Another rant, is this rant week?

[GBusardo]

OK, I live in NJ and I guess I deserve this. My son get his drivers license this week and we call the insurance company. My daughter is costing us about 1200 bucks a year. my son? 3600......... It's enough to make you sick.............

 

[Dario]

Gary,

My son is 17 and daughter is turning 15 this month...I heard about the insurance premiums and it makes me cringe too.

Our plan is to get them some cheap 2nd hand cars, pay cash and just get TPL (third party liability) insurance. Not yet final but looks like that is the only way they can drive.

 

[PenWorks]

Originally posted by Dario
<br />Gary,

Our plan is to get them some cheap 2nd hand cars, pay cash and just get TPL (third party liability) insurance. Not yet final but looks like that is the only way they can drive.

Smart man [] I recomend this to all my cliets. Especially since new drivers 9 out of 10 will crack em up any ways within the first 12 months.

 

[PenWorks]

Originally posted by GBusardo
<br />OK, I live in NJ and I guess I deserve this. My son get his drivers license this week and we call the insurance company. My daughter is costing us about 1200 bucks a year. my son? 3600......... It's enough to make you sick.............[]

How else do you expect me to make a living [?] Selling pens ! []

I can tell you from 26 years experience in the biz, no matter how much insurance companies charge for youthfull drivers, it is not enough. The loss ratio for youthfull drivers is through the roof. Their premiums are always subsidized by everyone else. You may not think so given the quote you got, but believe me, they rack em up faster than I can insure them.

The fequency and severity of alchol and drug related accidents compared to the good ol days is off the charts.

 

[stevers]

Be careful and think about how you insure them. My youngest and his wife rented this PT Cruzer and she fell asleep at the wheel and this is what resulted. They are both banged up, but no broken bones or serious injury. Thank God. It could have been soooooooo much worse. They used their auto insurance to insure the rental. Luckily it worked and they just have to come up with the deductible. By the way, he is 24 now, out on his own and self supportive, sort of.

<br />

<br />

 

[maxwell_smart007]

you can choose what type of insurance you get?

My insurance is sold by the Province, and it's mandatory...the only thing you can change is the deductible (the more you pay per year, the lower your deductible)...but collision and liability are a requirement...

 

[kent4Him]

I can tell you from 26 years experience in the biz, no matter how much insurance companies charge for youthfull drivers, it is not enough. The loss ratio for youthfull drivers is through the roof. Their premiums are always subsidized by everyone else. You may not think so given the quote you got, but believe me, they rack em up faster than I can insure them.

The frequency and severity of alchol and drug related accidents compared to the good ol days is off the charts.

Wow, someone else here that uses terms like Loss Ratio, Frequency and Severity. I thought I was the only one here. I hit 20 years this year. Former recovering actuary.

 

[Rifleman1776]

We had a late in life child. When she married and moved out, at age 18, I was 66 years old. We had teen drivers we paid premiums on for about 25 years, not the four or six for most households. So...quityerbellyachin' []

 

[Fred]

I still find it amazing as to how many un-experienced, youthful drivers are "rewarded" high muscle cars at their graduation from either high school or college. Then the kid goes and wrecks the vehicle and/or kills themselves or someone else. Maybe there is something to be said about drivers licenses being issued at 21. Nawwwww, that will never work as mom and dad don't want to listen to all their belly aching kids ... nor do they want to continue to drive the kids around all the time. Again society must foot the bill to a degree.

From the pictures posted here it appears that it was a blessing in that all that happened was a few banged up folks that survived a horendous crash. They were indeed fortunate to have lived. []

 

[TellicoTurning]

I'm not an advocate of 21 as a driving age, but think 16 is WAAAAAAAAAAy too young.. most teenagers at that age think they are indestructible.. and the disparity between boys and girls is really unfair.. I read somewhere that statistically, girls tend to be more dangerous behind the wheel than the boys, but boys will take more chances.. so maybe the ins. co's know more than me.

 

[Chasper]

My 16 year old has been driving for a little over three months. Insurance went up by $1350 when we added him, he is driving my old pick-up, 12 year old Ranger with 135,000 miles, liability insurance only.

Mostly he drives to school and back only, about 5 miles round trip. Two weeks ago he passed his 90 day driving probabion period and is now allowed to drive with a passenger. He takes his younger brother to school and back, it terrifies me every day. He isn't aware enough about everything around him to be out driving in traffic.

Gerry

 

[Brewmeister35]

Michigan makes our kids hold a permit (parent required) til there's quite a few hours logged. It's actually hard to get those hours logged and have a full license without having enough experience. I actually stopped logging hours for my daughter until I felt she was doing well enough to be on her own. I do agree 16 is way too young for a full license.

 

[Paul in OKC]

Originally posted by Dario
<br />Gary,

My son is 17 and daughter is turning 15 this month...I heard about the insurance premiums and it makes me cringe too.

Our plan is to get them some cheap 2nd hand cars, pay cash and just get TPL (third party liability) insurance. Not yet final but looks like that is the only way they can drive.

That's what I did with my older boys. Had a $400 car that they wanted to hide behind the wheel in, but were willing to drive rather than keep being towed around by parents! When they wanted something bad enough to get a job for and buy, they did. I helped a bit with the insurance if they were keeping their end of the bargain with chores and grades. They complained, but hey.

 

[kent4Him]

Originally posted by ozmandus
<br />I'm not an advocate of 21 as a driving age, but think 16 is WAAAAAAAAAAy too young.. most teenagers at that age think they are indestructible.. and the disparity between boys and girls is really unfair.. I read somewhere that statistically, girls tend to be more dangerous behind the wheel than the boys, but boys will take more chances.. so maybe the ins. co's know more than me.

I have no statistical basis for this comment, but I think, especially with yourger drivers, girls are getting more and more aggressive. I would say that 75% of the time I see someone driving crazy and it is a teen, it is a girl.

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by Chasper
<br />.....He takes his younger brother to school and back, it terrifies me every day. He isn't aware enough about everything around him to be out driving in traffic.

Statistically, most accidents occur within 20 miles of home!!

If you are so concerned about the boy's ability to drive, why do you permit the younger kid to ride with him? This may be a gruesome thought; but if there is an accident, aren't you better off losing only one son rather than two??

 

[Randy_]

Originally posted by PenWorks.....Especially since new drivers 9 out of 10 will crack em up any ways within the first 12 months.

Is that just a little hyperbole or an actual statistical fact from insurance company records? I don't recall that either me or my two sisters had an accident if our first year.

 

[Chasper]

Randy you are exactly right. My sister lost a son when he was 17 and driving a little wild, when we were all falling apart at the funeral home visitation my wise old father said, "thank God he didn't pick up his brother to go along with him."

The other side of it is that he is a smart and responsible boy, never been in any trouble, he understands that he is hauling precious cargo; his brother and himself. At some point I have to turn him lose. In about 700 days/100 weekends from now he is going to go away to college and I'm not going to be there to protect him every step of the way. I think the only way to get him ready to leave the nest is to give him some freedom and demonstrate that I have some confidence in him. But it still terrifies me every time he drives.

Gerry

 

[jclark58]

Originally posted by Randy_
<br />
Statistically, most accidents occur within 20 miles of home!!

Maybe you should move!

Jason

 

[jckossoy]

Hey, my Rabbi has 11 children ages 1 1/2 to 20. The 20, 19, and 17 yo's have their licence and they had to drive a 15 passenger van (like driving a mack truck). Their 16 yo is in yeshiva (religious school) in Chicago and hasn't been home long enough to get the classes or the required time on the road. I taught the other 3 how to parallel park (yes it's on the test in MD and I've seen quite a few kids fail on it). Plus I took each one to get their licence (with the parents permission). Each passed 1st try. So think how my Rabbi feels. He'll be paying car insurance on these kids for the next 20 years. BTW, he has 7 sons and 4 daughters.

Kol Tov and Shavuah Tov (Happy New Year),

 

[GBusardo]

Originally posted by Rifleman1776
<br />We had a late in life child. When she married and moved out, at age 18, I was 66 years old. We had teen drivers we paid premiums on for about 25 years, not the four or six for most households. So...quityerbellyachin' []

Ah Frank! You know some people are only happy when they are bitchin!! []

Seriously though, I am going to have to ask the kids to pitch in a little. Don't you know that they think cars and cell phones are a birthright? What a world....

BTW, my daughter's car is 11 years old and my son's is 8

 

[dalemcginnis]

I guess I'm more of an oddball than I thought. I have three kids and from the time they were old enough to sit in a car without a carseat I told them that driving is a privilege, not a right and that with privileges come responsibilities. They would not get a D.L. until they could pay for the insurance themselves. [}]
My oldest is now 24 and did not get his license until he was in the Marines, my daughter is about to turn 21 and no job so no license, my youngest is 15 and a half and no peep about getting a license.

Oh, and they survived their teen years just fine []. Did that mean I had to drive them to more events then I would have if they had a license, of course. That's a part of being a parent, but I also didn't have to worry about them getting in an accident or coming home on time.[^]

 

[jack barnes]

I live in Massachusetts and being 60 years old and my wife is 59 we pay close to $3000 a year with clean driving records. The rates are set by the state, that is why none of the big insurers does bussiness here.
Jack

 

[TellicoTurning]

Going back to my post about age of new drivers, I have to admit, my son got his license at 16.. he took drivers ed and I took him out and showed him how I wanted him to drive... he bought his own car and paid his own insurance, until graduation.. I bought him a little Escort with a stick shift.. he drove that car for about 4 years, until he went to Korea and left it home for me to sell. I didn't like it that he was driving so young, but as a single father and working 12-16 hours per day, I needed him to be more independent.. he's 35 now and has never had an auto accident and only one motorcycle accident.. he was in late 20's at the time and sold the motorcycle next day.. he has since bought another motorcycle, but this time he took a motorcycle certification course before he ever rode the bike and isn't letting his wife ride with him until she goes through the course.

One of the big differences between him and me is I love road trips.. think nothing of driving 1000 miles.. he hates to drive and hates to commute 20 miles to work..

 

[woodman928]

I grew up on the farm in Kansas and was driving tractors at 7 years old got my learners permit at 14 so I could haul wheat to town. If you went anywhere other than for the farm you had to have a licensed drive with you until you turned 16. We had a lot better young drivers then. Getting a learner permit and only having to drive for 6 mo is just plan <b>STUPID</b>. Start them younger and make them drive longer with an adult driver. They could be 30 years old when they get there license but if you only need 6 mo to learn you are asking for trouble.
Jay

 

[stevers]

I just saw this in our local paper. the town is a couple hours away from us.Just freekin tragic.




Five killed when car crashes into tree


WILLIAMS, Ariz. (AP) - A driver speeding on a road outside Williams lost control of his car and slammed into a tree, killing five people, police said Tuesday. A teenage girl survived despite being thrown more than 50 feet from the vehicle.

Four of the five killed died at the scene of Monday's accident about 11/2 miles south of town, where the wreckage of the compact sedan was wrapped around a tree, police said. The fifth died at the airport in Williams while waiting to be airlifted.

‘‘The mood is kind of somber around here,'' Williams police Chief Herman Nixon said. ‘‘It's a big tragedy around here, especially as small a community as we are.''

The lone survivor, 16-year-old Jennifer Miller of Williams, was thrown about 50 to 75 feet from the car and landed in a wooded area, Nixon said. She was in stable condition Tuesday with minor injuries at Flagstaff Medical Center.

Killed were the driver, Matthew Dent, 20, and passengers Elena Rivera, 15, Prescott McDaniel, 16, and Jesse Buchmoyer, 21, all of Williams. Also killed was Matthew Small, 18, of Claremont, Calif., whose family were part-time residents of this town of 3,500 just south of the Grand Canyon.

Nixon said the driver was traveling ‘‘in great excess'' of the 40 mph speed limit in the area. None of the passengers are thought to have been wearing seat belts.

There was no indication that alcohol was involved, Nixon said, but routine toxicology tests will be conducted. The Arizona Department of Public Safety has taken over the accident investigation.

Counselors were sent to the junior high and high school in Williams and will remain through the week, Nixon said.

Nixon said he knows the families of four of the victims, and personally notified all the families.

 

[TheHoneymooners]

I agree with the 9 outta 10-- the guy who posted he & his 2 sisters never had an accident were just plain lucky I think!! And I guess some of my daughters' friends, one who totalled TWO cars the first year she had her license-- makes up for ya'lls good driving records! And two-thirds of my children had fender benders- luckily which we were able to just have fixed instead of filing a claim.

Alabama FINALLY required liability insurance about 7 years ago, but the law is so weak its pathetic. Most got insurance that first year right before getting their tags renewed, then lie from then on, b/c all you have to do is check a box saying you have it. At the time, I worked for an Ins. co & the agent there said it should be 'stepped' so to speak--require proof the first year, then the next time you renew, you must show proof of 12 consequtive months of coverage.

MY own former actuary daughter turned pharmacy student said the auto insurance stats gave her headaches LOL AND she also felt the lower rate for teen girls would change within 10 years-- as it takes so long for stats to pile up, so to speak. Used to be, girls didn't seem to drive as often as boys did & that just no longer is the case anymore. Add texting while driving to that-- and boy-- you've got a problem!

To the guy in MASS? 3000 bucks for insurance??? mercy sakes. I'll never complain again!!!!!

To you insurance agents--- a topic we've discussed at home with my now grown kids who Do use the cell phone too much while driving: Do you think its possible for insurance companies to deny claims if a driver is found to have been talkign on their phone when an accident they caused, occurred? WOuldn't take too much investigation at all. Alabama doesn't have a law specifically outlawing cell phones while driving--- but they DO have a law about driving while distracted or soething like that. I am guilty of talking while driving myself... but I've been nearly hit by way too many who don't pay attention while gabbing away -- it is definitely a problem that needs addressing. Just wondered if insurance companies could make it worth peoples' while (in cluding mine) to change their bad habits.
Connie
(not mike)