Why do I need to list my son as a primary driver on our car insurance policy?

When you have a licensed young driver in your home, insurance companies need to know about it. Young drivers, under the age of 25, are considered higher risk drivers, and insuring them is more expensive than any other age group. Because of this, many parents will try to reduce the costs by listing the teen driver is an occasional user when they will actually be the primary user of the vehicle.

Teen drivers have not built up enough experience in driving for insurance companies to offer them lower rates. Males are a higher risk than females, because boys tend to be more adventurous, taking risks such as speeding, driving without a seatbelt, or other risky driving behavior. Accidents involving teen drivers also average a higher cost to insurance companies, and requiring the teen to be listed as a primary driver keeps the expected risks in balance with the expected costs.

Your son may qualify for a couple of discounts that make insuring them more affordable. First, if the he is a student, high school or college, he can receive a good student discount by maintaining a grade average of 3.0 or higher. The other discount is available for anyone who takes a voluntary driver improvement course. Present the certificate of completion to the insurance company and they will award a discount for the teen over a course of time, up to 5 years. This discount is required by law in some states, but observed by most insurance companies because it reduces their risks.

Another way to reduce the cost of insuring a teen driver is to purchase an older car for cash. This allows you to drop comprehensive and collision insurance that is required by many dealerships. Since older cars have a lower value, they are also less expensive to insure, and if the teen totals the car, you replace it at a much lower cost.