Finding Cheap Car Insurance For Teenage Drivers in Wahington

Finding cheap car insurance can be quite an ordeal, especially when it comes to adding a teen driver to your policy. Your premiums can sky rocket when this time comes, and its not something most look forward to paying for.  A parent adding a male teen to their policy can expect their new rate to run as high as $6,186, and in some cases 227% higher than insuring an adult driver alone, and a teen buying their own policy can be even more expensive. We can help walk you through the decision making process, the discounts and special instances that might apply to hopefully lead you into the cheapest auto insurance for your teen.

First of all, as we said in a previous post, usually the best way to go is to add the young driver to the adult’s insurance policy. In addition to taking this first step, there are some other areas you need to research, compare and discover to ensure you find the best company and cheapest rate.

Let’s Start From The Beginning

1. Know your timing. Most insurance companies will contact you prior to your child even getting their license because they have your children’s birthdates in their system. They ask you when you get set up. This makes it a bit easier because they contact you. Try contacting them as soon as your teenager has their learners permit if they haven’t contacted you yet. This will give you time to shop policies and get their rates ahead of time, rather than rushing just as your child walks out the door with a pass on their drivers license test. Chances are excellent your existing car insurance company will contact you proactively. How do they know?  In general, permitted drivers are automatically covered as a part of the parent or guardian’s policy with no action needed on your part, but when they do have a true driver’s license, even provisional, they will need to be on your policy or get their own.
2. Get ready to compare quotes. Its worth your time to call around and compare quotes. Washington is one of the higher premium states for teen drivers, so expect your premiums to jump up quite a bit with all the companies. But, even with in the general jump, each company charges different prices, so you want to call around. You are welcome to have us do that for you. We are well versed in all the different rates offered by various companies, and we can take that leg work out for you. No matter what, its important that you call, or have us take care of it for you.
3. Understand available discounts. We know all the available discounts to ensure you have the cheapest rates, so make sure that if you are researching on your own you know what’s available and what you might qualify for. Otherwise, there could be discounts to lower your rates that you won’t know to ask for.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia now have a Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) system, which we describe more in detail here, and according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). GDL programs save lives. A study by the IIHS found states with stronger graduated licensing programs had a 30% lower fatal crash rate for 15- to 17-year olds.

How much is car insurance for teens?
As we mentioned, it gets expensive when you have a teen driver. The less experienced they are, the higher their premiums. They are just proven to be riskier to ensure. Young drivers are far more likely to get into car accidents than older drivers. The risk is highest with 16-year-olds, who have a crash rate twice as high as 18- and 19-year-olds. That risk is reflected in the average car insurance rates for teenagers (multiple ages shown for easy comparison):

Teen Drivers General Rates
16-year-old – $3,989
17-year-old – $3,522
18-year-old – $3,148
19-year-old – $2,178
20-year-old – $1,945

Various Company Costs Female and Male Average
Company 1 $2,646 $2,961 $2,804
Company 2 $2,607 $3,472 $3,040
Company 3 $5,613 $8,966 $7,290
Company 4 $2,640 $3,080 $2,860
Company 5 $2,642 $3,454 $3,048
Company 6 $2,030 $2,064 $2,047
Average $3,030 $3,999 $3,515

See, various companies give various discounts and prices. Its not the same everywhere, and the hunt is necessary to get the cheapest auto insurance for your teenager in Washington. Let us get you the lowest rate. We’ve been doing this for year, we are experts, and we can take care of everything for you with just a quick phone call, or a quick quote request.