Don’t Hide Your Teen Driver from your Insurance Company

While some parents may simply forget to add their newly licensed teen driver to their insurance policy, others intentionally do not notify their carrier about the new driver in the house in an effort to save money from the unavoidable increase that comes when their teenager gets their Nevada driver’s license.

Don’t make this mistake…

In Nevada, insurance companies require you to provide a list of all drivers in the home, regardless of whether or not they are going to be driving the insured vehicle. Should your teen driver not be disclosed and then becomes involved in an accident in the insured vehicle, your insurance company can legally deny any claims associated with that accident. Needless to say, this could be a devastating financial blow to a family as they would be responsible for their own repairs to the insured vehicle and very likely personally responsible for for damage and injuries caused to others.

In the State of Nevada, studies show a 132% increase in insurance premiums between an adult driver alone compared to an adult driver adding a teen driver to their insurance policy. Specifically, in Nevada, the average adult pays $1,113 per year on insurance. By adding a Nevada teen driver, that rate jumps up to $2,651 per year. These figures were based on a 2014 Honda Accord driven by a 40-year old driver with 100/300/50 liability coverage with comprehensive and collision. As you can see, the increase is quite substantial!

Saving Money on Insurance

With regards to gender equality, many think that the insurance carriers are out of line. The fact is, “gender equality” in most states does not apply to insurance companies while other states have outlawed the practice of charging different rates to males than female (Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Montana). In general, there is not much dispute as to the fact that teen drivers are for more likely to be involved in a traffic accident than adults. What insurance companies have also found is that teenage boys present significantly more risk in becoming involved in a traffic accident than their female teenage counterparts. So, in Nevada, be prepared to pay more if you have a teenage son than you will if you have a teenage daughter.

Other Ways to Save

Now that the gender issue has been addressed, lets look at some other ways that you can save money if you have a Nevada teen with a driver’s license.

  1. Driver Training Discount: Most big insurance carriers offer some sort of discount when the teen takes a specified amount of driving lessons with a licensed driving school. The discounts range from 5% to as high as 25%
  2. Good Student Discount: Maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or better can result in a significant insurance discount for Nevada teens
  3. Good Driver Discount: Teens that exhibit good driving behaviors without tickets or accidents for a significant amount of time can also receive a nice discount

These are just a few of the discounts offered by many insurance carriers in Nevada. These are in addition to the usual discounts such as multi-car discounts, family plan discounts, low mileage discounts, etc. Always be sure to ask about these discounts as insurance carriers and agents might not be readily aware of your situation and the applicable situation that applies to you.

Insurance Discount for Teen Drivers

Taking driving lessons in Las Vegas for those who reside in and around Clark County is one of the best ways for teen drivers to get a discount on their automobile insurance. In most cases, parents of teen drivers often pay for their minor children’s automobile insurance by adding them to their own policy. Unfortunately, as most parents of teen drivers know, the cost significantly rises when a teenager is added to the policy. The reasons for this increase are obvious; you are allowing someone with very little driving experience to drive your vehicle on the streets of Las Vegas. As statistics show, teen drivers aged 16-19 are three times more likely to be involved in an accident than those aged 20 and above. Needless to say, this is why insurance rates go up significantly when a teen driver is added to an insurance policy.

There is good news, however…

Many insurance companies offer discounts for Clark County area teen drivers that take driving lessons in Las Vegas from a DMV licensed driving school. When an insurance discount is offered, the insurance companies usually require the teen driver to take at least 6-hours of driving lessons with a professional driving instructor, through a licensed Las Vegas driving school. One student recently reported to us that their carrier offered a 25% discount in exchange for her completing 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction with our school. Of course every insurance company is different and the rates and discounts will vary. The point is, you should call your carrier to see if they offer a discount for teen driving lessons (behind the wheel) and find out just how much that discount is. In most cases, the cost of driving lessons in Las Vegas may pay for itself pretty quickly by way of behind the wheel driving lessons.

Nevada Driving Test – How to Practice Parallel Parking

In this post, we will teach you how to practice parallel parking. Most people seeking a Nevada driver’s license are fully aware that parallel parking is one component of the Nevada driving skills test. In fact, this single maneuver is what most people dread most about the driving test. Those that get “hung up” on the driving skills portion of the test also forget that 90-degree parking (aka perpendicular parking) and backing out of a parking space are also scored during the Nevada DMV driving test. In this post, we will take a look at parallel parking on the driving skills portion of the test and provide some pointers for practicing.

Parallel Parking Then and Now

Years ago, the Nevada DMV would actually have you parallel park behind a parked vehicle spotted along the driving test route. The rumor is that there were too many accidents occurring to those innocent bystander vehicles along the Las Vegas roadways, that the DMV decided to set up their own parallel parking course on site at the various Nevada DMV offices. Today, each full service Nevada DMV has a closed parallel parking course set up in or near their parking area. They can be recognized by a front set of 2-3 barrels and back set of 2-3 barrels with about 40-feet or so of space in between the sets of barrels. During your driving test, the DMV examiner will have you parallel park between the front and rear set of barrels. A passing score will have you successfully parking parallel to the curb between the barrels with no more than 18 inches from the curb. Striking a barrel is an automatic failure, as that is considered an at fault accident during your driving test.

How to Practice Parallel Parking

Perfecting your parallel parking skills takes practice. The fact is, here in Nevada, we usually don’t suffer from a lack of places to park. As such, we really don’t get much practice parallel parking like those living in San Francisco, New York or Boston.

At our Las Vegas driving school, we can usually teach new drivers how to master parallel parking in a matter of a few tries. For those of you who want to practice parallel parking on their own, we strongly recommend going to the DMV where you plan to take your driving test an practice on that DMV parallel parking course. The DMV allows for you to practice there just as long as you do so when the DMV is closed. This means you can practice all day on Sunday or during the week after 5:00 pm after all driving tests are complete.

As some people might not have much opportunity to practice at the DMV, they can easily set up a course in their own neighborhood. To do this, all you need are a couple of trash cans, large boxes or cones. I prefer trash cans because they are roughly the same size as the DMV barrels.

To set up your own course, simply find a straight curb or sidewalk and place one barrel against the curb and have the other trash can placed 10 feet away from the curb (the far edge of the trash can should be at the 10 foot mark). These two cans will represent the rear bumper of the “car” you are going to parallel park behind. You really don’t need trash cans to the rear but if you want to, set those approximately 30-40 feet behind the front cans.

Parallel Parking Basics

Those who do not take professional driving lessons sometimes aren’t aware of everything that goes into parallel parking during a Nevada DMV driving test. There really is a lot to it. For example, you are expected to use your turn signal when parallel parking – even though you are on a closed course in a back parking lot. You should also use your turn signal as you exit the spot. Secondly, while you will be expected to look over your right shoulder when backing up, you are also expected to look over your right shoulder before backing, as the front end of your vehicle will swing out to the left as you are attempting to parallel park (assuming you are doing it right!).

Parallel Parking Methods

At this point, there are a few different methods for actually maneuvering your vehicle into a parallel spot. The method we teach in our Las Vegas driving school is known as the S-Method. The following are step-by-step directions for using this method.

  1. turn your right turn signal on and pull up so that your right rear (passenger side) wheel is even with the front barrels, approximately 2 to 3 feet away. In a real life situation, the barrels would be the rear bumper of the car you intend to park behind.
  2. With your foot firmly on the brake, shift the car into reverse and turn the wheel all the way to the right.
  3. Slightly let off the break, holding the wheel all the way to the right as you back up slowly.
  4. When your vehicle is at a 45-degree angle to the left barrel (or rear bumper), stop your car completely.
  5. While stopped completely, turn the wheel all the way to the left and hold it and slowly back up until your vehicle is parallel to the curb (you should be directly behind the barrels nice and straight).

If you did everything correctly, your right side wheels should be less that 18 inches from the curb, giving you a passing score on the parallel parking portion of the Nevada driving test.

We hope this post sheds some light on the dreaded parallel parking portion of the driving skills test and helped with suggestions on how to practice parallel parking. Check back soon to learn the secrets of perpendicular parking and reversing out of parking spaces.

 

I Just Passed My Nevada Driving Test!

Passing your behind the wheel test and getting your driver’s license is a rite of passage all over Nevada. At that moment, you are now authorized to drive a car…..alone. An adult no longer has to ride with you. You are now free to drive whenever and with whomever you wish. Or are you? Nevada has laws governing a new teen driver’s driving privileges. It isn’t a free-for-all once you pass the behind the wheel test. The reason these laws were passed is simple. Newer teen aged rivers are less experienced, more prone to accidents and far more prone to distractions than those drivers who have been driving for awhile. For these reasons, Nevada has instituted a “graduated driver’s license”, or GDL. The idea is to gradually give the new driver more freedom and more responsibility, rather than setting them up for failure because they lacked the experience to handle either. Now that we understand the logic behind the program, let’s be clear about what you can and cannot do as a newer teen driver.

Step one. It all starts with a learner’s permit. Once a Nevada teen turns 15½, they are eligible to take the learner’s permit written exam. Provided they pass this exam and their parents or guardians approve, the permit is issued.

Step two. Once you have the permit, you must drive with a licensed driver for 50 hours. This driver must be 21 years of age or older and must have been licensed for at least a year. 10 hours of the 50 hours must be driven at night. A log of these hours must be kept and signed by the parent or guardian attesting to the fact that you actually drove these hours. If you pencil whip (cheat)  the log book, instructors at the DMV can tell when you take your test because your inexperience shows. You will have a very difficult time passing and, if found out, the DMV will not issue your license. It is unlawful to forge the logbook.

Step three. Once you turn 16 and have completed the required 50 hours, you are eligible to take your behind the wheel test. Once passed, you now have full driving privileges, but with a catch.

  1. For the first six months, you cannot drive with anyone under the age of 18 in your vehicle unless they are an immediate family member. The reason for this is simple. Newer drivers are so excited to get out there with their friends that they tend to be distracted and much less safe than they would be otherwise. This restriction seeks to minimize that danger.
  2. . Until you turn 18, you may not drive between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. There are exceptions to this, such as traveling to and from a sponsored event, like a school sporting event or family gathering, but it is generally not allowed. Driving around late at night right after you get your driver’s license is a sure way to get stopped by the police. Many cities have curfew restrictions, too and these apply whether or not you are in a vehicle, so be careful out there.

Step four. Once you turn 18 and you have maintained a driver’s license, you can consider yourself a driver with no restrictions. You can now officially drive when, where and with who you want to, as long as it is lawful.

Remember that violation of these laws can set you back in your quest for a license. If you are cited for an infraction of these laws, your driving privileges can be suspended. If you get caught doing it enough, the judge may deny your driving privileges until your 18. No one wants that. These laws are designed to allow you freedom, but just enough to teach responsibility, too. The state of Nevada cares about it’s driver’s and passed these laws to help foster good habits with new drivers. Keep your future in mind when you’re a new driver. You’ll be doing it a long time, hopefully.

 

 

What to Bring to Your Nevada Driving Test

 

When you arrive at a Nevada DMV office for a Nevada driving test, there are several things that you must bring as a teen driver. This post will list everything that the Nevada DMV requires:

1. Parent or Guardian: this is an obvious one, but all teen drivers under the age of 18 years old must bring a parent or guardian with them at the time they are taking the driving skills test in Nevada. The parent or guardian must be present to sign the Financial Responsibility Statement and the Affidavit for Minor to be Licensed. These are Nevada DMV forms that are required before a teen driver can take the skills test.

2. Instruction Permit: A Nevada Instruction Permit is also required at the time of the test. The teen driver should already have had this for at least six months, at which time they should have at least 50-hours of driving experience with their parent.

3. Proof of Identity: your Nevada DMV instruction permit will establish your identity. If you do not have one, you can find other acceptable documents to establish your identity here: http://dmvnv.com/dlresidency.htm

4. Driver’s Education Certificate: when you complete a Nevada DMV 30-hour driver’s ed course,  you will be given a certificate of completion. This drivers ed certificate will be given to the Nevada DMV as proof that you completed the course.

5. Completed Beginning Driver Experience Log (DLD130): This is your driving experience log that must show you have completed 50-hours of driving experience with at least 10 of those hours completed during the hours of darkness.

6. Application for Driving Privileges: This form can be found here: http://dmvnv.com/pdfforms/dmv002en.pdf – there is a place for the parent to authorize a teen driver to drive.

7. Vehicle with Valid Registration and Current Insurance: This is obvious. You will need a registered and insured vehicle to take your test. Keep in mind that you can use any vehicle in the class of the Nevada drivers license you are seeking but you cannot use a rental car. Make sure that the vehicle you use is safe in that the brake lights, headlights, horn, turn signals are all operational. Also, the tires should be in good condition and there should be no cracks or other things on the windshield that could impair your vision. The Nevada DMV examiner will conduct a brief safety inspection of the vehicle before you proceed with the driving skills test.

8. Certification of Attendance (DMV301): this is a new law that went into effect in January of 2016. You must have this form signed by the school principal or designated school official that verifies your attendance is acceptable to the DMV. The form can be found here: http://dmvnv.com/pdfforms/dmv301.pdf

Be sure to bring all the above items (and people) to the Nevada DMV at the time of your test. Completing these forms prior to your testing date and time will ensure a less stressful experience when you arrive. Nothing is worse than scheduling a driving test only to find that you forgot to bring something with you! This will mean rescheduling your test and a longer wait to get your Nevada drivers license.

Good luck!