen be a safer driver. Please sign up for VIP access in order to get my monthly Ezine for parents of teen drivers and get access to my free reports on steps that you, as a parent, can take to help make your teen a safer driver. Help us make it a safe summer for our teens.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Your Teen Needs A Car - Which One Do You Buy?
Many times we are asked this question by our clients with teen drivers so I thought I would address this issue in today’s blog. Some parents fall prey to “I just want the best for my child” syndrome and in their efforts to do the “best” thing for their child, they may in fact do the “worst”.
When shopping for a first car for your child there are several considerations that should rise to the top of the pile for you. They are:
What car will help keep my child safe?.... and,
What car will keep my insurance rates low?
I can tell you that if you left it to your teen to choose the car then these two considerations would probably fall to the bottom of the list.
The odds are that your child will be involved in some type of accident in his or her first year of driving. That is why your teen’s first car should be one that is safe for them and one that won’t hurt your pocketbook in the event of a minor bump up.
Let’s start with safety. Here you want to find a vehicle that is large and slow. Don’t get one that is so old that you skip the anti-lock brakes and airbags though. Underpowered is good as well. Now I know that in these times of climbing gas prices you might be tempted to choose a smaller car for your child. I would encourage you not to fall into that trap. Think of your child’s first car as a temporary solution for say a year or two until they become more a more competent driver. With that in mind, the poor gas mileage, while painful will be a short term trade off to keep them safe while they are in their most dangerous stage. In addition, today’s higher gas prices are driving down the resale value of larger used cars so you can make up some of the gas cost on the purchase price.
One more note about safety. Do not purchase a SUV type vehicle for your child. Any vehicle that has a high center of gravity will increase the chances of a rollover accident tremendously. Young drivers simply have not had the experience that they need to judge speed going into tight turns and these vehicles are very unforgiving of this mistake.
Now, how do you keep the costs of insurance lower? Well, as soon as your child becomes a primary operator on a vehicle, their inexperienced operator rates will go up, but you can minimize the cost by purchasing an inexpensive first vehicle for your child. This way you can avoid having to purchase collision insurance on this vehicle. You need to be sure that if the vehicle is totaled and you need to replace it that you can afford to do so. When my son banged up his first car in two different accidents that were his fault, I took the car to a local body repair shop and asked them to repair it enough to keep the car safe and legal. While it might have cost thousands to repair the dings and dents, making it safe and legal in each case cost me about $300.
If you would like more information about keeping your teen driver safe, visit my web site by clicking here.
When shopping for a first car for your child there are several considerations that should rise to the top of the pile for you. They are:
What car will help keep my child safe?.... and,
What car will keep my insurance rates low?
I can tell you that if you left it to your teen to choose the car then these two considerations would probably fall to the bottom of the list.
The odds are that your child will be involved in some type of accident in his or her first year of driving. That is why your teen’s first car should be one that is safe for them and one that won’t hurt your pocketbook in the event of a minor bump up.
Let’s start with safety. Here you want to find a vehicle that is large and slow. Don’t get one that is so old that you skip the anti-lock brakes and airbags though. Underpowered is good as well. Now I know that in these times of climbing gas prices you might be tempted to choose a smaller car for your child. I would encourage you not to fall into that trap. Think of your child’s first car as a temporary solution for say a year or two until they become more a more competent driver. With that in mind, the poor gas mileage, while painful will be a short term trade off to keep them safe while they are in their most dangerous stage. In addition, today’s higher gas prices are driving down the resale value of larger used cars so you can make up some of the gas cost on the purchase price.
One more note about safety. Do not purchase a SUV type vehicle for your child. Any vehicle that has a high center of gravity will increase the chances of a rollover accident tremendously. Young drivers simply have not had the experience that they need to judge speed going into tight turns and these vehicles are very unforgiving of this mistake.
Now, how do you keep the costs of insurance lower? Well, as soon as your child becomes a primary operator on a vehicle, their inexperienced operator rates will go up, but you can minimize the cost by purchasing an inexpensive first vehicle for your child. This way you can avoid having to purchase collision insurance on this vehicle. You need to be sure that if the vehicle is totaled and you need to replace it that you can afford to do so. When my son banged up his first car in two different accidents that were his fault, I took the car to a local body repair shop and asked them to repair it enough to keep the car safe and legal. While it might have cost thousands to repair the dings and dents, making it safe and legal in each case cost me about $300.
If you would like more information about keeping your teen driver safe, visit my web site by clicking here.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Teen Drivers - One Policy Or Two?
One question that I am often asked by parents of teen drivers is whether or not they should put the child’s car on their policy or if they should have their agent write a separate policy just for their child. Each situation is a little bit different of course but in general the answer is that you should put insure your teen driver and their car on your policy.
There are several reasons why this is a better strategy. Some of these reasons are to reduce the cost of your auto insurance for your teen driver and some are to better protect your assets. I am making the assumption that the vehicle is titled in your name and that your teen driver is still a minor.
Reason #1 - Multi-car discount. Most every policy allows a discount on your auto insurance if you have more than one vehicle on the policy. This discount can be as high as 15% in some states. If you put the teenager and his or her car on their own policy, you will be passing up this discount.
Reason #2 - Multi-policy discount. By now most insurance consumers are aware that they will have a lower rate on their home and their auto policies if they purchase both from the same insurance carrier. However, if you write your teen driver on a separate policy, most insurance companies will not extend the multi-policy discount to that new policy. This means you will be giving up another valuable discount which in most states will run as high as 15% or even more.
Reason #3 - Access to higher limits. When your teen starts driving, the risks of an accident increase. Not only do teens have a much higher rate of accidents, their accidents generally involve much greater bodily injury and property damage losses. This is the time that you should purchase the highest liability limits that you can afford. Here’s a simple test: Check your policy for the limit for bodily injury coverage. Now ask yourself if that limit exceeds the value of your home. If not, then every time your teenager hits the road, you might be putting your home on the line. Now, if you choose to write a separate policy for your teen driver, in most states you will find the limits of liability that you can purchase on that vehicle will be limited. In NC that limit is generally $100,000 per person for bodily injury coverage. By keeping your teen’s vehicle insured on your policy, you will be able to provide higher limits of coverage on that vehicle.
Reason #4 - Insurance Score issues. In most states the insurance rate on a policy is directly related to the “Insurance Score” of the policyholders. The “Insurance Score” varies by company in terms of how it is calculated but in general the insurance company is looking at your credit score and other parameters. Generally speaking the insurance scores for an adult will be many times better than those for a teen left to stand on their own. This means that by keeping your child and their vehicle on your policy, you can lend them the support of your superior insurance score to keep the rate on their vehicle lower.
You should always check with your agent before making the final decision about how to insure your teen driver but in almost all cases the choice is clear. Keep your teen driver and their car insured on your policy.
If you would like more information about teen driving safety and insurance issues, please click here.
There are several reasons why this is a better strategy. Some of these reasons are to reduce the cost of your auto insurance for your teen driver and some are to better protect your assets. I am making the assumption that the vehicle is titled in your name and that your teen driver is still a minor.
Reason #1 - Multi-car discount. Most every policy allows a discount on your auto insurance if you have more than one vehicle on the policy. This discount can be as high as 15% in some states. If you put the teenager and his or her car on their own policy, you will be passing up this discount.
Reason #2 - Multi-policy discount. By now most insurance consumers are aware that they will have a lower rate on their home and their auto policies if they purchase both from the same insurance carrier. However, if you write your teen driver on a separate policy, most insurance companies will not extend the multi-policy discount to that new policy. This means you will be giving up another valuable discount which in most states will run as high as 15% or even more.
Reason #3 - Access to higher limits. When your teen starts driving, the risks of an accident increase. Not only do teens have a much higher rate of accidents, their accidents generally involve much greater bodily injury and property damage losses. This is the time that you should purchase the highest liability limits that you can afford. Here’s a simple test: Check your policy for the limit for bodily injury coverage. Now ask yourself if that limit exceeds the value of your home. If not, then every time your teenager hits the road, you might be putting your home on the line. Now, if you choose to write a separate policy for your teen driver, in most states you will find the limits of liability that you can purchase on that vehicle will be limited. In NC that limit is generally $100,000 per person for bodily injury coverage. By keeping your teen’s vehicle insured on your policy, you will be able to provide higher limits of coverage on that vehicle.
Reason #4 - Insurance Score issues. In most states the insurance rate on a policy is directly related to the “Insurance Score” of the policyholders. The “Insurance Score” varies by company in terms of how it is calculated but in general the insurance company is looking at your credit score and other parameters. Generally speaking the insurance scores for an adult will be many times better than those for a teen left to stand on their own. This means that by keeping your child and their vehicle on your policy, you can lend them the support of your superior insurance score to keep the rate on their vehicle lower.
You should always check with your agent before making the final decision about how to insure your teen driver but in almost all cases the choice is clear. Keep your teen driver and their car insured on your policy.
If you would like more information about teen driving safety and insurance issues, please click here.
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