Car Insurance for New Jersey Teens Is High

Posted in Auto Insurance

August 13th, 2009

Residents of New Jersey already pay slightly higher car insurance rates than the rest of the nation, but teens in the Garden State are especially hard-hit by pricey car insurance premiums. This fact has been confirmed by the Ratewatch Report from Insurance.com, which calculates that New Jersey is, in fact, the second-most expensive state in America for teen car insurance. According to this study, New Jersey teens pay an average of $6,200 a year for car insurance. That number is second only to the state of Louisiana, where it costs a whopping $7,900 to insure teen drivers.

If you live in New Jersey and are a teen driver or the parent of a teen driver and you’re going to be paying for their car insurance, you’re probably not happy to learn of these statistics. Don’t forget, however, that there are things you can do to help lower the cost of car insurance. One thing you can do is to earn the “good student” classification from your driving instructor. This can reduce the price of car insurance by as much as 15%.

Another smart tactic for lowering your teen’s car insurance premium is by getting very involved in his or her driving education. This can’t really be qualified, of course, but the bottom line is that if you spend a lot of time coaching your son or daughter behind the wheel they’re going to be a better driver. You’ll see where they need help and you can work on those problem areas together. Parents can also help out by setting a curfew. Statistics show that most accidents involving teen drivers occur at night. By limiting your son or daughter’s night time driving you’ll be taking them off the road during peak accident hours.

Finally, another important way to lower teen car insurance is by plain old comparison-shopping. Don’t take your first rate quotes at face value. By digging and searching, you’re increasing your chances of finding a better rate or a company that caters to teenage drivers.