One of the scariest moments of a parent’s life is when they hand a teen the car keys and watch one of their most precious possessions, their own flesh and blood, roll out of the driveway. Most parents wonder at this moment whether their kids are really ready for the massive responsibility of driving a car. Will their teen follow the rules of the road? Will she take unnecessary chances in the vehicle? Do their kids really understand how quickly a car can spin out of control or how it takes just a moment’s inattention to cause a serious accident?
Many parents find that driving adds a whole new set of issues to argue about with their teens. Some parents find that creating a safe driving contract helps everyone in the family get on the same page with regards to driving. This contract outlines what parents expect of teens when they are on the road. Use the following ideas to craft a safe driving contract for your own kids.
Passengers
Do you want to allow your teen driver to transport friends across town? If so, you should specify how many passengers are permitted in the car. Remember that having other teens in the car can cause the driver to become distracted and possibly cause an accident.
Late Nights
With the busy schedules that most teens keep, you may want to discuss what time you need your teen to be home. Emphasize that this is a safety issue, rather than a control issue, since sleepy driving can cause accidents.
No Drinking and Driving
Many teens know this already, but don’t be afraid to write it down to emphasize how very foolish the choice to drink and drive is. Tell them that they can always call you to get a ride home, even if they are ashamed of where they are and who they are with.
Tickets and Accidents
Spell out the consequences of moving violations and accidents. You may want your teen to pay for his own tickets and pay for repairs to the car if the accident is his fault.
No Texting and Driving
Tell your teen that the cell phone should be on silent and out of his reach while driving. Even reading an incoming text can be dangerous while driving.
After you have written down your thoughts about safe driving, discuss the points of the contract with your teen. Be sure to keep the conversation positive and affirming, and remind your teen that driving is a privilege. If he wants to keep this privilege, he has to play by your rules, even if he thinks they are overprotective and silly.
If you need advice about your teen’s auto insurance, contact Scurich Insurance Services today!
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As parents, sometimes we never want our kids to grow up. It is no secret that adding a teen driver to your California auto insurance is a costly choice. In some cases, you might see your insurance premium double almost overnight when you add your teen. There is good reason for this jump in price as the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) notes that car crashes are the top cause of death for people ages 15 to 19. There are ways you can save money though.
Take a Safe Driving Course
With accident rates disproportionately higher for teen drivers than for other segment of the population, more education can help tip the balance. Taking a safe driving course can give your teen valuable skills while teaching them to be a more defensive driver. Many insurance companies provide discounts for the successful completion of such a course.
Purchase an Older Car
While every teen wants a brand new sports car as their first set of wheels, the insurance on such a vehicle will be quite high — especially when combined with the hit your premium will take for having your teen on your insurance plan in the first place. Consider getting your freshly-minted teen driver an older set of wheels. While new cars tend to have safety features that many older cars lack, buying a used car that is a few years old can provide you with a good compromise.
Be a Good Student
Many insurance companies want to reward teens that are also good students. While the criteria can vary depending on the insurance company, if your student is on the honor roll or dean’s list, is in the top 20 percent of standardized tests or maintains a B average or above, they could be eligible for a significant discount on their insurance.
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The moment has finally arrived — you’ve done all the research, test driven your favorites and decided on the brand new car you want to buy. You simply need to make a down payment, call your insurance company and drive that baby home. Since you have full coverage on your brand new wheels, you’re all set in case the unthinkable happens, right? Not so fast!
Insurance and Your Vehicle
It’s a well-known fact that the minute you drive your vehicle off the car lot, it starts depreciating. This is because your brand new car is now considered to be used and its value declines sharply. In fact, the average car loses about 30 percent of its value in the first year alone. This is important to know because without gap insurance, your insurance coverage may pay only for its current value, not what it would cost you to replace it.
Gap Insurance Explained
Gap insurance is designed to cover the shortfall that often exists between the amount your insurance company is willing to pay for your vehicle and what it would cost you to replace it. While you might think this amount is nominal, it could add up to being several thousand dollars. This could make it difficult for you to enjoy a comparable vehicle.
Do You Need Gap Insurance?
There are certain situations when you should consider gap insurance — if you put less than 20 percent down, if your car loan is for five or more years, if you put more than 15,000 miles on your vehicle each year, if you combined negative equity from another vehicle into your current loan or if you lease your vehicle. If you own your vehicle outright or if you have a great deal of equity in it, you probably don’t need gap insurance.
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Most people are always on the lookout for ways to save money. You might think that items that are mandatory, such as auto insurance, do not offer you many options to do so. However, you could be overlooking a quick and easy way of saving money each year on your insurance premiums simply by not accurately reporting your annual mileage.
Low Mileage = Discount
Insurance companies look at the risk you bring to the table when they determine the rate you pay. The lower your risk, the lower your premiums. If you drive fewer miles than their benchmark figure, you will likely get a discount. While the actual mileage varies with each insurance provider, most use a figure between 7,500 and 15,000 miles annually.
Annual Mileage Reporting
There are a few life circumstances that make it more likely that you are driving under the cap of annual miles set by your insurance company. Adding a second car that is only used for errands is one such example. Retirees who no longer commute to work each day could be eligible for a discount. If you work at home, your annual mileage figures could be reduced enough to allow your annual mileage to fall under the cap. Seniors that do not drive often are another segment of the population that could qualify.
Taking Advantage of the Discount
Depending on your insurance company, you could receive a survey in the mail about your driving habits. Filling this out and returning it to your insurance company gives them the tools they need to they can determine if you are eligible for the discount. Alternatively, you could also contact your insurance company and ask them if you qualify for the low-mileage discount.
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As the winter months approach, more people will find themselves driving on wet roads from the additional amount of rainfall. Unfortunately, many drivers experience rate hikes in insurance premiums as a result of minor fender-benders in the rain; however, by taking a few small steps to improve driving skills during wet roads, drivers can avoid the majority of road condition-related accidents.
Tires
Ultimately, your tires are the only real thing touching the pavement, and in so doing, they are the only thing capable of coming to a stop when you apply the brakes. Every three-months or when you have an oil change, check the tread depth of your tires. If the tread has worn away to less than one-fourth inch, you need to replace the tires. The simplest means of checking the tread depth uses a penny. Turn a penny upside-down and stick it with Lincoln’s head pointing towards the inside of the tire. If you are able to see his head, your tread is too low.
Windshield Wipers
While windshield wipers may not sound like they will prevent a terrible accident, they allow you to have clarity when driving during the rain or while the road is still wet. As the blades age, they crack, chip, and wear away. If you notice unusual streaking or a lack of removal of raindrops, you need to replace your windshield wipers. Most modern vehicles possess universal windshield wiper attachments, and you can change them in less than 5-minutes.
Headlights and Taillights
Every six-months, check the clarity of your headlights, taillights, turn signals, and any other safety lights on your vehicle. Dull lights can result in other drivers being unable to see your vehicle approaching. Furthermore, you will not be able to see the road clearly, especially during heavy rain.
Slow Down
Although making sure your tires, windshield wipers, and lights work properly, you still need to be careful with your speed when the road is wet. High speeds and wet roads result in delayed reactions to potentially hazardous situations with other drivers. Take plenty of time while driving on wet roads, and you will stay safe and keep your insurance premiums in check.
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The modern world prides itself on advances in technology and progress. Two impactful transformations are the automobile and mobile phones – the cellular phone appeared decades after the first vehicle. Today, those two inventions cross paths as the demand for constant communication leads to cellphones being utilized in the car for speaking, texting, social updates, email and more. The question worth exploring is are these uses a necessity or a driving distraction?
Fully grasping this question, it’s worth agreeing that driving requires attention for optimum safety. That being said, even without technological devices accidents still occurred. The fact that attention is diverted is not a valid reason for labeling phones a distraction. On the flip side, many raise that mobile communication while driving is a business necessity and the benefits outweigh those accidents caused by phones. This also cannot be entirely relied upon, because there are many who use phones on the road without any real importance. A different perspective can shed light on this topic.
Clearly, each point on both sides can be countered. That being said, the stronger more emotional pitch is that phones are distractive and the driver’s shift of attention is the direct cause of accidents, outweighing any business necessity. Looking at this issue differently reveals a similar result for a different reason. It’s that mobile phones are a necessity and driving can be distractive to important communications that demand full attention. Drivers should take into account the obvious, that phones distract attention from driving, but the business addict arguing necessity should recognize that one cannot fully focus on the conference call, email, or text when the brain is balancing the coordination and attention to the road. The balance can be having the access to phones while adhering to local laws and bowing to the fact that necessary communications and driving are both derailed by the combination of mobile phones and cars – just not a winning pair.
Content provided by Transformer Marketing.
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