Lean how our Teen Driving Smart Program affects your New York Car Insurance

It’s not Cool to Ride the School Bus?  Think Again!

School just started all across the country, and more and more teen drivers are driving to school.  Perhaps your child is one of them, or they catch a ride from one of their friends.  Driving to school is one of the best feelings a teen can have…they relish that taste of freedom.  What many parents don’t realize, however, is that vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury among 15 to 20-year olds.

Here are some facts that may or may not surprise you:

• 16-year old teens have higher crash rates then drivers of any other age.
• Teens are 3X more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than the average of all drivers.
• 63% of teenage passenger deaths occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager.
• According to the National Safely Council, 58% of teen drivers crash the car in their first year of driving, and over 80% in the first three years.
• Among deaths of passengers of all ages, 19% occurred when a teenager was driving.
• Teens who get less than 8 hours of sleep are twice as likely to say they have fallen asleep at the wheel than teens who report getting 8 or more hours per night.

What can parents do?  Parent involvement is KEY.  You need to work with your teen to establish certain rules, such as whether or not they should be driving with other teens in the car.  You can also work with them to get more sleep.  And consider driving them to school or having them take the bus in the morning on certain days, even if it not cool!

However, because they will be developing their driving skills, you will need to think about how this will affect your insurance needs.  The Alliance Group of Western NY  has special programs in place to help you protect your assets, while cutting your insurance costs.  Visit www.alliance-group.net to find out more!

(Ref:  IIHS, NHTSA, National Safety Council)