I am pleased today to offer a guest post written by Jim Donelon, President of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance. Commissioner Donelon resides in Jefferson Parish, La., with his wife. They are parents of four daughters and grandparents to six granddaughters and two grandsons.
I’d like to thank Tim Hollister, the author of this blog, for inviting me to share my thoughts about teen driving on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). By educating teens and parents alike, our goal is to help save lives and cut insurance costs associated with teen driving.
Consider this as the summer heats up: more teenage motor vehicle fatalities happen in summer than any other time of year. That’s a sobering statistic, particularly at a time of year when teens want to hit the road with their friends. (See seven more eye-opening facts about teen driving here.) But with the freedom afforded by the summer months (and a new driver’s license), there also comes a great deal of responsibility — a level of responsibility that few teens are truly equipped to handle.
Safety is paramount, but responsible driving has cost benefits as well. Seasoned drivers know even a minor fender-bender can drive up insurance costs, so encouraging your teen to keep this in mind as they hit the road may offer additional incentive to exercise as much caution as possible. In fact, here are several tips to keep in mind as you and your teen select an insurance plan that’s affordable and provides sufficient coverage.
No matter how many precautions one takes, accidents happen. It’s a fact of life. To alleviate some of the uncertainty of what to do after an accident, NAIC’s free WreckCheck app is a useful tool for your teen’s iPhone or Android smartphone. WreckCheck walks users through the process of creating an accident report and documenting all photos and other information necessary to file an insurance claim.
For more resources to help guide these discussions with your teen, visit http://www.insureuonline.org/. There, you also can identify and contact your state’s insurance commissioner who can provide unbiased insurance information for your family and your teen driver.
As parents, we have the responsibility to get involved, educate our children about the risks and empower them to make the best decisions they can — both on the road and in the event of an accident. So do what you can to make our roads a little safer for everyone.
