How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for 17 Year Olds in Atlanta?

You have most likely watched the ads from car insurance companies like Nationwide and Progressive that claim the cheapest price. So drivers just need to pick one randomly, right?

Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are many unknowns like how old you are, if you have ever let your coverage lapse, if you have a tendency to get into accidents, and your marital status, that all factor into the price you pay. The content below covers these things and educate you enough to have a good start in finding the cheapest insurance in Atlanta.

For teen drivers, one of the more important considerations that aid in calculating the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live in Atlanta. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas more rural areas benefit from lower rates.

The next table rates the most expensive areas in Georgia for 17 year olds to purchase auto insurance in. Atlanta is ranked #2 with an annual rate of $1,363 for car insurance, which is about $114 per month.

Rate quotes are approximated as the specific zip code location can affect price quotes significantly.

The vehicle model you are buying coverage for is one of the biggest factors when comparing the most affordable auto insurance for 17 year olds. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, an excellent safety record, or low incidents of liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models.

The next table shows car insurance rates for a selection of the most economical automobiles to insure.

Prices based on single female driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Georgia minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in specific location which can modify rates noticeably.

Looking at the numbers, we can presume that cars like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape are going to be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for teen drivers. Car insurance rates will tend to be more expensive anyway just because there is more claim risk for 17 year olds, but overall those makes and models will have the lowest prices possible.

Figuring out which company has the best insurance rates for 17 year olds calls for a little more work in order to find the most economical policy. Each auto insurer used slightly different criteria to determine rates, so let’s take a look at the insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Georgia.

Keep in mind that Georgia insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially change your annual premium. Getting older, getting divorced, or getting a driving violation may prompt premium changes that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors.

Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Teens

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Auto-Owners may have some of the lowest car insurance rates in Atlanta at around $839 annually. The Hartford, USAA, Central Mutual, and MetLife are also some of the cheapest Atlanta, GA auto insurance companies.

In this example, if you currently have a policy with USAA and switched to Auto-Owners, you could see annual savings of about $159. Policyholders with Central Mutual might save as much as $330 a year, and MetLife policyholders might lower prices by up to $387 a year.

These premiums are averages for all drivers and vehicles and do not take into consideration a specific zip code for 17 year olds. So the insurer that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 20 companies shown above. That point stresses why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.

Discount Atlanta car insurance rates

Insurance companies that offer coverage for 17 year olds may also offer rate discounts that could lower prices by as much as 30% if you are eligible. A few of the larger companies and their offered discounts are detailed below.

• 21st Century may include discounts for early bird, teen driver, automatic seat belts, homeowners, and 55 and older.
• State Farm includes discounts for student away at school, Steer Clear safe driver discount, safe vehicle, passive restraint, anti-theft, and Drive Safe & Save.
• AAA discounts include education and occupation, good driver, pay-in-full, AAA membership discount, multi-car, and good student.
• Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include teen driver discount, multi-policy, exclusive group savings, hybrid vehicle, and preferred payment discount.
• Progressive offers premium reductions for online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, good student, and multi-vehicle.

The example below compares annual premium costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, Georgia state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, passive restraint, vehicle safety, paid-in-full, continuous coverage, and good student discounts applied. In this example, theamount saved on insurance for 17 year olds is 28% or $618.

Insurance company ratings

Buying coverage from a high-quality insurance provider is difficult considering how many companies sell coverage in Atlanta. The company information shown below could help you choose which auto insurers you want to consider when comparing auto insurance rates for 17 year olds.

The rankings below are only made up of large insurance companies, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Georgia are not factored into these rankings. If you would like to check rates from these and other top-rated companies, follow this link.

Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Providers in Atlanta Ranked by Value

1. Mercury Insurance
2. Travelers
3. American Family
4. AAA Insurance
5. Safeco Insurance
6. Progressive
7. The Hartford
8. The General
9. 21st Century
10. Esurance

Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Providers in Atlanta Ranked by Claims Service

1. Travelers
2. Nationwide
3. Allstate
4. State Farm
5. Liberty Mutual
6. GEICO
7. American Family
8. Esurance
9. Titan Insurance
10. AAA Insurance

Full coverage rates vs. liability-only

Saving on insurance should be important to most drivers, and one good way to pay less for insurance for 17 year olds is to buy only liability coverage. The chart below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The prices are based on no claims or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.

As an overall average, physical damage coverage costs $2,252 per year more than just insuring for liability. That may make you wonder if buying full coverage is worth the money. There is no definitive formula for phasing out comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

For example, let’s say your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $11,500 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $10,500 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying over $1,050 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are some situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not financially feasible. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.

Shop around and save

Atlanta insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the policy price. Simply having another birthday, having a claim, or getting into an accident may prompt premium changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than others. Not only may your risk profile change, but car insurance companies modify rates every year in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. An unexpected high level of claims can result in more expensive premiums, while better underwriting can result in lower-priced Atlanta car insurance rates.

To illustrate this point, the bar chart below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Atlanta, GA for a 35-year-old male driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a good credit rating. Based on his current risk factors, Auto-Owners offers the best car insurance rates in Atlanta at $1,125 per year. This is $404 less than the average price paid by Georgia drivers of $1,529. The Hartford, USAA, Central Mutual, and MetLife are also on the list of the top five cheapest Atlanta, GA auto insurance companies.

In this example, we will give the driver from the first example a claim or two, a little lower credit rating, and a blemish on his driving record. Because each company has a proprietary formula for determining rates in each state, analyzing rate quotes could result in a slightly different list of affordable Atlanta car insurance companies as shown below.

The Hartford now has the best car insurance rate in Atlanta, GA with Travelers, Mercury, Country, and Safeco now rounding out the top five. This example demonstrates why consumers need to take the time to shop around when trying to get the lowest auto insurance quotes for 17 year olds.

Car insurance prices are determined by many risk factors and change frequently, so the most economical company three years ago may now be an over-priced policy.

The insurance agencies below can probably answer your questions and help you decide which auto insurance coverages would be the best in your situation, since some drivers wish to get some professional advice when buying car insurance for 17 year olds. It can be challenging to find coverage yourself, so getting advice from a licensed agent can provide you satisfaction knowing your policy gives you adequate protection in case of an accident or claim. To locate an Atlanta insurance agent using an interactive map, click the button below the list.

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