Study Reveals That After School is a Dangerous Time for Teens

Most parents have always been concerned about their teen driver children when they head out on the road at night. And rightfully so. Driving at night is a very dangerous time for teens. But, a recent study shows that the time right after school is also a very high risk time for teen drivers.A study by AAA indicates that weekday afternoon driving time is almost as dangerous for teens as night driving. The researchers studied the number of fatal crashes involving teens between 2002 and 2005.

They found that 16 and 17 years olds were involved in almost as many fatal crashes between 3 and 5 pm on weekdays as they were on Friday and Saturday nights between 9 pm and 2 am. There were 1100 weekday fatal accidents and 1237 weekend evening fatal accidents.

This month, I want to share with you another costly mistake I find many parents make when insuring their teen driver.

Place the young driver on a separate policy- This is usually one of the first options many parents consider. They think if they buy a separate policy for their teen driver, the rates for their other cars won't go up.

This is a myth for three reasons:

First, there won't be a multi-policy discount for the single car on the teen's policy. This discount is usually significant and you'll lose that savings.

Second, you will have to buy your teen's policy from a "high-risk" insurer. "High-risk" insurance companies charge rates that are more than double the rates of a standard company.

Third, and the most costly reason, is that you won't be able to get the right coverage required for teen drivers from a "high-risk" insurance company. These companies offer lower liability limits because the drivers they insure have more claims that result in high lawsuits. So, they limit their exposure for each driver. And since, teen drivers have a history of high claims, this may not be enough coverage if your teen causes a serious accident. You, as the parent, will then be at risk for a lawsuit.

To make sure you and your family are properly protected, call my office today at 951.600.5751. We'll review your coverage and discuss changes that will benfit your family.