Many parents will buy their teenagers their first used car shortly after they turn sixteen. Once mom or dad has helped their teenage driver find a good and reliable used car it is time to find car insurance that won’t cost them an arm and a leg for their new driver. New drivers will typically have higher premiums than older drivers who have more driving experience.

Even though new drivers are considered inexperienced, the premium that you pay doesn’t have to empty your checking account. In fact, parents can save a little bit of money by using their existing insurance policy. Many companies will offer “multi” discounts. This means that if the policyholder has more than one car on their policy, then they will usually get a discount on the additional cars. Other insurance companies will offer auto and home insurance together and this can make paying your insurance even easier. If you are adding a new driver and car to the policy you may receive multi-driver and multi-car discounts.

If the new driver has had a driver education course such as Driver’s Ed in high school, then you may also be able to receive a discount. Many schools offer these courses and if they do not, you may find them available through private companies. You can also take the course and receive a discount for both you and your new driver. Many insurance companies offer these discounts and because many states are requiring that students take these courses, then the situation is even better for you.

Some insurance companies also offer a Good Student discount. These programs award students by offering discounts to students who make good grades in school. If a student also takes a defensive driving course voluntarily, you may also be able to save by sending the certificate to the insurance company, as most insurance companies offer defensive driving discounts as long as the course was not a requirement for a speeding ticket.

Teens have higher accident numbers than any other age of driver. As they progress from being 16 to 17 to 18, their driving gets better as they gain experience. This is why it is important to be prepared for teen car insurance to be more expensive when they first begin driving. They are a higher risk because they tend to be involved in many more accidents. As a parent, you will need to expect to pay that higher premium, but as the teen becomes more experience you can expect that premium to begin dropping on a yearly basis. To make car insurance more affordable for your teen, you should be prepared to budget in that amount when purchasing them a used car.

Car insurance is also a good opportunity for students to learn responsibility. They should be able to help parents pay the premium through summer or part time jobs. They should also learn the effect that a traffic ticket or accident will have on their premium. They will also be able to see how being a good student allows you and them to save money on their insurance.

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The other day I was riding and found myself in a road paving project area. This was a project on a 4-lane road with 1/2 of the two lanes on my side paved… and the other 1/2 getting prepared for paving to continue. The problem is that the 1/2 that was paved was the left lane and this caused a height difference "ridge" of approximately 1 - 2 inches of asphalt between the two lanes (of course I was in the right "low-side" lane).

This wouldn’t have been a problem if I could have stayed in the lane I was in… but once into the paving area all cars had to merge from the right to the left lane. Speeds on this road were about 40 miles per hour and on a normal motorcycle this would have been scary enough! On a chopper (let alone a wide rear tire) it was one of the scariest things I have had to do. In the moment before the transition I tried to slow down as much as I could in the "bumper to bumper" traffic, gripped the handlebars firmly, and then once there was an opening in the traffic to move over I tried to make the "cut" at as sharp of an angle as was possible.

Let me just say that "I made it" but it was really an unstable situation for a few seconds. It made me remember why Driver Education schools teach you that "if your tire goes off the road… stay off the road and slow way down… and then sharply turn back on when there is a safe margin to do so" and that is in a 4-wheel CAR!

I think that was the closest I have come to "going down" on a bike in over 20 years… so, I am writing this down so I don’t forget. When you have to cross over and onto a ridge that is running parallel to your path of travel:

Slow down as much as possible (I didn’t do this enough). Get a large safety margin between other traffic (Wait for a large opening). Get a firm grip on the handlebars. Try to cross-over the ridge at a strong angle (don’t try to ease up on the ridge). I didn’t do any of these things very well and it almost ended in a crash. For me, my biggest mistake was #1… so next time I am faced with this I will be sure to slow down much more and get a better angle on the ridge.

Ride safe! Ron

With auto insurance premiums rising across the country, comparing premiums for similar auto insurance coverage has become the ultimate test of your shopping savvy. Have you checked with every insurer to be sure you’ll be paying the lowest premium for the most coverage? Did you check on all the discounts for which you might be eligible, such as good-grades discounts for your high school student, driver’s education and defensive driving course discounts, anti-theft device price breaks, and multi-car rates? Putting it all together to know you’re getting the best price is challenging, but the money you’ll save on your premiums makes the extra effort well worth it in the long run. Follow these three steps to be sure you’re making the right choice.

First, log onto http://www.naic.org to find out if there are any online resources that pertain to your area. This is the website for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Find the link to NAIC States and Jurisdictions. From there, you can find out if your state or area has a website listing the current rates of local auto insurance companies. If so, you’re already a step ahead of the game. Just keep in mind that the rates quoted on these sites cannot take your personal situation into account. If you have bad credit or a poor driving record, your premiums will probably be higher than those listed on your local insurance commissioner’s website, but at least you can study trends of different companies in your area from an unbiased source, making useful comparisons that can save you time when you’re calling around. Even if your state doesn’t have a site, the NAIC website contains consumer guides with valuable information to which you may want to refer during your search.

Next, you need to shop around for coverage. Be honest with the companies you call or visit online about your personal situation, your insurance needs, and your driving history. When you receive a quote, confirm that you know exactly how much coverage is being offered for the premium amount mentioned. Remember that your auto insurance is actually a group of several different types of coverage. Ask how much coverage the quoted premium provides to you and how much each coverage is worth. Make sure you’re comparing similar plans, and know what’s required by law in your state.

Finally, it’s time to talk discounts. Once you’ve narrowed your choices, compare the discounts offered from one insurer to another. Get a quote on the final premium amount after all discounts are taken. One insurer may offer you two discounts good for 5% each while another may offer you only one discount. However, if that one discount offers you a savings of 15% total, it will make more sense to purchase your policy from the second insurer. Take a look at the bottom line (the final premium amount) for a true comparison.

Look at the information the NAIC has to offer you, shop around for the lowest premium and best coverage, and make sure you receive every discount to which you’re entitled. If you follow these steps, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing you got the best auto insurance deal available to you.