Debate Remains – Who Would Pay the Auto Insurance


PDRF-00311395-001Insurance premiums for teenagers are more expensive than premiums adults pay. The main reason is that teenagers have a higher risk of getting into injuries and accidents. Now using economy rules, the higher the risk, the higher the cost.

In, the responsibility of paying the premiums is laid on two groups of people: teens and parents. The debate remains and created several points used as defenses by the two group advocates.

“Parents” Advocates: Teenagers are parents’ responsibility until the children becomes of legal age and leaves home. Auto insurance is included in the costs parents must incur while raising their children. They also have the role of educating their children about the value of responsibility. Teenagers driving their own cars are still learning and are not yet fully capable of giving one-hundred percent responsibility. As parents and until teens aren’t fully ready to take the burden, it is still in their part to pay the auto insurance premiums.

Time is precious for students and allots to their school, friends and chores. If parents subject the teens to pay their own insurance, the teens will be forced to get jobs. And due to the expensive premium costs, teenagers will have to make extra effort to pay off the bill, therefore making their time for schoolwork, social advancement and home chores lesser. Parents are proud to have bright children with friends and who are reliable to help around in the house. If the teenagers do more work than be a “real” teenager living the “real” teenage life, it would amount to giving them burden rather than raising them.

“Teens” Advocates:  If parents always go with the teenagers’ pleads, it would be long enough before teenagers learn how to provide for themselves. What the parents should be only doing are teaching teenagers the right way of safe driving and setting examples for them.

Auto Insurance costs for teenagers are more expensive than that of adults. If parents shoulder the costs, it would be unfair for them to burden such costs that are not caused by them. If teens pay for their insurance, they are not only learning how to become a responsible citizen but are likewise lessening the burden of their parents.

When teens receive their own car for the first time, maturity and responsibility is included in the package. Auto insurance is within the context of these two values. Since the responsibility of taking care of their own care has been delegated to them, it will likewise amount giving them the role of paying the premiums. It also applies to the driver’s license. If a person is old enough to be allowed to own a driver’s license, it is logical to trust them with the payment of premiums.

Conclusion: The debate hasn’t come up yet with a conclusive answer. The points raised by the advocates are all based on their points of view. The question of who is supposed to pay the premiums lie on how parents and teenagers discuss for themselves the ways of shaping the teenagers grow to  mature and responsible citizens.