Greater Restrictions for High-Risk Auto Insurance Group Enacted

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan's governor last week signed into law greater restrictions on how and when beginning motorists in the state can drive legally. OnlineAutoInsurance.com commends the Michigan legislators for successfully pushing for greater road safety.

With the new restrictions, motorists in stage two of the graduated licensing process can only drive between the hours of 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and can carry only one non-family passenger under the age of 21.

The changes were implemented in response to negative teen crash statistics from Michigan and around the country that have led insurance companies to mark this demographic group as a high risk, which has subsequently made it difficult for teenage drivers to track down affordable auto insurance premiums.

Teenagers remain statistically more likely to be involved in an auto accident than any other age group. And although the annual number of fatal crashes involving 16- and 17-year-olds has been on the decline in recent years, the numbers are still unsettling. Between 2004 and 2008, there were 294 fatal crashes in Michigan alone that involved a 16- or 17-year-old.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5941a2.htm?s_cid=mm5941a2_w

Restricting the time period and the number of passengers with which a beginning motorist can drive may help to cut an inexperienced driver's exposure to distractions and adverse road conditions. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), "Most young drivers' nighttime fatal crashes occur between 9 p.m. and midnight, so teenagers shouldn't be driving much later than 9." The IIHS also notes that passengers often distract teen drivers and could increase the likelihood of an accident. In addition, other sources say that this likelihood increases along with the number of passengers.

To find out more about locating quality car insurance policies in Michigan and other states, readers can go to http://www.onlineautoinsurance.com/affordable/ where visitors will find informative resource pages and a free-to-use quote comparison generator that can help jump-start the search for an affordable policy.

SOURCE Online Auto Insurance, LLC

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