The cheapest car insurance for a 18-year-old is from Travelers, Grange, and USAA. These companies charge 18-year-old drivers an average of $1,419 per year, which is 71% less than the average premium for a 18-year-old overall.
Individual rates vary by driver and company, so the best way to find cheap coverage for a 18-year-old is to compare quotes from multiple insurers. You can also take advantage of discounts, such as a good student or a driver's education discount.
The average cost of car insurance for a teenager is $215 per month, for an individual policy. Younger teens typically pay the most for car insurance coverage, with 16-year-olds paying an average of 85% more than 19-year-olds.
Average Cost of Car Insurance for Teenagers by Age
Teenagers are more expensive to insure than older, more mature drivers because they’re more likely to be involved in an accident, which makes them high-risk. In fact, teen drivers are nearly three times as likely to be involved in a fatal car accident as drivers over the age of 20, according to the CDC. Teenage boys are even more expensive to insure than teenage girls, paying an average of 10% more for coverage.
How to Lower the Cost of Teenage Car Insurance
Even though car insurance is typically expensive for teenagers, there are still ways to lower the cost of covering a young driver. One of the best ways to reduce the cost of teen car insurance is to add them to an existing policy rather than have them purchase their own policy. Adding a teen to a policy raises rates by an average of $1,461 per year, but it’s still cheaper than the cost of a separate policy. Also, look for discounts that are specifically for young drivers, like good-student and student-away-at-school discounts.
If your teen does need to purchase their own policy, they should compare quotes from at least three different insurers in order to find the best deal. The cheapest car insurance companies for teens are Travelers, USAA, and Progressive, according to WalletHub’s analysis.
Yes, men pay an average of 6% more for car insurance than women. For example, a policy that fulfills state minimum coverage requirements for a 45-year-old woman costs $669 per year, while the same policy for a 45-year-old man costs $716. However, rates vary by individual driver and by age group. Male teen drivers typically pay over 10% more than female teens, while some older female drivers will pay more than their male counterparts.... read full answer
In general, men pay more for car insurance than women in states where it is permitted because they are more likely to cost insurers money. Hawaii, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina have banned the use of gender in determining car insurance premiums.
Why Men Pay More for Car Insurance than Women
Men drive more than women, on average, and are also more likely to die in a car accident.
Speeding is more commonly a factor in fatal accidents where men were driving.
Men are more likely to die in a car accident while driving drunk.
The cost of car insurance typically goes down the most between the ages of 18 and 19, when rates drop by about 25% on average. Car insurance premiums generally continue to go down each year until age 25, when rates begin to level off for the next few decades. When drivers turn 25 years old, they can expect a discount of about 14%.... read full answer
Note: The table above shows average annual rates for minimum coverage across all 50 states.
Around middle age, rates may begin to creep back up. This is because middle-aged drivers tend to insure newer, nicer cars and begin to add their children to the policy, increasing the average rate for this age range overall. Individual rates also start to go up again between the ages of 65 and 75 because senior drivers have a higher risk of accidents than middle-aged drivers.
Why Age Affects Car Insurance
Age affects car insurance rates because it’s an indicator of a driver’s risk to an insurance company. Young drivers are statistically more likely to get into a car accident than older, more experienced drivers. As a result, they’re considered high-risk and are more expensive to insure.
The risk for the insurer and the cost for the insured then generally decline as drivers age and gain experience. Once drivers pass the age of 65, however, their risk starts to go up again. Not only are senior drivers more likely to get into an accident than middle-aged drivers, but they’re also more likely to be injured as a result.
States Where Age Does Not Affect Rates
Although most people in the U.S. will find their prices change according to this timeline, there are a few states in which insurers can’t use age to determine your rate. In California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, age won’t have a direct effect on how much you pay for car insurance. Other factors will still have an impact, though. Your driving record, credit score, and marital status can all affect your final premium.
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