For teens, one of the most anticipated rites of passage is getting a driver’s license. Many teens and parents alike are often shocked by the high price of insuring those teens to drive family vehicles. By emphasizing road safety, thus limiting Reno automobile accidents caused by teens, new drivers and their parents can bring down the price of the insurance and save lives! Teenage drivers cause a significant amount of Washoe County car crashes and accidents are the leading killer of teenagers. Across the nation, in 2013, teenage drivers were involved in over 2600 deadly automobile accidents. In the Silver State, over four years, teenagers were responsible for sending over 2200 people to the emergency room.
Cell phone use while driving is suspected of being one of the leading factors in teenage vehicle collisions in Northern Nevada. Since texting and using a mobile while behind the wheel is more common with teenagers than with other drivers, the penalties for using a cell phone while behind the wheel are significant. If your teen is given a citation for texting while driving, his or her insurance premium can rise significantly – since the Silver State enables insurance company to base premiums on citations for mobile use.
By being cautious and working to not be involved in an accident, teens can bring down their insurance premiums. If a student is getting good grades in school, often automobile insurance companies will give the family a discount on the teen’s premium. A teen with good grades has shown the capacity to concentrate while in class and insurance companies believe that capacity will translate to the ability to concentrate behind the wheel. Another way to reduce the insurance premium associated with your teen is to have them take a safe driving course. The certification for this course can result in a discounted insurance premium.
Using a mobile phone while behind the wheel of your car is illegal and has been since January 1, 2012. For the first offense of using a cell phone while driving, expect to pay a fine of $50. The 2nd offense is $250 (and all subsequent citations for using a cell phone while driving). If you are in a construction zone while you are using your cell phone, your fine will be doubled. First offenses for cell phone use while driving are not marked as moving violations, however, all additional offenses are considered moving violations and those tickets will cause four points on your license.