Your Teen Can Drive Again, Even After a License Suspension or Revocation of Their License
Has your teen’s license been revoked after an accident or failure to obey driving laws? Not only does this limit your teen’s ability to get back-and-forth to important destinations, such as work and school, it also causes insurance rates to go through the roof. Insurance rates for teens are already higher than the national average, and they will increase after a suspension.
All is not lost; it is possible to lower a teen driver’s insurance rates, as well as reinstate his license. The first step is recognizing the problem, and then ensuring your teen takes the responsible steps to remedy the issue.
Why are insurance rates higher for teens?
According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), motor vehicle accidents are the “leading cause of death for U.S. teens.” The article warns that in 2011, “seven teens aged 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries.” Moreover, teens were responsible for more accidents than adults, especially male teens who were riding with other teen passengers. Unfortunately, it’s a teen’s propensity to drive dangerously that causes insurance companies to charge more for their coverage.
Moreover, this report says young drivers (under age 20) not only are avid text message users, they make up 27 percent of the drivers in fatal crashes which contribute to distracted driving. This activity increases the accident risk by three times over normal probability.
How to Lower a Teen Driver’s Insurance Rate
Teen driving discounts are really the only way to lower your kid’s insurance rate. Bankrate.com recommends that you take advantage of discounts, and encourage your child not to break the law. If they break the law, they risk suspension and a higher insurance rate.
If your teen is a safe driver, he qualifies for the following discounts:
- Good grades (maintaining a B average or higher can lower insurance costs)
- Successful completion of a safe-driving course
- Old car discounts (Older cars often have lower premiums than newer cars)
- Monitored driving discount (install a device that monitors the teen’s driving, and if they’re safe behind the wheel they can lock in cheaper insurance)
What to Do After a License Suspension
Depending on how your child lost their license, it may or may not be possible to get the license reinstated. Certain failures to obey the law may result in long-term suspensions, and reinstating the license cannot occur until a court-ordered amount of time has passed. These sorts of suspensions are due to hazardous driving conditions, such as DWI or reckless endangerment.
If the license was suspended due to speeding or another municipal infraction, a lawyer may be able to help your teen get his license reinstated sooner rather than later. To go to court without proper legal representation is taking a risk of having your teen’s driving privileges lost forever. With the service of a good attorney, there is a good chance your teen will be able to get their license back.
However, there will probably some strings attached and they will probably have to attend a mandatory driving safety school and/or perform community service. Your teen may be asked to sign a Parent-Teen Agreement Pledge, where they promise to be safer behind the wheel, and avoid drinking and driving.
Insurance Rates Post License Suspension
Your attorney may be able to help you keep insurance costs low. Whenever possible, the attorney will attempt to get charges dismissed and court records expunged. This has the effect of making the incident appear as though it never happened, and can help avoid higher insurance premiums.
Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to make an incident go away. In most cases, you’ll need to shop around for the cheapest SR22 insurance policy. An SR-22 policy may be required for up to 3 years following an accident or conviction.
First, ask your attorney to negotiate with the judge presiding over your child’s case. Then, shop around for affordable SR22 insurance. You’ll have to pay more for a time, but if your child maintains a good driving record he can look forward to his insurance rates going down after a period of three years.