It really does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why young drivers have higher car insurance premiums. Every year we hear about the crash statistics of teenage drivers, and they aren’t pretty. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 16-year-old drivers get into accidents approximately six times more often than drivers over 30 years of age, so it is no surprise that this age group is more expensive to insure.

The cost of car insurance is primarily based upon risk, and the percentage of risk is calculated from statistics. Those statistics show that accident claims by young drivers are higher than those of drivers over the age of 25.

Insurance companies combine the age risk factor along with other stats like the sex of the driver, their marital status, the type of vehicle driven and where they live, to determine the premium for drivers.

While young drivers are a risk because of their inexperience, there are still some things that they can do to cut their risk factor. Keeping up good grades (B or higher) and taking defensive driving courses are two actions that can result in cheaper car insurance for young drivers. Their choice of automobile will also play a part in the price quote.

Continually practicing safe driving will help to keep a good track record with your insurance and will eventually warrant a better policy rate. Teens should do their best to avoid distractions while driving – texting, playing with the radio and talking on the cell phone takes your focus off of the road and other drivers. Just one accident can send premiums skyrocketing.

All hope is not lost when it comes to young drivers saving money on car insurance. If you take the time to do some research on what will affect your rate, and do some shopping around you will be surprised at the amount of money you can put back into your pocket.

Shopping around is important – don’t just pick the agent your parents have used for years. Now if you are a parent shopping for your young driver, that goes for you too – while you should always check with your current insurance agent, don’t think that they are the only game in town.

Now that you are in shopping mode, here are a few things to keep in mind that will have an affect on finding the cheapest car insurance for young drivers.

The type of car – definitely not a sports car! Your choice in automobiles will play a huge part in determining the insurance premium. A standard sedan with plenty of safety features like anti-lock breaks, airbags, automatic seat belt, and alarm will result in a better rate. While the Buick Century might not be the most glamorous choice of a typical teen driver, it is a safe and cheaper choice than say a Ford Mustang or Honda Civic.

You might be surprised by the Civic, but believe it or not, they can be a higher insurance risk due to thefts and because of their small size they are more of a death risk for young drivers. Bigger breaks come for safe cars that generally cost less to repair than more expensive models. Do your homework and review safety reports and recalls on the car.

Check for discounts – There are discounts available to teen drivers that many people tend to forget about, such as the good student discount (B average) and safe driver discount.

Drivers under the age of 21 may qualify for a big discount if they take a defensive driving course, which some insurance companies provide themselves – or they will advise as to which safe driver course is approved by their company.

Do you plan to drive the car a lot? If not, check into low-mileage discounts.

If you have more than one policy with the company you are usually entitled to a discount, so check with the company that you might have your life or health insurance with, if they also handle auto policies.

Choices in coverage – If you are driving an older car that has very little cash value, you might want to consider dropping “comprehensive” or “collision” coverage, which would pay for damage or theft. You can check to see what they would pay in the event your car was stolen or damaged and weigh the difference yourself.

You may also want to increase the deductible as a way to lower your premium – just keep in mind that it will result in more out-of-pocket from you in the event of a claim. You can save a lot of money this way over the years, just as long as you have no unfortunate events.