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If YOU fOUND YOURSELf CAR-LESS AfTER
A COLLISION, wHAT wOULD YOU DO?
When Maggie Kent first got the news that
her husband, Jack, had been in a collision that
totaled his Jeep, she didn't even think about
the car ­ just about her husband, who
fortunately sustained only minor injuries.
"I was just grateful that he was okay," she says.
NEw TEEN DRIVER IN YOUR fUTURE?
But later that day, the challenges of having
only one car started to sink in. "Our jobs are
ARE YOU PREPARED?
in different directions, so we couldn't really
share a car," Maggie says. "We figured we'd be
get informed ­ A lot has changed since you earned your driver's license
buying a new car within a couple of weeks.
be an active coach, partner and supervisor ­ Parents play a major role in
But in the meantime, we knew we'd have to
helping teens learn to drive safely.
get a rental car for Jack."
you set the rules ­ Signing a parent-teen driving agreement helps parents and
Unfortunately, the Kents didn't have rental reimbursement coverage on their
teens set realistic expectations and establishes boundaries for your teen driver.
auto policy. Maggie had waived it about a month before the incident to save
money."I really wish I'd kept it,"she says."It would have made things so much easier."
As driver education classes
· A teen driver's crash risk is three times
Indeed, rental reimbursement coverage can be a lifesaver if you suddenly find
disappear from more and more high
that of drivers ages 20 and older.
yourself without a car after an accident. If you're wondering whether you should
schools, more parents are finding
· More than half of teens killed in car
add it to your policy, here are some things to consider.
themselves to be the"designated
crashes were not wearing a seatbelt.
driving instructor"for their teen.
Q. what does rental reimbursement cover?
Teaching someone how to drive is
By knowing and strictly enforcing the
A. Generally, it covers the cost of a rental car, up to certain limits, while your
a huge responsibility and can be
laws for teen drivers, parents may not win
insured car is being repaired following a covered loss (such as a crash,
overwhelming. Where and how does
a popularity contest but will be taking
vandalism or fire) or for a specified amount of time set by your policy if your
one start?
the first step in protecting their teen.
car is deemed not repairable.
Actually, parents have been showing
Log onto www.TeenDriving.aaa.com to
Q. How does it work?
their child"how to drive"since the day
get the facts you need before your teen
A. Typically in one of two ways: You can get a car from a rental agency that's
they started riding in a forward-facing
begins to drive. AAA's website provides
been approved by your insurance company, in which case the agency will bill
car seat. By the time they are 8 years old,
parents information regarding Licensing
your insurance carrier directly. Or you can rent a car yourself and submit the
children have developed a basic belief
& State Laws, Insurance & Vehicle
receipts to your insurance company for reimbursement. Either way, the limits
about driving from observing their
Considerations and Driver Education
on the coverage are usually for a certain time period with per-day and
parents and other adults behind the
options, key safety points for parents
per-accident limits ­ for example, $30 per day and $900 per accident. That
wheel. They've watched, and listened,
to consider, including understanding
means you'll pay for any costs over $30 a day, and you won't be reimbursed
as rules were followed (or not) and as
the facts and risks before your teen gets
for more than $900, even if the total costs are more.
attitudes toward other drivers where
behind the wheel.
Q. is there anything rental reimbursement doesn't cover?
displayed.
To learn more about teen crashes,
A. You can't use it to cover the cost of rental while your car is in the shop for
By the time they are 16, teens have
the learning-to-drive process,
scheduled maintenance. It also usually doesn't cover the cost of fuel or any
already adopted many driving habits
Pennsylvania's Graduated Driver
optional insurance you might decide to purchase from the rental agency.
and are just waiting to put them into
License Law, parent-teen driving
practice.
agreements, and insurance for new
Q. How much does it cost?
Thus begins the most critical phase
drivers, join us at the next AAA Dare
A. The cost of rental reimbursement varies depending on your car and your
of a young person's life, as car crashes
To Prepare Workshop. Parents and
insurance company, but the average cost per vehicle could be around $40 per
remain the leading cause of death for
teens will come together to begin this
year. Compare that to the average amount policyholders without coverage
teens across the U.S.
critical phase as a team. The workshop
would have to pay after a loss: $364 ­ based on a rental car cost of $28 per day
How can parents prepare themselves
is free of charge and open to the public.
and about 13 days in the shop.
and their teen to safely navigate this life
Those who wish to attend must register
Q. Are there people who might not need the coverage?
phase? By learning the facts behind teen
in advance by contacting the Traffic
A. If you don't need your car to handle daily activities ­ you work from home,
crashes and taking action to protect their
Safety Department at 610-258-2371 or
for example, or you can walk or take public transit to all the places you need to
teen, parents can help develop a safer
by e-mail to trafficsafety@aaanc.com .
go ­ you may not need rental reimbursement. Same goes if you have an extra
teen driver.
car or know that you can borrow a car from a friend or relative. But if you
A recent list of the "Top 10 Things
Date:
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
don't fall into one of those categories, it's probably a good idea to add rental
Many Parents Don't Know About Teen
Time:
6:00 p.m. ­ 7:30 p.m.
reimbursement to your policy.
Driving" compiled by the National
Location: AAA Northampton County,
Safety Council included:
3914 Hecktown Road, Easton
Your AAA Insurance Agent can provide more information. Visit the AAA
· The most dangerous time of a teen
Northampton County office, call (610) 258-2371, or visit the Get Insurance
driver's life is the first 12 months after
teendriving.AAA.com
section of our Website.
receiving a license.
SUMMER 2014
3914 Hecktown Rd., Easton, PA · (610) 258-2371 · www.aaanc.com
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