Insuring my 16 year old for driving

[fofinia]

We are In Mass. Our broker told us we could exclude our daughter from my husbands almost new work truck. And then we saved about $400. But by excluding her she can't drive the truck at all. Not even to reposition in the driveway. So if she drives and something happens. The insurance will not cover her at all.

It was still over $700 for the year to add her to our cars. She's listed as primary on a '10 minivan thats only worth $1000.

Good luck!

 

[MomToOne]

Geico allowed me to assign my daughter (now 19) to a car when I first insured her at 16, but then they changed that policy about a year ago and no longer do it. My rates skyrocketed as a result, because I carry collision on my good newer car, but only liability on the safe but older car I got for her. She literally NEVER drives my car. But they suddenly calculated the rate with her on my car, and me on her beater - with no notice other than the higher renewal premium. I had to call to get the explanation. Uh, no thanks.

So I switched to Mercury Insurance, who still allow you to assign people to cars, at least for now. They aren't as easy to work with, but it is what it is.

I had Allstate for 25+ years before insuring DD and loved them, but their rates were scary high to add DD to the policy. Like not of this planet high...you aren't missing anything there.

 

[RUDisney]

When I ask my friends and coworkers how much adding a teen cost them, nobody seems to be very transparent about numbers. I haven't been able to get info on which insurance companies are better for teen rates.


I can't imagine letting a child's DUI affect the rates for the whole household. Seems like there must be a way to exlude that driver and keep them on their own policy?

As long as he lives in our house, he has to be able to drive any of our cars. I’ve checked.

The dumb thing about his DUI was that he wasn’t drinking or stoned. He was pulled over for having a headlight out and the cop asked if he could check the car. He now knows that the answer is no. The cop found a pipe and a little bag of pot. Grr

He will be 25 in March. I’m hoping that will be the sweet spot that will make our rates reasonable again.

The only reason he still lives with us at 24 is because his cancer treatments just ended after 3.5 years. He is still on disability while he recovers from the effects of the chemo.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

They gave him a DUI when he wasn't impaired at all? That's terrible.

 

[RUDisney]

They gave him a DUI when he wasn't impaired at all? That's terrible.

Yep. It helped the cop make his quota, evidently.

 

[tinkerbelletreasure]

I think it’s stupid that they won’t let you exclude them from cars. I can say with 100% certainty, my daughter will never be behind the wheel of my 15 Dodge Challenger. If she ever was, insurance would be the least of her worries.

 

[mommy2allyandaveri]

So I just found out from Gieco that when I add my daughter, they do not assign her to a specific vehicle but what they do is quote her based on the the "highest" or most expensive car we have on the policy, which is a 2019 Acura. I was also told that in CA, you cannot have your own policy until you are 18.

So she could be driving a 1980 pinto only and I'm paying for her like she is assigned to a 2019 acura. Even if she never ever drives that car

WOW! I don't know why Gieco never told me this until today, I have called about this at least 10 times!

 

[MomToOne]

So I just found out from Gieco that when I add my daughter, they do not assign her to a specific vehicle but what they do is quote her based on the the "highest" or most expensive car we have on the policy, which is a 2019 Acura. I was also told that in CA, you cannot have your own policy until you are 18.

So she could be driving a 1980 pinto only and I'm paying for her like she is assigned to a 2019 acura. Even if she never ever drives that car

WOW! I don't know why Gieco never told me this until today, I have called about this at least 10 times!

Yup. Check out Mercury Insurance in California, they still allow you to assign people to specific cars. You can start your policy online, but they will assign you to a broker that you have to work with as well. Their rates came close to Geicos prior to Geicos "new" policy of not allowing you to assign individuals to cars.

Geico's discounts get even weirder under their new methods. My good driver discount got put only on DDs beater car that I carry only liability on, and NOT on my more expensive car with full collision, thereby making that discount as small as they possibly could.

 

[Klayfish]

I think it’s stupid that they won’t let you exclude them from cars. I can say with 100% certainty, my daughter will never be behind the wheel of my 15 Dodge Challenger. If she ever was, insurance would be the least of her worries.

That's based on each carriers' decision on how they want to handle that risk. Just because a policyholder promises...or even signs a paper...that a teen won't drive a car doesn't mean they won't. If they drive and get into an accident, the plaintiff lawyer could challenge the exclusion. Even if it still holds, it could cost the insurance carrier a ton in legal fees. So some carriers don't want that hassle.

 

[seasheller]

Did not read all of this post, but just FYI. We have been with State Farm for years and always knew that there was a discount if the kids were on the honor roll. One of our son's didn't make it all the time for that discount and we found out later that the discount also would have applied if you were in the top 10% of your class which he always was. So we missed out. Now our sons live together and are still with State Farm. They kind of laughed when I told them to check with their agent to see if they qualified for the multi-car discount since they lived together. They checked and they qualified. Sometimes Moms give good hints.