 | rad Train is the General Manager overseeing day-to-day operations of Saturn West & Saturn East for the owner Scott Davies. He joined the Wichita Saturn team in 1994 as a Sales Consultant, after 3 years he entered the Saturn Management Team. Brad is a graduate of Southeast High and Butler Community College. He and his wife Michelle have 3 children; Shelby, Andrew and Jacob. You can contact Brad at (316)219-5500, or by e-mail at bradtrain@saturnwichita.com |
Cars, Trucks, Vans & Automotive
2004-09-01 10:57:00
Tips for buying car for teen driver & insurance
: Any tips for purchasing a "school car" for my teen? Are insurance rates going to be a big problem?
ANSWER: Welcome to the stresses of the teen years. Not only do parents worry about putting a teen behind the wheel of a car (any car) they have to weigh a number of options about teen auto insurance. Driving the family's older car, could save hundreds of dollars a year in insurance premiums, but having the teen drive a newer, more up-to-date car could save the stress of sleepless nights. Gender plays a significant role in the cost of insurance. A family's rate could double when a teenage girl is added to the policy, but could triple with the addition of a teen boy. Since teenagers have little experience behind the wheel, insurers view them as high-risk drivers. Insurers base their auto rates on how likely a driver will get into a crash, and statistics show that young, inexperienced drivers account for a disproportionate share of crashes. When shopping for a vehicle for your teen, avoid the sporty, high-performance vehicles that get teenagers in trouble and insurers frown upon. Some consumer groups also advise against letting teens drive sport-utility vehicles. SUVs, while popular, have a higher center of gravity and are more prone to rollovers than are lower-to-the-ground automobiles. A teen owning an old clunker and getting their own insurance policy for that car can be more cost effective than if they were driving a brand-new car. Older, less expensive cars tend to be viewed as lower risk for insurers because they don't usually cost as much to repair and have been depreciated to a great degree. In addition, policyholders can (and often do) save money on these old cars by not carrying as much collision and comprehensive coverage as they would on a new car. But, while a 1990 full-sized sedan might have a good amount of sheet metal to crumple in a crash, it won't have current safety features such as frontal and side airbags. It won't have the latest in crash avoidance features such as anti-lock brakes (ABS) or electronic stability control. Make sure your teen has completed a driver's education course, and check beforehand with insurers about the kinds of courses that qualify for an insurer's driver education discount. Also find out if a defensive driving course can help reduce premiums. And note that if a teen takes driver-training classes on more modern vehicles, he may need to learn new skills before settling behind the wheel of an older model car. For example, teens often learn to drive in vehicles that are equipped with ABS. The panic-braking procedures in a new car with ABS are different than what a driver should do during a panic stop in a car without ABS. Make sure your teenager has learned the most effective use of the brakes on the car being driven. Spend time traveling with your teenager and model good driving skills. Convince your teen of the need to behave responsibly behind the wheel, and discuss the consequences of irresponsible behavior. You may want to impose a curfew to reduce your teen's exposure to dangerous, late-at-night travel hours. You also might want to limit the kinds and numbers of friends who ride with your child, because a recent study indicated the greater the number of teens riding together, the more likely it is that a crash will occur.
