There is a moment in almost every teenage driver when his dad calls him for a talk about his car insurance in Virginia. It is not like teenagers that live in the other states don’t have that problem, but teenagers in VA have a much bigger problem considering the insurance rates in this state. The talk is how they managed to raise their premiums so high? Many parents pay for their children’s rates and are stunned when the premiums arrive. Their inexperience and reckless is what brings them troubles with their car insurance. Here are some of the most common mistakes they do and that skyrocket their premiums. If you are teenage driver you will find what follows very helpful and you might even recognize yourself in some of the situations.
1. Lending the car to friends
Even though at that point that might look like doing your friend a favor you need to avoid such situation as much as possible. In case your friend is involved in a car accident your car insurance premiums will suffer as well. Insurance companies don’t like when that happens and as a result increase policyholder’s premiums. Therefore, try to avoid borrowing your car if you want your premiums not to grow.
2. Buying new fancy car
Having a great cool ride is every teenager’s dream. However, there is a downside to that. The insurance companies assign much higher premiums to new cars because they cost more to be repaired in case of an accident. Plus, if you add that the new car will be driven by an inexperienced teenager you get record high rates. Almost everyone that knows how insurance companies operate and think will recommend you to wait a year or two before you get your brand new car. Not only that you will get much lower premiums but you will become more experience in driving.
3. Making frequent claims
Teenage drivers often make this mistake, making a claim for every little thing. The results are raised premiums by the end of the year. They don’t know that often claims raise red flags with insurers, they see you as a risky customer and add higher premiums to you as a result of that. The solution to that is to pay for the small staff from your own pocket. On the short run might look like unnecessary and pointless but on the long run it’s a money saving move, in terms of lower car insurance premiums.
4. Making modifications
The more you modify your vehicle the more you increase its value and with that your insurance premiums. You are obligated by your insurance contract to notify your insurer about any modification. If you fail to do so your policy can be revoked. Therefore, either you don’t do that or you tell your insurer and expect higher premiums.
5. DWI
This is the main reason why teenage drivers pay the highest premiums. Driving while intoxicated is the number one cause for many car accidents as well as for many record high car insurance premiums. The best advice is don’t drink and drive. Simple as that, it can mean a great deal for you in the future. Many adults regret that they did that when they were young drivers, many of them still pay high premiums.
Another thing that many teenagers don’t bother to do is to get free quotes for comparison even so they are constantly online doing their things. If you are a driver, teenage or not, and you want to find the cheapest car insurance in Virginia, enter your zip on the top of this page and see how much you can save. It’s fast and free. Try it now!
