Frequently Asked Questions: Insuring a Young Driver

Why is insuring a young driver so expensive?

Teen drivers account for a disproportionate number of traffic accidents. Inexperience is a major factor and unfortunately the statistics speak for themselves — drivers age 16 to 19 have the highest crash rate of any segment of drivers, and therefore are more costly to insure.

My teenager has started to drive; do I need to add him or her to my insurance policy?

Yes. Many states do not require a teenager with a learner’s permit to be added to the family’s auto policy, but all states require notifying your insurance company when he or she obtains a license. Contact your insurance Agent at each step of the process to be certain that your son or daughter is covered.

What can I do to minimize the additional cost of insuring my young driver?

• Ask your Agent to provide prices for adding your son or daughter to your policy and for purchasing a separate policy.
• Inform your insurance Agent if your teenager is living away from home while attending school and will not have access to a car. You may receive a discount for the time he or she isn’t around to drive the car.
• Put your teen in a safe car. Avoid high performance cars and small cars that offer little crash protection. The type of car a young person drives can significantly affect the price of insurance. Refer to ERIE’s Safe Car Guide for more information.
• Talk about the importance of safe driving practices regularly. Even as your teenager gets more experience driving, he or she needs to be reminded about the risk factors of the road. Remaining crash-free and without traffic violations will not only keep your teenager safe, but will help keep your insurance rates from increasing.
• You might qualify for a youthful driver discount from Erie Insurance. Contact your ERIE Agent or refer to our Agent Locator to find an Agent near you.

What are the leading causes of teen crashes?

Fatal crashes involving young drivers typically are single-vehicle crashes, primarily run-off-the-road crashes that involve driver error and/or speeding. They often occur when other young people are in the vehicle with the young driver, so teenagers are involved in a disproportionately higher number of crashes as passengers as well as drivers. (Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)

My son or daughter is taking driver’s education courses at school; is that enough instruction?

Driver’s education courses typically provide the basis for beginning drivers to learn the rules of the road, but driver’s education classes should not be relied upon to be the sole source of learning for a new driver. Spend time with your young driver studying the driver’s manual, on the road behind the wheel, and outside the car covering general vehicle maintenance. You might also consider additional instruction from a local driving school or from a qualified professional.

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