Drivers aged 16 to 19 have the highest premium on average, 80% higher than older drivers.
Compared to Other Age Groups
Teen drivers are involved in less overall accidents when compared to other age groups. However, teens have higher accident rates per miles driven than any other age group. The 16 – 19 age group drives fewer miles overall than drivers aged 20 – 65. Yet, they have more accidents than drivers aged 25 and older. Teen drivers have the highest accident rates with 16-17 year old drivers having crash rates twice that of 18-19 year old drivers and 4.5x higher than 30 – 59 year old drivers. Teen drivers not only have the highest accident rates they also have the highest injury rates. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one cause of death among teens.
There are multiple reasons for this discrepancy and these reasons negatively affect teenage driver insurance rates.
Main Reasons
One major reason for this discrepancy is inexperience. They say it takes ten years of consistent work to master anything. Operating a vehicle is no different. Young drivers simply have not had the time to craft good habits and proper responses to the many complications that arise when driving.
Distracted driving is another major reason teens are involved in a disproportionate amount of accidents. Accidents have been increasing over the past nine years in general due largely to distracted driving increasing. Distracted driving is anything that takes a drivers hands off the wheel, eyes off the road or attention away from the task of driving. The most common distraction is cell phone use. 21% of teenage drivers involved in a car accident were distracted by their cell phones. Drivers aged 16 – 19 that are involved in accidents are more likely to be texting and driving than drinking and driving. As the prevalence of technology increases distracted driving continues to increase as well.
Young drivers are also the most likely to engage in unsafe driving behaviors such as not wearing a seatbelt and speeding.
Teenage Drivers and Insurance Rates
Youth versus experience is a common trope. Young drivers, who are the most inexperienced, are also the most likely to text while driving and the least likely to be wearing their seat belt. Because of this lack of experience and higher likeliness to engage in reckless behaviors youth drivers (and whoever has them under their insurance plan) foot the bill for the entire age group. Unfortunately, teenage driver insurance rates are not likely to decrease. The good news is that after a person becomes 25 car insurance rates are likely to begin decreasing.
Contact us at Konen Insurance. We can help you choose the best options for the young drivers on your plan.
