Reaching that legal driving age sure is exciting! As teenagers reach that 15.5 years old corner, the most significant and life changing event is being able to drive. I remember when I first learned how to drive, I was so excited with my hormones off the chart while trying to not forget about safety. Now as a parent, I can see why putting a teenager behind the wheels can be very dangerous, hence the ridiculous high insurance premium.

Teenagers are not only filled with hormones and emotions, their brains are still developing and not stabilized. For example, studies have shown that the development of reasoning, judgment, willpower, and restraint do not mature until the late teens. Don’t forget the emotional aspect as well, can hinder one’s ability to drive safely. It often can seem like the first couple of months is just fine, when the teenage driver is cautious and learning how to manipulate a car. However, shortly after just learning the mechanics and responsibilities of driving, they think they know everything and start to forget about safety. This is just one of the prices that a parent pays for teenage freedom and another opportunity for their child to develop independence and responsibility.

There are so many terrifying statistics out there that consistently show that car crashes are still the leading cause of death for 15 to 20 year-olds. How devastating this is for parents to see, hear, and to be surrounded by this type of information? Is this worth the freedom for one’s teenage daughter or son? Do teenagers pay attention to this type of statistics? Do they consider the type of stress the parents might be under before getting behind the wheel?

Now, that’s just one major challenge and painful experience on having a teenager getting ready to drive. Lets talk insurance and the premium, which causes not only mental pain but physical pain! What does it really cost to insure a teenage driver? The cost of adding a teenager to the parents’ insurance typically jacks up the cost by at least 50% and can go as high as 200%! No, I am not joking, there are many insurance statistics that fall within this range. Despite the ridiculous hike in insurance premium, there are ways to help lower the cost.

With this type of insurance premium, every bit of discount for the teenager is valuable and add up significantly. Some of the more common ways to reduce the cost of teenage drivers’ insurance premium is to shop around—for different insurance companies and type of car. You’ll be surprised at how different the premium can be depending on the insurance company. Don’t forget that older cars that are 4-door (sedan) typically cost less to insure. Driver’s education will get you discount as well, from 5% and up to about 15%! Plus, it is a good starting point for new teenage to-be drivers to learn about driving skills, safety and responsibilities. Good student discount is very worthwhile, so make sure the teenage driver keeps the grades up! If you are a teenager reading this hoping to get behind the wheels soon, don’t forget to include ways you can help your parents save on insurance premium and how you can alleviate some of their stress and worries by keeping safety as the number one priority!