Add A Teen Driver To A Texas Car Insurance Policy?

Answer 1

Teen drivers cost more to insure because they have less experience operating a motor vehicle and are more likely to be involved in a traffic accident. Statistics in Texas show that about one in four teenage drivers will have some sort of moving violation or cause an accident within the first two years of obtaining a license. Liability insurance in Texas applies to teenage drivers in the same minimum amounts as for adults. Parents of teen drivers may be able to add their son or daughter to an existing policy and receive a discount on what is otherwise rather costly insurance protection.

Coverage Amounts Required In Texas

Teenage drivers must be covered by at least as much liability protection as their parents. The Texas minimum amounts for liability insurance are $30,000 for the cost of injuries sustained by a single non-fault individual, $60,000 to cover the costs of all injuries per accident and $25,000 to cover property damage suffered by innocent victims per accident. A teenage driver may be able to be insured under his or her parents' existing policy.

Parents of teen drivers are advised to ask their insurance agent about the costs of adding the new driver to their policy. If the teen is going to be driving a car that is already insured the additional costs will be far less than if the youth has his or her own vehicle. The collision and comprehensive insurance carried by the parents will probably increase in monthly cost as well. This is because teen drivers are more likely to be the cause of an accident. Insurance companies will charge more if the probability of vehicle damage increases due to a teenage driver being added to an existing policy. This price increase is still favorable when compared to a separate policy for a new driver.

Defensive Driving Classes For Teen Drivers

In Texas many school districts offer these courses as part of the curriculum. More advanced classes can be taken online for a nominal cost. A certificate of completion can be forwarded to the insurance company and the result is often a sizeable discount on teenage car insurance. This discount may be applied not only to liability coverage but also the collision and comprehensive insurance carried by the parents.

In some cases the cost of collision and comprehensive insurance will not increase when a teenage driver is added to a policy, but the amount of deductible will. Some providers of insurance will charge Texas customers more when a teen driver is added to the policy unless a higher deductible is chosen.