teenager drivers Archives - Comedy Defensive Driving®

Reducing Insurance Rates

Daun Thompson — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 15:52:54 +0000

Insurance rates are affected by a number of things. Your age is a big factor and insurance is much higher for new drivers under the age of 25. This is especially true for male drivers, so your gender is another important element in determining your insurance rates. When my daughter turned 16 and got her driver license, I put her on my auto insurance policy and my rates more than quadrupled. I thought, “Thank goodness she’s not a boy. How much would my insurance rates have gone up if she was a boy?” Then I did the “math,” and it would have been cheaper to send her to Sweden to get a sex change! Although rates will go down after 25, they will go right back up in your 60’s. So, with old age, all I have to look forward to is getting shorter with osteoporosis and having my insurance rates go up. I should just drive off a bridge (unfortunately, they’re doing road construction on local bridges here). Your credit score, whether you are married or single, own or rent your home as well as length of time you were insured with your previous agency all play a big part in determining your insurance rates. So, what measures can you take to help in reducing insurance rates? Here’s a list that may come in handy, but remember, as stated above,longevity is important, but that “loyalty” should go both ways, right?

• Drive carefully
• Observe traffic rules and speed limits to avoid moving violations and accidents
• Work with an independent insurance agent who partner with a wide range of companies to find you the best combination of price and coverage for you
• Take advantage of billing plan discounts
• Take a driver safety course (defensive driving course)
• Inquire about good student discounts, if applicable to you
• Choose a higher deductible
• Enroll in a telematics program like Progressive’s SnapShot or Safeco’s Right Track as your safe driving habits can help you save up to 30% of the premium
• Bundle your insurance plans (home, boat, auto) and save as much as 25%

Insurance rates in my state have increased due to weather claims and it has also been affected by the plethora of claims made due to accidents resulting from texting while driving. Mine went up a whopping 40% due to no fault of my own. Perhaps I should take my own advice and take measures to reduce my insurance rates to a manageable amount. And, while I’m at it, I should kick my 21 year old off of my insurance policy, because yikes-ola!

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Reducing Insurance Rates – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Auto Insurance Rates

Daun Thompson — Mon, 15 Aug 2016 14:54:45 +0000

Parents of teenage drivers always have a barrage of advice for keeping auto insurance rates down. Who better to ask, than those who have experienced the pain in the wallet and who have already done the research? More often than not, I hear from these parents “Insure the car, not the kid.” Although, for some, this may be the solution to keeping your rates down, insurance companies know that you have a teenage driver living under your roof. My agent actually asked me if I wanted them to add my teenager to my policy. My daughter has been living away from home for three years now and my insurance rates are still pretty high. But, she has yet to change the address on her driver license and car registration and they both have my home address on them. I’m sure that’s why my rates did not decrease back to normal when she moved out. Teenage boys’ insurance rates can be upward of $400 per month, even with nothing on their driving record. And, boys’ insurance rates have always been higher than girls’ insurance rates. Still, when I put my daughter on my insurance policy, my rates more than quadrupled! Thank goodness she was born a female and not a male. I was curious as to how much my insurance rates would have increased if she were born a son. So, I did the math. And it actually would have been cheaper to send her to Sweden and get a sex change than it would have been to put “him” on my insurance policy. And she probably would have gone along with it. She’s a pretty easy going kid.

The bottom line is, insurance is all about risk. And few understand how to assess risk better than insurers. The factors in determining your insurance rates when evaluating those risks include:
• Age (rates generally go down at 25 and increase again at 62)
• Gender
• Zip Code (inner city or rural)
• Vehicle Type (sportscar or mini van)
• Marital Status (married is cheaper but totally not worth it…trust me)
• Driving Record (accident and citation history)
• Annual Mileage
• Credit Score
• Own or Rent Your Home

So, who actually receives the cheapest auto insurance rates??
• Females
• Over 25 Years Old (but under 62)
• Married (ugh..there we go again…)
• Vehicle is Older and Less Expensive
• Clean Driving Record (no accidents or citations)
• Live in a Rural Area
• Low Annual Mileage
• Good Credit Score (ugh..there we go again…)

At the end of the day, these drivers cost the insurers less money because they are a lower risk. So, if you want to know how to lower your insurance rates, here are a few options.
• Increase Your Deductibles
• Lower Your Maximum Coverage Limits (this is “iffy” since you must have the proper legal minimums in your state)
• Take a Defensive Driving Safety Course every three years
• (If you are a student) Maintain a High GPA
• Make Sure Your Car Has The Newest Safety Features (air bag, alarm, etc.)
• Maintain a Clean Driver Record (again, taking a Defensive Driving Safety Course to dismiss a citation will help)
• Move Outside of the City Limit
• Drive Fewer Miles
• Improve Your Credit Score

Just keep in mind, though, the company with the most attractive rates may not always be the best option for you. Shopping around for better rates with these points in mind will save you money. And we all know that the money we save can be used for other important expenses, like paying off our liquor store credit card charges.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Auto Insurance Rates – Comedy Defensive Driving

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TEENS BEHIND THE WHEEL

Daun Thompson — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:22:15 +0000

When it comes to parenting, it is said that over-involvement in your teenager’s life can be counter-productive. My mother would disagree, as would most grandmothers from her generation who ruled with an iron fist and a stingy flyswatter. Why did parents of my generation think they could do it better? Oh well, at least we experimented with time outs and counting to three, and we failed miserably. So, when it comes time for your teenager to be driving, you’re going to have to really put your foot down (or up…). Although helicopter parenting may be considered over the top and not very helpful, when it comes to our teens behind the wheel, nagging a little too much and being overly cautious may be the best approach to save your teenager’s life.
There are countless stories about teen accidents as well as countless videos showing teens driven to distraction, and the statistics are alarming. Studies show that, if you are going to die prematurely, at any time in your life, the two worst years are between 16 and 17, and the reason is because of driving. In fact, the leading cause for accidental death in teenagers is car crashes and the second leading cause for accidental death is perhaps from mouthing off (after all, I am a mother. Inexperienced drivers, combined with in-car distractions is truly a recipe for disaster. And, when it comes to our kids, studies also say that many parents may be much too relaxed about the subject. Either they trust their own kids entirely too much (which puts a lot of adult responsibility on them), or the parents are simply tired of car pooling their children and look forward to having someone else take over that chore. And why not other errands as well, such as washing the car, shopping, etc. Sometimes it’s nice to have some help. And most teenagers that haven’t a car of their own would jump at the chance to get behind the wheel and run those errands for you, just to get some drive time. Which is a good thing, since practice leads to experience, and experience makes a better driver. Under the strict rule, although, that they are not picking up other friends to go along for the ride since teen car pooling causes the most danger.
According to AAA, if a 16 or 17 year old driver has a passenger under 21 in the car, they are 44% more likely to be killed in a crash. Having two passengers doubles that risk, and it quadruples with three or more passengers.
It is said that teens think that they are invincible and they’re not particularly worried about the harm to themselves of getting in a car crash. Some kids admit that they were trying to look cool for their friends and/or trying to impress them when they crashed. Most states set passenger limits for new drivers for these very reasons. But ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility to keep their own kid safe. So, setting rules will only let them know that you care. Make a contract with your kid. Stipulating the rules and outlining the consequences for violating those rules will help you to monitor your kid.
Driving is a privilege, and a privilege can be taken away. So…cell phones in the glove compartment (be sure to turn the notification “dings” are off). And long live your kid!

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Teens Behind The Wheel – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Your First Car

Daun Thompson — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:48:35 +0000

Do you remember your first car? Sure you do! How could you forget her? It was either a good experience or a bad experience. But, for most of us, either way, it was a life altering experience. I remember my first car like it was yesterday. I also remember the car that I really wanted, because my oldest sister owned it. My sister Terry, who got her license in 1973, and was awarded a 1969 copper colored Mustang convertible with white leather bucket seats. It was one sweet car. Even as a girl, I was impressed with that car’s epic coolness. As it turned out, my sister was an alcoholic from an early age and she would get drunk and hit parked cars every weekend. My Dad would get up early on Sunday mornings and go around town paying off the damages so it wouldn’t go on his insurance.
So, when I turned 16, he opted for the “starter car.” You know, something that could take a “hit” or two. Something I would perhaps survive a wreck in and something that wouldn’t cost much to fix…oh, like it ever got fixed. She was a gold four-door Delta 88 Oldsmobile. One word can describe that car…HIDEOUS! It was so rusted out around the skirt of the car from the winter salt on the roads that you needed a tetanus shot just to drive it. My dad paid a whopping $60.00 for it. The interior smelled like an old bum’s bum. And, of course, I nicknamed that car right away (girls always do), and called her “The Embarrassment.” I was so embarrassed to be seen driving the car, that I hardly ever drove it. Although, when I was finished with her, before she went to the junk yard, she was all smashed in on all four sides. She was more compact and easier to parallel park that way…like a Mini Cooper.
In hindsight, my dad was a brilliant man. If I would have gotten the car I really wanted, I probably wouldn’t be alive today to tell this story. Here are a few other stories from other folks about their first car…

My first car was obtained from trading a hog. It was a Buick Skylark, 1960 something. The owner had a habit of spitting tobacco juice out the window, with a lot of it ending up on the inside roof of the car. The back seat had been taken out to haul…you guessed it…HOGS. It was a true embarrassment to drive.
1969 Mustang. After about six months the brakes went, “completely” out. I had no brakes what so ever. This worked just fine for a while until I ran the car through the front window of our local general store. So there I was literally setting inside the guys store, in my car. When I got stopped I was setting even with the checkout counter. Jim, the store owner, looked down at me and asked, without expression, “what can I get you Mike”.
When we turned 16 years old, our shop teacher sold us his old Rambler for $30. Six of us put in $5.00 each and we had 6 keys made. We left the car at one kid’s house and all six of us would drive it.
A white ’95 Buick Skylark. I bought for $500. The horn didn’t work. Eventually the reverse gear went out, so when I went to work, I had to park in the back parking lot because it was on a slight incline. I would put the car in neutral, stick my foot out the door and “Flintstone it” backwards. Good stuff.
1969 VW Bug. When you wanted to be warm you’d have to turn on “The Heater”. The heat actually came off of the engine, so you always could get a little buzzed off of the fumes.
1974 Ford Pinto hatchback… the exploding model. One good thing about it, nobody tailgated me! I once fit nine girls in it. I replaced EVERY part of that car (except the radiator) at least once. I owned it for eleven years. In college I would leave it on the street with the windows open and the keys in the ignition. No one even would steal it.
1968 Toyota Corolla. It had several hundred thousand miles on it, blew the motor then traded it for a bag.
1966 Chevy Chevelle Super Sport. Which would have been really cool had it not been the year 1991! This car had so much Bondo holding the body together that if I left it in the sun for too long I could go out and reshape the fenders after it melted.
’79 Pinto. I bought it for $75. I sold it to a junkyard. They said they would give me $50 if It ran. It stalled on the way there and would not restart. Fortunately, I was nearly there and it was all downhill. I coasted it in, and the guy commented on how quiet it was and said “Well, at least we know the muffler must be good.”
1958 pee-yellow Ford Anglia. Top speed: 45 mph. I bought it for $20. If you put the key in the ignition, it would set the dashboard on fire. My buddy showed me how if you put a beer in the glove box, it would start (there was some wire that would make contact with the frame & fire it up). I customized it by bolting a bottle opener to the outside of the driver’s door, so you could stick your arm out and crack a beer. Some cop saw that and he followed me home and made me tell my mom, who freaked. I sold the car to another buddy for $20.-
A BROWN 1978 Chevy Monza. I built/installed a 454 with a Supercharger. The Monza became known as the the “Flying Turd.”
1980 Ford Escort. The horn worked by pushing the turn signal. The first time I turned on the heat a baby mouse came out the vent. When I popped open the hatchback it flew off. The hole in floor was covered by a speed limit sign.
1966 Ambassador. I also rearranged the ambassador letters on the trunk to read “Bad Ass”
A faded red/rusted 1984 Plymouth Reliant Wagon. It wouldn’t haul ass… or get it.
A beautiful ’67 Mercury Cougar, my wife hated it so she sold it for $500 while I was in the Navy, I got even, I had her 1958 Pontiac Chieftan crushed.

Until next week…”Chin up…you’re not going to have to drive it forever ” (words spoken by my dad, Bobby Thompson, around June of 1976).

Daun Thompson

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