Getting affordable car insurance for a 19-year-old can take a lot of time researching the options best for you. As you prepare to get insurance with good coverage and an affordable price, remember that your specific needs differ from other drivers. Keep reading to learn more about cheap car insurance for 19-year-old drivers.
How Much Is Car Insurance For 19-Year-Olds?
The rates you experience when you search for insurance for 19-year-olds can vary based on several factors. First, the insurance companies from which to choose have different rates for 19-year-old drivers. Second, the location you live can also affect insurance rates because different areas represent different risk levels for insurance companies. Third, your gender can affect the rates. Finally, the insurance you want can change its cost. For example, if you’re looking for independent insurance for a 19-year-old driver, it can cost more than adding to an existing insurance plan. The average cost for 19-year-old drivers is $4,146 per year.
Does Age Impact Insurance Rates?
A major factor that affects insurance rates is the age of the driver. Teen drivers have the most expensive insurance compared to any other age group of drivers. This is because they represent a higher risk to insurance companies. Teen drivers have less experience than other drivers and are more frequently involved in car accidents. 19-year-old drivers have more experience than the youngest drivers in the teenage group, which can help them get better rates for their insurance compared to younger teenagers, though their insurance rates are still higher than drivers over the age of 21 throughout the United States.
Average Cost of Car Insurance Based on Gender
The gender of the 19-year-old driver can change the average cost of car insurance for drivers. While this pattern extends to other age groups, the largest gap between genders is in this age group. On average, 19-year-old male drivers pay more than 19-year-old female drivers. Below are the rates that each of these groups pays:
- Full coverage for 19-year-old males: $4,487
- Full coverage for 19-year-old females: $3,807
- Liability coverage only for 19-year-old males: $1,332
- Liability coverage only for 19-year-old females: $1,176
Great Coverage Versus Excellent Rates
Depending on your specific needs, you may consider whether to find companies with excellent coverage or the cheapest prices. Excellent coverage can be helpful for keeping you safe from expensive fees in the event of an accident, while cheaper rates can save money for cautious drivers. While the second option represents more risk if an accident occurs, the first represents more up-front expenses. Below are comparisons of insurance companies that offer excellent coverage versus insurance companies that offer excellent rates:
- Companies that provide excellent coverage: Auto-Owners, Erie, GEICO, Travelers, USAA
- Companies that provide excellent rates: American National, USAA, GEICO, State Farm, Amica (except in Hawaii)
Through this comparison, there are two insurance companies that offer 19-year-old drivers both excellent coverage and excellent rates: GEICO and USAA. GEICO offers 19-year-old drivers a full coverage rate of $3,008 per year. For minimum coverage, the company has a rate of $804 per year. USAA offers its 19-year-old drivers a full coverage rate of $2,637 per year. Finally, USAA offers a minimum coverage rate of $777 per year.
How To Find Cheap Car Insurance as a 19-Year-Old
Below are options you can pursue to find cheap car insurance for a 19-year-old driver:
Use an Older Vehicle
Older vehicles are less expensive to replace than new vehicles because of their cost depreciation. This means that the longer the vehicle is on the road, the less it costs. Depreciation is the slow diminishing cost of a vehicle and begins as soon as you drive it away from the lot you purchase it from. Insurance companies see older vehicles as less risky because they are less valuable, so they are more likely to offer good rates for drivers with older vehicles. The downside to an older vehicle is the increased repair costs because they’re more likely to break down.
Find a Safe Vehicle
Safe vehicles are another option you can consider to decrease the cost of your insurance premium. Insurance companies base the rates they give to drivers based on the associated level of risk they perceive each driver to have. A safer car is one that has features that increase the safety of a driver. These might include technologies such as lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring, pedestrian warning, and other features that help prevent accidents. This can also include safety features such as airbags. For a vehicle purchase, research its crash rating because a good rating can decrease the cost of your insurance premium.
Find Discounts
19-year-old drivers can take advantage of several types of discounts to decrease their insurance premiums. Below is a list of discounts with their respective descriptions:
- Good student: A good student discount helps you save money by observing your grades. Typically, if you meet a specific threshold with your high school, college, or graduate school grades then you can see a discount of up to 15% on your insurance rates.
- Defensive driving: A defensive driving discount occurs when you choose to attend a defensive driver course and pass it successfully. It shows an insurance company you take the safety of yourself and other drivers seriously, which can decrease your insurance premium by as much as 5%.
- Auto-pay: An auto-pay discount is when you set up a recurring automatic payment on your car insurance. If your insurance company offers this discount, you can save up to 26% on your car insurance premium.
- Paperless: A paperless discount is when you choose to set up all your important documents online, forgoing any physical documents for your insurance. Depending on the company, you can save around 10% on your car insurance premiums.
- Paid in full: This discount is when you choose to pay for your full policy term up-front. Using this method, you can save up to 14% on your premiums depending on your insurance company.
With a number of ways to save on car insurance for 19-year-olds, you don’t have to pay a lot of money to get the coverage you want. When you explore car insurance, research your options and make comparisons between them to find the insurance that’s best for you.
At FIXD, our mission is to make car ownership as simple, easy, and affordable as possible. Our research team utilizes the latest automotive data and insights to create tools and resources that help drivers get peace of mind and save money over the life of their car.
