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Free Insurance Quotes For Teen Drivers

July 22, 2011 By 15 Comments

Article by lou dankins

A driver’s license-for teenagers it’s a ticket to freedom, a big step on their way to adulthood, and a first taste of independence. Teens with a driver’s license and a set of car keys-for the first time in their lives-can venture out on their own, no longer relying on mom, dad, or big brother or sister to shuttle them from one place to another. Months earlier you couldn’t get your teenager off the couch. But with their newly acquired access to mobility, it becomes difficult to keep them in the driveway. Teens aren’t thinking about getting free insurance quotes. They just want those car keys.

Freedom always comes at a price and with increased responsibility. Literal costs include expenses like car insurance, gas, tolls and possibly even a new vehicle. Having access to new things and new places, being behind the wheel of the family car, or driving yourself to a new job all result in added responsibility.

All that said, the reality is that many teens may not be ready for the responsibility that comes along with having a newly acquired driver’s license. In a 2004 study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, researchers McCarthy and Brown report that in the period immediately after obtaining their license, teens are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors such as drinking and smoking marijuana. This should be a warning to parents to keep an extra-close and diligent watch on their teen’s behavior during this time.This plays a big role as to why young drivers have high insurance rates. With the ability to travel to new places and meet new people, teenagers gain easier access to many worrisome situations.

The saddest reality however, is that the price paid by a new teen driver is all too often their own life, the lives of their passengers or the lives of those in another car. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among 15- to 20-year-olds in the United States. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis (NCSA) reports “in 2003, 3,657 drivers 15-20 years old were killed, and an additional 308,000 were injured, in motor vehicle crashes.”

It is ultimately up to the licensed teen to drive safely but there are a number of factors that lead to a higher rate of accidents and deaths among this age group. Before blindly handing your keys over to your new driver, here are several risk factors parents and their new teen drivers should discuss together:

Inexperience-Teen drivers are far less experienced behind the wheel. As a result, they are less likely to react to unusual driving circumstances in necessary time and the correct manner. They also often underestimate hazardous situations. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that “compared with crashes of older drivers, those of 16-year-olds more often involve driver error.” Not surprisingly, that age group also has the highest accident rate per mile driven. Practice may not ever make for perfect drivers, but it is a big help.

Risk seeking-One aspect of adolescence that hasn’t changed since parents were teenagers themselves is that teens still believe they are invincible and invulnerable. An “invincible” teen and car keys can be a deadly combination. Young and immature drivers often deliberately seek out dangerous situations. The exhilaration of a “close call” inspires them to push limits even farther. In 2004, the National Institute for Mental Health found that late adolescents have yet to fully develop the part of the brain that moderates risk taking. Young drivers are more likely to tailgate, speed and change lanes quickly without realizing the danger.

Speeding-Teens feel the need for speed. According to the IHHS, “16 year-old drivers have a higher rate of crashes in which excessive speed is a factor.” Among fatal crashes from 1983-2002, the proportion of drivers who were speeding was highest among 15- to 20-year-olds (nearly 40 percent), and higher than any other age group (NCSA). Since the advent of muscle cars, teens have been drawn toward power and speed. Today’s lighter, smaller and faster cars allow teens to reach incredibly dangerous speeds while leaving them with very little protection. Police report catching teens driving in excess of 180 MPH. Air bags and other safety devices are rendered useless at such speeds. A survey of California teens found that young drivers only felt as though they were speeding when driving 90+ MPH. Movies and countless auto racing video games such as Burnout and Need for Speed may also fuel the fire and encourage teens to put the pedal to the metal.

Street racing-What the film American Graffiti did to help an earlier generation of teens rediscover drag racing, The Fast and the Furious and its sequel did to ignite interest in street racing among today’s new breed of young, import driving, thrill-seeking teens. Long popular in California, street racing has become influential across the nation. Street racing was listed as a factor in 135 fatal crashes in 2001 (the same year The Fast and the Furious was released), nearly double the amount in 2000, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s a stretch to suggest that media has little or no impact on teen behavior. While the number of teens who participate in street racing is difficult to quantify, evidence of the growing popularity of the street racing culture is hard to ignore. Drivers modify their cars to improve performance, speed and acceleration. Modifications include spoilers, computer chips, turbochargers and even nitrous-oxide kits. However, as one fatally injured teen’s mother says, “You don’t have to have a souped-up car to drive fast.”

Underage/unlicensed driving-The Children’s Safety Network reported 2,452 fatal crashes involving unlicensed young drivers from 1998-2002. This astonishing figure points to the fact that many more underage and unlicensed drivers are now on the road. Recent teen movies such as Sleepover have glorified underage driving. The article, “The Young and the Reckless,” in the July 2005 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine reports that many parents actually allow and encourage this behavior! A goodhousekeeping.com survey offered these results: “75 percent of people said they or their friends had driven a car before they were licensed, 53 percent of parents said they knew their kids had driven without a license, and 44 percent of parents said they allowed their unlicensed teenager to drive.”

Drunk driving-The statistics about drunk driving among our young (who are, by the way, drinking illegally) prove truly troubling. NHTSA reports that of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in crashes in 2003, 31 percent had been drinking. MADD states, “In 2001, 2.8 million college students drove a car while under the influence of alcohol.” According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 17 percent of all people ages 16-20 reported driving under the influence of alcohol. Only 4 percent were arrested and booked. Drunk driving among young male drivers is much higher than among females. Parents, be aware that passengers are at great risk as well. A national survey conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports three out of 10 teens had ridden with a drunk driver within the previous month.

Drugged driving-Monitoring the Future, an ongoing study tracking trends in teen drug and alcohol use, reveals that one in six high school seniors admitted to driving under the influence of marijuana. High school seniors driving under the influence of marijuana caused about 38,000 accidents in 2001 alone. While marijuana use is highest, other illicit drugs are used behind the wheel as well. Stephen Wallace, CEO of SADD, says, “many (teens) believe that driving under the influence of marijuana poses little risk of impaired operation.” Some 41 percent of teens aren’t worried about driving after using illegal drugs according to a SADD/Liberty Mutual poll. Among teens who regularly use drugs, 57 percent say they would have no problem riding as a passenger in a drugged driver’s car, and 68 percent admit to driving under the influence themselves.

Cell phone use-It seems everyone is driving with one hand on the wheel, while talking on their cell phone with the other. The IIHS states that “drivers using phones are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.” Consider how often teens use their cell phones, along with their inexperience as drivers, and you have an increasingly dangerous situation. Some 62 percent of teens admitted to talking on a cell phone while driving (SADD/Liberty Mutual). Even hands-free devices won’t help. Data comparing hands-free vs. hand-held use shows an insignificant difference in injury crash risk.

Nighttime driving-Teens who drive at night are at much greater risk. According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, “42 percent of teenagers’ fatalities occurred between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.” Data also shows that crashes and fatalities are highest on the weekends.

Teen passengers-According to the National Commission Against Drunk Driving, 65 percent of teen passenger deaths occur when another teenager is driving. Males driving with male passengers are the most dangerous combination. In addition, crash rates increase significantly as the number of passengers increase. Russ Rader, a spokesman for the IIHS says, “When you have a teen passenger in the vehicle with a teen driver, the risk of a crash is twice as high, if you have two or more teen passengers . the risk can be five times as high.”

Seatbelt use-Too many teens fail to use seatbelts. Many lives could have been saved with the click of the buckle. According to the CDC, teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. An estimated one-third of teen drivers fail to buckle up.

What can parents do?

Parents play a major role in how safe their teen driver is while out on the road. Driver’s education classes have been shown to do little in producing safer drivers. Of course, driving lessons provide valuable experience and classes will certainly not hurt. However, teens themselves say that parents influence their driving habits the most.

Model safe driving habits. Children of all ages are paying attention. It’s not fair to expect a newly licensed driver to obey the traffic laws if parents don’t follow laws themselves. Set positive examples by not using a cell phone while driving. Come to a complete stop at stop signs. Obey the speed limit. These little measures will go a long way in helping your teen notice and inherit safe driving skills.

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Six Steps to Teaching Teens Responsible Spending with the Green Dot Card

July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Teaching teenagers how to be financially responsible is no easy task. As parents struggle with a generation of kids who have grown up using the Internet and cell phones, it can be harder than ever before to explain the idea of saving for that proverbial rainy day. If you’re looking for a way to let your teen practice responsible spending while also teaching him or her about the dangers of debt, a prepaid credit card might be just what you need. Prepaid cards like the Green Dot card allow you to set limits on your teen’s spending, teach him or her about budgeting and open up a discussion about managing finances. Check out these six steps to teaching teens responsible spending with a prepaid credit card.

1. Analyze Your Teen’s Income Potential
Before getting a prepaid credit card for your teen, you should sit down together and discuss how much money he or she will get each month. This figure will serve as a basis for the budget you’ll put together later. Consider whether your teen will be doing work around the house or odd jobs for money, or whether he or she will receive a regular allowance. If your teen is old enough to get a job, think about how many hours he or she can work each week. After you’ve determined how much money your teen will have available each month, it’s easy to load a Green Dot card with this set amount. When teens see their monthly income as a finite value, they learn to make more cautious decisions about purchases.

2. Discuss the Differences Between Needs and Wants
Though some teens might already be well aware of this important lesson, it never hurts to go over it again with a bit more specificity. For instance, your teen might already understand that clothing is a need, but neglect to see that an eighth pair of jeans might not be a necessity. Helping teens put their needs and wants into perspective is a great lesson that will serve them throughout college and their lives.

3. Set a Budget Together
With a clear understanding of your teen’s income potential and his or her individual needs and wants, you can now begin to set a budget together. Many people tend to think of a budget as a guideline, when in reality, it should be a set of limitations. Loading a Green Dot card each month helps teens stay within their budgets, as they won’t be able to charge anything additional once their money runs out. Prepaid cards are a safe alternative to traditional credit cards, which allow charges to be made without any concern for budgets.

4. The Value of Dividing Money into Separate Accounts
A great way to keep teens within the confines of their budget is to help them divide money into multiple accounts. In doing so, teens can keep their money for entertainment, clothes, food and savings in separate places, which prevents them from accidentally dipping into their lunch money to buy movie tickets. By getting multiple prepaid cards for your teen, he or she will be able to tell easily how much money is left in each category.

5. Help Teens Track Their Spending
After you’ve gotten your teen set up with a spending plan and a Green Dot card, be sure to check in regularly to help track his or her spending. When teens review their purchases at the end of the month, they often see things about their spending habits that they weren’t aware of before. By showing your teen the value of monitoring spending on a regular basis, he or she will learn just how important it is to remain committed to the budget. Of course, help your teen understand that budgets can be flexible. Teens should realize that budgets can be adjusted in order to accommodate their changing interests.

6. Learning About Credit Cards
Setting your teen up with a green dot card is one of the best ways to teach him or her about the dangers of credit cards. When you review your teen’s spending each month, take the opportunity to talk about traditional credit cards. Because teens will be used to only spending the money that is loaded on their cards in advance, they may have difficulty understanding how people can spend money they don’t have. Discuss the concepts of interest rates and credit scores, explaining to teens how all of these things can affect them later in life.

Steve Jacobson writes about many different financial topics including, debt, investment, credit cards, prepaid credit cards and green dot card. Always looking for the best prepaid credit cards and rates, Steve usually uses http://www.greendotonline.com as a recommendation for those looking for a great alternative to credit cards.

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Encouraging Your Teen to Wait on Sex

July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sex is everywhere and this means your teen is exposed to it in one way or another whether on TV, in music lyrics or among their peers. Children often are intrigued about sex well before their teen years. Once they reach their teen years, many are already engaging in sex and some have become young parents. In society, sex is often seen as a reactional activity or viewed as ‘everyone’s doing it’ more so than an act of love and commitment between two people that requires a great deal of responsibility. How can you encourage your teen to wait on sex in a society that pushes sex so much?

Importance of Values

Discuss with your teen the importance of values. Openly discuss with them how it is against your family beliefs for people to engage in casual sex or sex before marriage. Be detailed about your beliefs and the benefits of following those beliefs.

Set an example for your teen. For example, if you are single and dating again, don’t have people coming in and out of your house that could give the impression you are engaging in casual sex and view it differently than you want your teen to view it.

Talk About What Surrounds a Teen

Take the time to listen to the music your teen listens to. Discuss the lyrics that are being played in the songs. Some of today’s music is explicit and very sexual, without much love or true caring involved. Ask your teen’s opinion of the lyrics. Calmly offer your feelings and thoughts and how some music and lyrics can be a negative force.

When a sexual scene or message is on a show you are watching, make a comment about the effects and consequences that could happen and are in proportion to your beliefs. For example, if the there is a scene of two people heavy kissing and heading toward a casual sex situation, you could turn that into a dialogue with your teen.

Talk about Your Experiences

Share with your teen what you learned from your experiences as a teen until present time. You don’t have to provide all the nitty gritty and personal details. Just let them know what you learned from experience, both positive and negative. Did you have regrets looking back? Were you happy with the choices you made? What would you do differently with the knowledge you have now? Have your beliefs changed from when you were a teen and now as an adult?

Teens often say, ‘you did it Mom and Dad so why can’t I”. They need to understand why your experiences and beliefs changed from when you were a teen to how you are at present time and how your experiences help you guide them to to a better path.

Don’t Condemn Friends that are Sexually Active

If you find out your teen’s friends are sexually active, don’t condemn them. Focus on the positive about your teen. Let your teen know how proud you are of them for not giving in to peer pressure.

Comment on how you hope the friend doesn’t later have regrets and the possible things that could happen by engaging in sex at such an early age. Express concern for the teen for making the inappropriate choices for their age. Your teen is more likely to listen if you are not putting down their friends, but showing genuine and valid concern.

Talk Openly about Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Consequences

Discuss with your teen the different sexually transmitted diseases. Even safe sex can be risky. There are many different types of illnesses and diseases your teen should be aware of – some, which can be deadly.

It’s important for your teen to understand that sex in the real world is not like it’s portrayed in the glamorized Hollywood movies. It shouldn’t be taken lightly, but should be held as a beautiful union between two adults who are mature, genuinely in love and ready for the responsibility.

Your teen should know that, not only can sex lead to diseases, but also unplanned pregnancy. Even one time of having sex can lead to pregnancy. Teens often feel this will never happen to them, but too often it does.

Sexual encounters that teens engage in, may or may not have had anything to do with love and caring. Yet, huge decisions and responsibilities can follow. The teen is faced with the fear of telling their parents, the decision of whether to have the baby, the emotional pain of possibly going through with an abortion or the huge responsibility of having the baby and putting their education and youth on the back burner.

Encourage your teen to ask you questions. Talk, discuss and influence, instead of lecturing. Remember…teens often say things or ask specific questions that may have a shock affect. Don’t blow up! Wait and focus on the topic at hand. It takes patience and continuous involvement to help guide your teen.

Written by Kate

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