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www.FredParent.NET • 15 "...get an older reliable vehicle for [your] teen driver instead of a newer maybe sportier vehicle." covering teen Drivers There are also a few additional things that parents of teen drivers should be aware of when purchasing insurance since teens are more susceptible to accidents. "The biggest thing that we tell parents when they add teenage driv- ers is that it is a best practice to get an older reliable vehicle for their teen driver instead of a newer maybe sportier vehicle," says Scott ellis, personal lines manager for Insurance Smith Agency. "The num- bers are staggering, as insurance companies tend to pay out 1.50 for every 1.00 they take in on a policy with teenage drivers." ellis also advises parents of teen drivers in particular to carry higher limits of liability. "I definitely make sure that parents know that they should have higher limits of liability when having a teen driver as their odds of accidents go up," ellis says. "The state minimum in Virginia is 25,000 per person and 50,000 total, but we would usually recommend at least 100,000 per person and 300,000 total in liability." Additionally, some companies will offer special discounts for custom- ers who combine their policies in a bundle. before you purchase any policies be sure to do your research, not just to decide what types of policies you need, but also which insurance company is the best to purchase that policy with. 5. Property damage liability comes into play when you are the at-fault driver and will pay for any damages you have caused to property or vehicles. The amount of options can feel overwhelming, but Graham Kyer, a local claims supervisor in the insurance industry, simply advises people to just make sure that they have enough coverage to cover their assets. "The idea is that if you cause an accident, your limits should hopefully cover the damages and injuries you cause," Kyer says. "If they aren't enough, you have a much higher chance of being sued by the injured party." what you'll need is also dependent on what you have. For example, "someone that owns a home and two cars should carry higher limits than someone who rents an apartment and owns one car," Kyer says. ...injuries and property damage in 2015 was estimated to be $412.1 billion... Photograph by Stephanie Johnson.