SAVING ON TEENS’ INSURANCE
The right drivers’ courses can help
Is there any way to get your kid’s car insurance rate down? Do you really have to pay someone else to teach him or her to drive?
If you have a new driver in the household, you’re aware their insurance rates, unless tethered to a family policy, will be costly. There’s good reason for that: insurance companies use statistics, and statistics show new drivers cost the most in injuries and damage.
Beginner Driver Education (BDE) schools tout that their training will qualify a new driver for a break on rates. Some insurance companies will issue a flat percentage savings; others credit your newbie’s time behind the training wheel at an accelerated rate, thereby jumping the experience line. And, it’s usually worth having the training, even if Junior can already drive.
Check with your company for the incentive; the government doesn’t guarantee that securing driver training through even their accredited schools will guarantee a discount on your insurance. That’s entirely dependent on the insurance company.
If your child is away from home for school, find out if you qualify for a reduction on your policy for that time. Some companies require the school to be located 60 kilometres from home.
It’s important to know if your Ministry of Transportation accredits the BDE you’re considering before you hand over your $600-$1,000. Taking a few in-car lessons from Uncle Jack’s driving school won’t save you a nickel. Ontario also keeps a list of enterprises specifically not endorsed.
In Ontario, “a ministryapproved BDE course must have a minimum of 40 instruction hours, consisting of 20 hours of classroom instruction, 10 hours of in-vehicle instruction and 10 flexible instruction hours.”
Schools must apply to be recognized, and according to Bob Nichols of the MTO, the ministry reviews the application, inspects the premises and facilities and makes a final decision. Course providers are inspected every three to five years.
Most insurance companies don’t charge for adding your beginner driver (G1 in Ontario) to your policy. But make sure you contact your insurance company to have them named on the policy. Know that infractions they incur, even as beginners, will count against them.
You might notice ads recommending Advanced Driver Training, Car Control Schools or Collision Avoidance Sessions. They’re often put on by some of the major manufacturers or independent instruction companies.
Usually offering a one- or two-day session, the good ones feature a combination of inclass and in-car instruction with much time spent learning to handle dangerous occurrences in controlled settings. They provide skid pads to test braking on wet pavement, they can mimic road hazards, such as black ice, and they teach a driver to maintain control in unexpected situations, such as, when something flies off the truck ahead of you. It’s called advanced training.
These courses aren’t represented on the Ministry-approved instructors list. But I also know my sons have learned more in those intense days of training than they ever could in a standard setting.
It’s tough to ask people to fork out the amount for a BDE course for their kid and then to pay a similar amount for advanced training. I recommend they do it anyway.