How Age Affects Car Insurance Rates

In our society we place a tremendous amount of value on the younger members of our population. Many people love their early years so much that they spend their entire life trying to look younger than they really are. Why do you think cosmetics and plastic surgery are such profitable industries? In film, television, magazines and the internet we are bombarded with images that tell us youth is king. The societal ideal for some reason is that we should be "forever young." Does anybody else remember how inexperienced, awkward and stupid you were when you were a young adult? Apparently not.

In the world of car insurance, however, the reverse is true. Insurers know that with age a person gains both wisdom and an increased ability to make good decisions. Apparently this "age equals wisdom" theory has been proven by the steady decrease in car accidents once we pass our mid-twenties.

Inexperienced first time drivers are always going to be the highest risk cases for auto insurers. But add in youthful raging hormones with inexperience and you have a recipe for car accidents. Come on now, you don't hear about . guys from the local Senior Center getting killed because they went out street racing. Only the young and dumb do that.

There is a "magic age" when most insurance carriers move you into a lower risk category. This age is 25 and quite honestly you will be quoted a different price for car insurance the day before your birthday than you would the day after. Apparently a lot of NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) accident evidence recorded over the years has proven that men and women have a steady decrease in auto accidents after the age of 25.

If you are under 25, however, it isn't an utterly hopeless situation when it comes to lowering your car insurance rates. Many carriers offer a good student discount which requires an individual be enrolled in school full time and maintain a B average. In case you are slow that is a 3.0 grade average but if you couldn't figure that out it is doubtful that a B average is in your future.

The real sweet spot for insurers, age wise, are the years ranging from 55 to 65. These are the years when drivers have generally mellowed out/matured but they are not yet experiencing the effects of old age. People in that age bracket usually also have kids in college so they aren't prone to driving recklessly. They probably also still have relatively good eyesight which always helps when you are driving.

So there you have it. The best ages in regards to car insurance are 25 and any of the years from 55 to 65. See, it isn't so bad to get old.