Personal Automobile Policy
Teen Drivers
Keep your new driver safe
Mile for mile, teenage drivers are at greatest risk of being involved in
motor vehicle accidents. Sixteen-year-olds, who have the least driving
experience and tend to take chances, are particularly vulnerable.
Compared to other drivers, fatal accidents involving 16-year-olds are
more likely to:
The fatal crash rate of 16-year-olds is about twice as high at nightcompared with during the day and most teenagers killed in crashes aren’
t using their safety belts.
What is a graduated driver’s license?
An effective way to reduce the toll of fatal teenage auto accidents is to
enact graduated licensing. This lets young drivers improve their skills
and fosters safe driving behavior while lowering risk situations.
Restrictions imposed on a young driver at the permit stage are gradually
lifted, so teenagers are more experienced and mature when they get
their full, unrestricted licenses.
Many states have mandatory graduated license provisions required by
law. The best graduated licensing systems include a learner’s stage that
begins at age 16, lasts 6 months, and then specifies a minimum amount
of supervised driving, limits night driving and teen passengers, and sets
alcohol tolerance at zero. Graduated licensing laws have reduced
teens’ crash rates in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.
New York State Graduated Licensing Law imposes many restrictions on
junior drivers. Among other restrictions, drivers under the age of 18
cannot operate a vehicle in which there are more than two passengers
who are under the age of 21 unless a parent, a guardian, or a driving
instructor also rides in the vehicle.
What parents can do.
With or without a graduated licensing law, parents can set rules. For
instance:
Don’t rely on driver education alone
Skills don’t matter as much as teens’ attitudes and decision-making. Most
teens killed in crashes are not using their safety belt, and they tend to
seek such thrills as speeding. Training and education don’t change
these tendencies. But you can. Get involved.
And make a potentially life-saving difference.
Teenage Drivers
Percentage of fatal crashes by characteristic, 2006
Driver Age 16 17-19 20-49
Driver Error 76% 71% 56%
Speeding 39% 34% 24%
Single Vehicle 52% 48% 41%
3+ Occupants 31% 24% 17%
Know the law
Learn about restrictions on young drivers. Enforce the rules. To learn
about the laws in your state, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety website.
Restrict night driving
Since most young drivers’ nighttime fatal accidents happen between 9
PM to midnight, they should not drive too much later than 9:00 p.m.
Restrict passengers
Teen passengers in a vehicle can distract a beginning driver and
increase risk-taking. That’s dangerous for everyone. About 6 out 10
teenage passenger fatalities occur in crashes with teen drivers.
Supervise practice driving
Practice a variety of situations, including night driving. Gradually work
up to driving in heavy traffic or on the freeway. Spread practice
sessions over at least six months, and keep it up after they have their
license.
Be a good role model
New drivers learn by example, so drive safely. Teens with accidents
and violations often have parents with poor driving records.
Make them buckle up
Just because you make your teenager wear a seat belt when you’re in
the car does not mean they will when you’re not there. Make it a rule,
and enforce it.
Protect your teen driver with us
We offer services and discounts to you and your teen driver from the
day they start the graduated licensing program.
Best of all, we recognize that your teen improves with each year they
drive. So instead of waiting for them to turn 25, we offer rate reductions
every year.
Teen Drivers
Keep your new driver safe
Mile for mile, teenage drivers are at greatest risk of being involved in
motor vehicle accidents. Sixteen-year-olds, who have the least driving
experience and tend to take chances, are particularly vulnerable.
Compared to other drivers, fatal accidents involving 16-year-olds are
more likely to:
 | be the result of driver error | |
| involve speeding | |
| involve a single vehicle | |
| occur when other teens are in the car |
The fatal crash rate of 16-year-olds is about twice as high at night
t using their safety belts.
What is a graduated driver’s license?
An effective way to reduce the toll of fatal teenage auto accidents is to
enact graduated licensing. This lets young drivers improve their skills
and fosters safe driving behavior while lowering risk situations.
Restrictions imposed on a young driver at the permit stage are gradually
lifted, so teenagers are more experienced and mature when they get
their full, unrestricted licenses.
Many states have mandatory graduated license provisions required by
law. The best graduated licensing systems include a learner’s stage that
begins at age 16, lasts 6 months, and then specifies a minimum amount
of supervised driving, limits night driving and teen passengers, and sets
alcohol tolerance at zero. Graduated licensing laws have reduced
teens’ crash rates in the United States, Canada, and New Zealand.
New York State Graduated Licensing Law imposes many restrictions on
junior drivers. Among other restrictions, drivers under the age of 18
cannot operate a vehicle in which there are more than two passengers
who are under the age of 21 unless a parent, a guardian, or a driving
instructor also rides in the vehicle.
What parents can do.
With or without a graduated licensing law, parents can set rules. For
instance:
Don’t rely on driver education alone
Skills don’t matter as much as teens’ attitudes and decision-making. Most
teens killed in crashes are not using their safety belt, and they tend to
seek such thrills as speeding. Training and education don’t change
these tendencies. But you can. Get involved.
And make a potentially life-saving difference.
Teenage Drivers
Percentage of fatal crashes by characteristic, 2006
Driver Age 16 17-19 20-49
Driver Error 76% 71% 56%
Speeding 39% 34% 24%
Single Vehicle 52% 48% 41%
3+ Occupants 31% 24% 17%
Know the law
Learn about restrictions on young drivers. Enforce the rules. To learn
about the laws in your state, visit the Insurance Institute for Highway
Safety website.
Restrict night driving
Since most young drivers’ nighttime fatal accidents happen between 9
PM to midnight, they should not drive too much later than 9:00 p.m.
Restrict passengers
Teen passengers in a vehicle can distract a beginning driver and
increase risk-taking. That’s dangerous for everyone. About 6 out 10
teenage passenger fatalities occur in crashes with teen drivers.
Supervise practice driving
Practice a variety of situations, including night driving. Gradually work
up to driving in heavy traffic or on the freeway. Spread practice
sessions over at least six months, and keep it up after they have their
license.
Be a good role model
New drivers learn by example, so drive safely. Teens with accidents
and violations often have parents with poor driving records.
Make them buckle up
Just because you make your teenager wear a seat belt when you’re in
the car does not mean they will when you’re not there. Make it a rule,
and enforce it.
Protect your teen driver with us
We offer services and discounts to you and your teen driver from the
day they start the graduated licensing program.
| Permit drivers can be added to your policy at no additional cost. | |
| When you’ve been with for two years and your child has a | |
| provisional license, we offer a Minor Child Discount of up to 25%. | ||
| If your child goes away to college and leaves the car at home, | |
| the driver can receive a Distant Student Discount of up to 10%. | ||
| If your teen driver’s car breaks down, runs out of gas, or needs | |
| a jumpstart, help is just a phone call away with Roadside Assistance Coverage. |
Best of all, we recognize that your teen improves with each year they
drive. So instead of waiting for them to turn 25, we offer rate reductions
every year.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
MY Insurance Agency
The materials on this website are meant to
be informative in nature. Due to the ever
changing and varying state laws, and the fact
some insurers offer coverage in slightly
different forms from the Insurance Services
Office (ISO) standard forms, we cannot
guarantee the accuracy of the materials on
this page.
be informative in nature. Due to the ever
changing and varying state laws, and the fact
some insurers offer coverage in slightly
different forms from the Insurance Services
Office (ISO) standard forms, we cannot
guarantee the accuracy of the materials on
this page.