Student Auto Insurance

When looking for student auto insurance, there are some things you should know so you can get the best price. What a typical student pays for their auto insurance depends on the car, your driving record, your age and the city and state where the car is driven. There are ways to reduce costs and save up to hundreds of dollars a year on your student auto insurance premiums.

Student Discounts For Auto Insurance

If you have alarm and antitheft devices, automatic seat belts and air bags in your car, you can probably get substantial discounts on your student car insurance. You might save by driving an older car rather than a fancy new sports car. The injury and theft premium rates are also lower in an older car. If your car is worth $3,000 or less, you should consider the option of eliminating the collision insurance from your policy.

You should bring a copy of your grade report so you can receive a discount. There should be a driver's education course you can take either at your school or somewhere else, so let your insurance company know about it and it will probably mean savings on your student car insurance premiums.

Even though you are a student, you probably have some bills and you should be sure to pay them on time so you will keep a favorable credit rating. The insurance company will look at your credit history because there is a correlation between good credit and good driving habits. Drivers with bad credit ratings usually have to pay more for their car insurance.

Don't forget to tell your insurance agent if you are a member of a club or organization.

Additional Advice For Students

As long as you can, you should drive on your parents' insurance. Students who get their own insurance policy pay more because they are the primary driver, and that puts them in a higher risk category. If you stay on your parents' policy and list yourself as a secondary driver on a car, you get a break. The insurance company may also give a multi-car discount.

You can save money by lowering the limits of coverage. Instead of carrying $100,000 of coverage per person and $300,000 per accident of liability insurance, you can decrease this to $50,000 per person and $100,000 maximum. There are state mandated minimums for legal operation of your vehicle and you should carry adequate insurance to protect yourself if you have a serious accident.

The most important consideration is to keep your driving record clean. Traffic tickets are a no-no. You may be tempted to drive fast for fun but you must obey the speed limit and traffic laws. You will save by not having to pay fines and higher insurance premiums. Your friends may not think it is cool to drive so slowly but they are not the ones who will suffer the consequences if the police stop you for speeding.

If you have an after-school job, let your insurance agent know how close it is to home. You can save money if you work close to home and use your car mainly to go to and from work. When it comes to student auto insurance, whatever you can do to reduce costs will help; however, you also need to be sure and get coverage that works well for you.

Having an older adult go with you is not a bad idea either, if only because they have more experience buying car insurance than you have. Also, remember that comparison-shopping will help you get the best deal on auto insurance for students.