There was a time when teenagers actually chomped at the bit when it came to getting their driver’s license. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that most of us born before 1980 spent at least a small part of our sixteenth birthday standing in line at the DMV, waiting to take our driving test.
Today, for whatever reason, kids don’t seem to be quite so eager to drive; why, I can’t say for sure, although I strongly suspect the Internet, social media and other platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Skype have more than a little something to do with that.
I bring this up because I fully expect both of my teenagers, Matthew (17) and Nina (15), to have their driver’s license before the end of the year. And while I find that to be just as exciting as my kids do, it also comes with a little trepidation on my part, mainly because I know that teens and cars can be dangerous combination. For that reason, I also realize that once my kids start driving, my auto insurance premiums are going to necessarily skyrocket.
Of course, that’s just the way it is. Although I haven’t called my insurance company yet to verify how much more expensive it will be to add my kids to our household auto insurance bill, I have a fair idea based upon the latest research provided by Find the Best.
The following interactive map shows the percentage increase in each state for a couple between the ages of 38 and 48 who add a 17-year-old driver to their insurance plan.
In my case, adding just one teenage driver to my our current auto policy will increase the average premium in California by 89%. That’s going to smart financially, considering that the Honeybee and I currently pay about $1800 per year on our three cars: a 1997 Honda Civic, a 2001 Honda Odyssey, and a 2013 Honda Accord.
You know, on second thought, maybe I should be glad kids aren’t as enthusiastic about driving as they used to be.
Photo Credit: eric milet; Infographic: FindTheBest
Your $1800 quote for auto insurance is meaningless without knowing the levels of coverage. For example, I
insure a 2010 and 2014 hyundai sonata (2 drivers) as follows:
$500,000 liability each accident: $920 annual premium; collision : $380; other than collision loss:$90; uninsured motorist coverage (vital particularly in California): $160. Many are driving with inadequate coverage.
Agree! These days, some kids would just love to hang around in the back seat and tinker with their phones.
Most kids are less athletic and active nowadays. I don’t know if I should be happy about it because that makes them uninterested in driving and in doing physical activity. 🙁
Hm. I dunno. I grew up in the country, so a DL was necessary.
My kids are living in a small city/ burbs in So Cal. They can bike, walk, or bus anywhere.
Of course, oldest is not yet 9, so I have a ways.