Adding A Teen Driver To Your Household In 2018? Three Things To Do Now To Control The Costs

13 December 2017

The sixteenth birthday is an extra special one for most teens. In addition to achieving an important milestone along the path to adulthood, the sixteenth year is also the one in which most states recognize a teenager as being old enough to obtain a license to operate a vehicle.

Parents, however, may not feel quite so celebratory about this birthday, usually due to the potential financial impact a teen driver can have on the family budget. If your child will be turning sixteen in 2018 and you are concerned about the costs, taking time to do the following things now can help minimize the expenses and put you back in the mood to celebrate your child's big day. 

Teach your child to be a responsible car owner

Once your child begins driving, they will need to understand the basic mechanics involved in how a car works and how to properly maintain one. If you child will be old enough to drive in the coming months, taking time now to make sure they understand how to do basic vehicle maintenance can also help them become safer, more responsible drivers.

Basic maintenance tasks that every teen driver should know include:

• tire care, including being proficient in changing a flat tire and being able to recognize signs of potential problems during a visual inspection
• fluids maintenance, including how to check all fluid levels and add new fluid, if needed
• recognizing potential issues, including being alert for unusual smells or sounds, signs of possible steering or brake failure, or other signs of mechanical or safety issues

Teen drivers who can perform basic car maintenance and recognize potential issues can help their parents save money on auto repair and maintenance, as well as avoid being stranded due to vehicle issues.

Consider the car your child will be driving

Another way to save money on the cost of adding a teen driver to the household is to use care in choosing the car they will be driving. To save money on insurance costs, parents should refrain from allowing their child to drive vehicles that are more expensive to insure. These include those categorized as:

• luxury vehicles
• sport models
• high performance models
• popular cars that are frequently targeted for car theft

Instead, consider putting the teen driver into the oldest family car or purchase an older sedan for their use.

For more ideas to help reduce the costs involved in adding a teen driver to your household, speak with your automobile insurance provider. They can look at your insurance portfolio and provide helpful tips, such as bundling policies, to reduce insurance costs and relieve some of the financial pressure on the household budget. For more information, visit websites like http://www.unitedsecurityagency.com.