It’s always going to be more expensive to get new driver car insurance than it will be for more experienced drivers. That’s because insurance companies simply know that new drivers are less experienced and are more willing to take risks, which makes them more risky to insure. However, there are some things you can do to make sure your car insurance costs are lower, and that you truly can get affordable new driver car insurance.
Here are some things you can do:
Get good grades
If you’re in school (whether high school, community college, or university), get good grades. Students with a GPA of 3.0 or above are often offered lower rates by insurance companies than those with lower grades.
Keep a clean police record
It might surprise you to know that being an Eagle Scout, serving as a candy striper, or doing other community service work may also make you look good to insurance companies. And because of that, you may also lower your rates.
Drive a sensible car
Even though a cool sports car may be your dream, it’s a nightmare when it comes to your insurance rates. If you want affordable new driver car insurance, you need a car that’s both safe and sensible. Choose a sedan or some other “low profile” safe model, and choose one that’s gotten good safety ratings, too.
Safety features count
Getting a car with automatic seat-belts, anti-lock brakes, and side impact airbags can get you a discount. Cars have newer safety features too, like stability control, and this may give younger drivers a leg up when it comes to insurance premiums if they have these features.
Be a safe driver
This may be a no-brainier, but young drivers already have a disadvantage when it comes to insurance rates because insurance companies know they take more risks and are less careful with their driving than more experienced drivers are. However, if you can demonstrate that you are safe driver by not breaking any laws — no moving violations, no speeding tickets, no accidents — you’ll do a better job of getting good insurance rates, too.
Driver safety classes can help
Driver safety classes can help regardless of whether or not you’ve gotten into trouble already, but they are especially important if you have already gotten a moving violation. If you’re a young driver and you have gotten a moving violation, you’re going to get a double whammy. You’ll be penalized more both in insurance rates and in your driving record for the same violations a more experienced driver gets, just because of your age and experience level. However, taking some driver safety classes can show the insurance company are serious about cleaning up your act, so to speak, and therefore can lower insurance rates so that you can get affordable new driver car insurance.
Car color?
Experts are mixed on this one; there’s a pretty prevalent “myth” of sorts that if you have a red or black car, your insurance rates are going to be higher. MOST experts say that this isn’t true, but a few experts have hedged their bets simply because insurance companies can set their own standards as to what causes rates to spike or level off. So just to be on the safe side, you may want to drive a car that is NOT red or black. There is affordable new driver car insurance out there, but you have to be willing to do your homework and adjust your own behavior to qualify, too. Do things right, though, and you could end up with a little bit more money in your pocket.