At What Age Does Car Insurance Go Down?
Age is one of several factors that insurance companies will take into account when deciding on your car insurance premium.
There are also a few other reasons why car insurance rates will decrease over time. These include:
- You drive safely for three years following a traffic violation or a car accident.
- You change car insurance companies.
However, your age is a good way for insurers to know whether you have sufficient driving experience and are therefore less of an insurance risk.
Generally speaking, when you have spent more time behind the wheel, you are less likely to be involved in an accident—which means you will cost your insurance provider less to insure.
In turn, your insurer will be able to charge you lower car insurance premiums.
In this article, we take a closer look at the impact of your age on car insurance premiums and outline how you can reduce the cost of your monthly auto insurance rates.
What Factors Are in Your Control That Can Ensure Your Car Insurance Rates Decrease?
While your age has a big impact on your car insurance costs, there are other factors that are within your control that can decrease your cost of car insurance.
Location
Where you live makes a big difference in the amount you will pay in car insurance rates.
For instance, if you live in a highly populated urban area, you will pay more for car insurance. If, on the other hand, you live in a small rural town, you will pay a lower car insurance premium.
This is because you would potentially face more instances where a car accident could occur on busier roads than on quieter ones.
Vehicle type
The choice of the car you drive will also make a big impact on how much you will pay for your auto insurance premium.
For instance, if you drive a minivan and your colleague at work drives a Tesla, that colleague will be paying far more in car insurance rates than you will.
The cost of insuring a car is determined by its safety ratings. So, its chance of getting stolen, the cost of repairs, and so forth, will all have an impact.
Driving record
Your driving record will impact your car insurance rate far more than your age will.
Even the youngest, most untested drivers are seen as nearly as much of a risk to insurance providers as a driver with a DUI.
High-risk drivers with a poor driving record will see an increase of anywhere between 50 and 300% on their car insurance rates because of their poor driving record.
Credit score
It’s important to note that a driver’s age does affect car insurance rates more than their credit score will.
In some states—including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan—the use of credit-based insurance scores for setting car insurance rates is illegal.
Why Does Age Impact Car Insurance Rates More than Other Factors?
When determining the car insurance premiums for younger drivers, it all comes down to the amount of experience they have behind the wheel.
For older drivers, their ability to maintain sharp focus on the road is the main concern.
Let’s take a look at the different age groups of insured drivers to see where insurance rates may be reduced.
Teenage drivers: 16-19 years
Young drivers, through no fault of their own, are inexperienced on the road and need to gain the miles needed behind the wheel to become less of a risk to their insurance company.
They will be charged the highest car insurance rates out of all age groups.
Young adults: 20-25 years
Young adults between the ages of 20 and 25, who have been driving since the age of 16, will start to see a significant reduction in their car insurance rates.
This is because they are starting to get adequate experience behind the wheel of a car, and they understand other drivers’ behavior and the safe use of the roads a lot better.
Middle-aged adults: 25-65 years
This age group, which for the purposes of car insurers, is considered to be between the ages of 30 and 65 years old, tends to pay the least in car insurance rates.
This is because these drivers are at their peak in terms of their mental and physical abilities. They have also gained good experience behind the wheel from driving in traffic and having navigated all the various road conditions and hazards.
Senior drivers: 65+ years
Despite years of experience behind the wheel, older drivers from the age of 65 and up, may be more prone to car accidents due to physical, cognitive, or visual impairments.
This means that they are a higher risk to insure and consequently may pay slightly higher car insurance rates.
Are There Any States That May Not Use Your Age to Determine Car Insurance Rates?
While it’s common throughout the U.S. for car insurance companies to use age as a factor when deciding average car insurance rates, not every state allows this.
In Hawaii and Massachusetts, for example, it’s illegal for insurance providers to use age as a rating factor.
Interestingly, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania prohibit the use of gender to determine your car insurance rate.
How Can Drivers under the Age of 25 Pay Less for Car Insurance?
Drivers who are under the age of 25 will pay higher car insurance rates than older drivers.
As we mentioned earlier in this article, this is due to the fact that young drivers have less experience on the road and are seen as a high risk to auto insurance companies.
The average car insurance rates that you could pay as a teenage driver can be reduced if you follow the tips provided below to keep your car insurance premiums low.
Maintain or improve your driving record
Safe drivers will always pay less in auto insurance rates than those with many violations. DUIs, speeding tickets, and other tickets will increase your auto insurance rates a lot.
You can keep the cost of car insurance down by having a safe driving record. If you are able to maintain this, it will save you an enormous amount of money in the long term.
Shop around for auto insurance quotes
It’s true that you can get a loyalty discount for staying with the same company each year, but taking some time to find lower car insurance rates will help you save money over the long term.
Don’t settle for the first auto insurance quote that you get. Shop around. If you head to the top of this page, you will find our free quote generator.
Simply enter your zip code and get free car insurance quotes for your needs and budget.
Boost your credit score
Car insurance providers will offer you a lower car insurance rate if you have a good credit score, because it reflects how well you manage your finances—and therefore, how responsible you are.
Boosting your credit score may take you some time, but it will benefit you in the long run when it comes to keeping the cost of car insurance down.
Take a defensive driving course
Many auto insurance companies will offer you a reduced car insurance premium if you complete a defensive driving course.
However, not all insurance carriers offer this, so it is important to check in with yours as to whether they do.
If they do offer this, be sure to check which defensive driving companies they use.
This is because many insurance companies will have relationships with specific companies that offer these courses.
These relationships are based on the fact that approved companies will offer affordable training to help you become more a competent driver.
How Else Can You Save on Auto Insurance?
No matter your age, you can save on car insurance with a few additional steps. If you’re wondering how likely it is that your car insurance will ever decrease, consider the following:
Try to keep your grades up
If you are under the age of 25, you will find that some insurance companies will offer high school and college students a discount for maintaining a B average in school.
Consider a per-mile insurance plan
If you don’t drive often, you may be able to lower your insurance by signing up for pay-per-mile insurance, which bases its rates on how far you drive.
Sign up for usage-based insurance
Most insurance carriers have usage-based programs that monitor your driving habits and will award you for being a safe driver.
Bundle your insurance policies
One of the best ways to save on car insurance is to bundle this with other insurance products from the same company.
This could be your homeowners insurance or medical insurance for example—doing so will bring your premiums down in both instances.
You Can Get Cheaper Car Insurance Today with CheapInsurance.com
Finding a car insurance company that will assist you with cheap car insurance premiums can be a headache, especially if you’re a younger driver.
Fortunately, when it comes to looking for a new insurer, we make this task very easy with our free quote generator.
All you need to do is head to the top of this page and enter your zip code. You will find a wide selection of insurance quotes to choose from.
Once you have an idea of the auto insurance premiums that you could be paying, it will be time for you to contact the insurers that are offering you the cheapest rates to get a formal quote.
Getting car insurance should be quick, simple, and stress-free, and you deserve to get the best insurance rates possible.
At CheapInsurance.com, we’ve got you covered!
