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Parents

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Besides being a member of Helium, I also belong to an automotive enthusiast site dedicated specifically to Volkswagens. I am considerably older than many of the other enthusiasts on the discussion boards, and when I read what some of these teens (and even those under 25 years of age) are paying for auto insurance, it makes me want to clutch my chest like Redd Foxx used to do on the Sanford and Son TV show. See, I told you I was old!

At any rate, these kids' monthly insurance premiums quite often exceed the car payment itself! While it is well known that younger drivers; especially those of the male gender, are at a higher risk for accidents, it is at the same time absurd for insurance companies to charge the grossly exorbitant premiums that they do. Some of these guys are paying upwards of $400 every month for one car while I pay about $1000 a year for three vehicles! This is simply unfair. Even if a teenager has a part-time job that complements his school schedule and otherwise lives for free under Mom and Dad's roof, these rates are way out of line.

Back in the 1970's, when I was in my teens, we did it the easy way: I more or less inherited a hand-me-down car. My father already had a multiple-vehicle discount on his premiums. When I obtained my license, he simply added me as a driver. Most of my peers had to pay for their own insurance with what little money they had; and it was considerably more expensive than my added-on coverage. Everything cost less in those days, but the relative ratio of insurance rates for teens with policies in their own name as opposed to being under a parent's name was more or less the same as it is today.

Teaching the virtues of responsibility to teens is a parent's obligation, but only up to a point. In my particular case, as an example, fines for traffic violations came out of my pocket. In regard to insurance premiums; however, the younger drivers in the family should get a break. Teens still living at home who have not yet ventured out into the world should not be forced to pay ridiculously high auto insurance premiums for simply having the misfortune of being born later than those who pay less. Moreover, one would have to be a fool to put a policy in the sole name of the minor when hundreds and even thousands of dollars could be saved simply by doing what my father and I did three decades ago.

To summarize, I feel that making your teen pay for his/her own auto insurance would be akin to requiring that they pay for their own braces, piano lessons, dance school, soccer league registration, etc. It's just something that's not done.

Until our kids reach legal age and leave home, it remains our responsibility as parents to support them. Auto insurance is just one of the many expenses we will incur while raising them.

Learn more about this author, Patrick Sills.
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