Have you ever wondered how you can get discounts on car insurance? Probably not. Most of us don’t have to worry about it because our parents pay for it. But maybe you have heard your parents talk about how expensive your family’s car insurance is – especially after adding you as a new driver. To remedy this, some insurance companies offer discounts.  One of the most common is a “good student” discount. What this means is that if you get a B average, you get a discount on car insurance. Does getting good grades mean you are a good driver?  Insurance companies think so.

According to State Farm, a driver who is enrolled in high school and has a B average can get 25% off their car insurance rate. Other insurance companies – All State, Nationwide, Geico – offer similar discounts. They have statistics that show that teenagers who have good grades are less likely to get in a car accident, but it seems odd there would be a connection between school work and driving. While it seems like a simple solution and idea, insurance companies do not take into account learning disabilities or the rigor of courses, therefore creating an inherently unfair system.

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s recent study, Rates of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Injuries, and Deaths in Relation to Driver Age, reports statistics on teen driving.  There is no question that teen drivers are more likely to be in an automobile accident than an older, more experienced driver.  But, according to AAA, the most likely causes of these accidents are distractions, not wearing a seatbelt and speeding. None of these have anything to do with good grades and have more to do with obeying the law, good driving habits, and experience.

The state of Maryland started the graduated license program to reduce teen driving accidents.  This program requires that new teen drivers complete a driver’s education program, keep a driving log for 60 hours of driving, and have a learner’s permit for at least 9 months.  Once these items are completed and a driver’s test is passed, new drivers receive a provisional license so that they can gain more experience driving before being allowed to have friends in the car or drive at night. According to the Center for Disease Control’s website, this type of program has “proven to be effective at reducing the crash risk for beginning drivers.”

The crash rate for teens is higher than for older drivers due to lack of experience and immaturity. The graduated license program encourages young drivers to drive with their parents to gain practice and improve your skills. This is far more likely to reduce accidents than getting good grades.

An insurance discount should go to students who continue to practice with adults. Expanding on the skills you learn through the state graduated license program is more likely to improve your driving skills and prevent accidents than getting good grades in school. This type of discount would be a fair program to all new drivers, including those who do not perform well in school for a variety of reasons, but are still better drivers than the A students.

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/safety/mhso/program-young-drivers.htm

https://www.carinsurancecomparison.com/good-student-car-insurance-discount/

https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/saving/these-7-factors-determine-car-insurance-premiums

https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/type/gdl.html

http://newsroom.aaa.com/2017/06/new-teen-drivers-three-times-likely-involved-deadly-crash/