The Young Drivers - How to Get the Lower Insurance Rates

The non-principal operator classification, multi-car discount, operator training discount, and good student credit tend to be the heart of obtaining a very affordable premium for the young operator.

To begin with, if you live at home and your parents allow you to be added to their policy, you can terminate your existing insurance and have your classification adjusted from a principal driver to a non-principal driver.

A non-principal operator doesn't have a vehicle and, as an occasional driver, puts on less than 25 percent of the total miles - except in New York, PA, and SC, which are the only states that allow non-principal operators to drive up to 50 % of the total mileage.

For instance, if you're a single male under age 21 living at home and make the above adjustments, instead of facing a $720 or $1,080 principal operator rate, you may pay as little as $374 ($720 X .65 non-principal driver credit = $468 X .80 multi-car discount - $374) for a forty eight percent savings.

The driver training or good student discounts could lower the $374 premium by another 5-10 percent depending upon your needs and individual company policy. As a single guy under age 21, you can approximate your potential savings merely by reducing your present rate by 50 percent and then allowing for operator training or good student discounts where appropriate.

After meeting the above requirements, your parents could make arrangements with their insurance agent while you can reimburse them for your portion of the total premium bill.

Single men between the ages of 21 and 24 who meet the non-principal driver requirements can have their rates lowered from their previous high range of $630 to $810 to as little as $328 ($630 X .65 non-principal driver credit = $410 X .80 multi-car discount = $328). Single men between the ages of 21 and 24 can estimate their savings by cutting their present rates in half if they make the preceding non-principal driver adjustments.

Single men between the ages of twenty five and twenty nine are not permitted the non-principal operator classification. However, if they still stay at home with their parents, they can be added to their family insurance plan as extra drivers and receive the advantage of the twenty percent multi-car discount. In this case, the $450 price for single men aged 25-29 could be reduced to $360 ($450 X .80 multi-car discount = $360). However, if you live in your own home and have your own coverage, you can still lower your bill in several strategies.

Single females under age 21 who meet their state's non-principal driver requirements can have their rates lowered from the $630- $810 range to as little as $328 ($630 X .65 non-principal driver credit - $410 X .80 multi-car discount = $328.00) for a 48 percent savings. The operator training and good student discounts could further reduce the above premium by another 5-10 percent where applicable.

Single females between the ages of 21-24 who meet the non-principal operator requirements can have their rates lowered from the $504-$630 range to as low as $262 ($504 X .65 non-principal operator credit = $328 X .80 multi-car discount - $262) for another 48 per-cent savings. The operator training and good student discounts are not available for those who are 21 years of age and older.