5 Life Changing Costs to NOT Partnering with Expert Drivers Education

We can't put a dollar amount on loss of life. There is no amount of money that will bring someone back. However, we can give you a concrete dollar and time amount of costs if your teen is the one who causes loss of life. According to the NSC, the average cost of a fatal motor vehicle crash is $1.41 million. The average jail sentence is 6 years in prison if no alcohol or drugs are involved. If alcohol or drugs are involved, the jail sentence is doubled to 12 years. Although we hate thinking about our own children ever causing such a tragic outcome, if we do not invest in their training, we are not setting them up for success. A young adult's life is forever changed if they are in prison for 6 to 12 years. They won't be able to attend college, travel, start a family, get married, pursue their dreams, etc.

Not all car crashes are fatal...thank goodness. However, there is still a huge loss of ability resulting in disabilities for life and forever changing the course and trajectory of a your teen's life. Whether they are the one disabled or they caused the injury crash, both parties suffer immensely. In 2019 there were over 2.5 million crashes that resulted in life altering disabilities. The most common disabilities resulting from car crashes are paralysis caused by spinal cord trauma, complete or partial limb amputations, sensory deprivations, including deafness or blindness, traumatic brain injuries, limb deformation that results in mobility impairment, ongoing psychological trauma, back and neck injuries and sever burns. Again, is this worth forgoing training?

Financial costs don't only account for physical dollars, they include wage and productivity losses when someone is hurt or unable to work to their full potential. The NHTSA estimates fatal and injury causing crashes costs America $871 billion every year. When we do not value quality drivers education and training exceptionally well, we increase the financial burden of car crashes for all. Even if we have never been involved in a crash, we bear the societal cost associated with fatal and injury crashes. Insurance premiums rise, cost of repairs rise and medical expenses increase.

Time is so valuable and understanding that car crashes steal time and potential from us and from the ones we love. Your teen not being able to fulfill their dreams and aspirations due to lack of driving skill or poor driving habits and attitude is something that should caution everyone. We owe quality training to the next generation.

Teenagers and young adults are statistically higher risk drivers and thus insurance companies charge more for their insurance premiums. However, teens who complete quality drivers education and train well to keep themselves low risk can receive discounts on their insurance premiums. The key is making sure the training received is quality and expert so that your teen is more likely to stay lower risk for crashes and tickets. Without quality drivers education, parents are looking at adding an additional $165-$250 per month, per teenager to their car insurance premiums. The payment for quality drivers education pays for itself within less than a year of licensing a teen.