Personal Insurance Blog

As soon as a child obtains their driver’s permit, the agency receives calls to add these new drivers to their parents’ auto policies.  At this time we only have one auto carrier (PURE Insurance) that requires this.  Our other auto carriers will only add a  youthful operator once he or she is actually licensed in the state.  However, several umbrella carriers now require that operators on permits be added to their parents’ umbrella coverage even though they may not yet be a listed operator on the auto policy.

Many parents question how an accident or violation will be handled for permitted operators.  The Registry will track these incidents and they will be applied to the operator’s driving record when he or she is licensed.  It should be noted that there are strict guidelines as to how these can affect the newly licensed operator.  Attached is a list of the violations and penalties for junior operators as applied by the MA Registry.  Since these new operators run the risk of losing their permit or license, it is imperative that they follow the rules of the road and the MA laws governing the operation of a vehicle while on a permit or under a junior operator license.

Another serious result of youthful operators with surcharges on their driving record is the fact that their parents can lose their standard umbrella coverage and may have to apply for new coverage through the excess market.  This can prove to be more expensive but most umbrella carriers do not wish to insure youthful operators who incur violations during their brief driving experience.

Driver’s Training is most beneficial both as an educational tool as well as an insurance rating benefit as the auto insurance carriers provide significantly lower rates for operators who have completed the course so we strongly recommend that the driver’s training program is completed.   Advanced driver’s training courses are also available and provide an additional credit on the insurance.  You may login to one of these programs for more information by visiting their website at www.WeDriveInControl.com.

For more information on teen drivers, check out our resources for new drivers page! Contact us with any of your insurance needs, and read some more articles on young drivers!

-Insure a Teenager: How to Add Your Teen to Your Insurance

-Junior Operators: What is the Passenger Restriction?

-Junior Operators: How to Pass Your Road Test