The words “affordable” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, especially when trying to find the lowest insurance prices for a school permit. To help control this cost, let’s start the ball rolling by going over some situations the can have a considerable influence on car insurance premiums, and find out if you can shave a little off the next policy you buy.
For a learners permit, one of the more important considerations that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where your residence is in Boston. More populated areas are more likely to have higher rates, whereas more rural areas benefit from lower coverage costs.
The following table rates the highest-priced areas in Massachusetts for a school permit to purchase a policy in. Boston is ranked at #7 costing $1,805 for the average policy, which is approximately $150 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revere | $2,127 |
| 2 | Brockton | $2,059 |
| 3 | Lynn | $1,939 |
| 4 | Lawrence | $1,915 |
| 5 | Springfield | $1,908 |
| 6 | Malden | $1,879 |
| 7 | Boston | $1,805 |
| 8 | New Bedford | $1,768 |
| 9 | Worcester | $1,695 |
| 10 | Fall River | $1,649 |
| 11 | Somerville | $1,648 |
| 12 | Medford | $1,638 |
| 13 | Quincy | $1,596 |
| 14 | Lowell | $1,511 |
| 15 | Cambridge | $1,506 |
| 16 | Chicopee | $1,500 |
| 17 | Weymouth | $1,491 |
| 18 | Haverhill | $1,468 |
| 19 | Peabody | $1,406 |
| 20 | Framingham | $1,404 |
| 21 | Brookline | $1,400 |
| 22 | Taunton | $1,397 |
| 23 | Methuen | $1,361 |
| 24 | Waltham | $1,341 |
| 25 | Newton | $1,310 |
| Quote Best Rates Go | ||
Prices are estimated as the vehicle garaging location can alter prices considerably.
The vehicle on the policy is a large factor when trying to find the cheapest coverage for a school permit. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than safer models. The information below presents auto insurance rates for a selection of the cheaper automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $5,619 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $5,625 |
| Toyota Prius | $6,042 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $6,177 |
| Ford F-150 XL Crew Cab 2WD | $6,235 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $6,405 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $6,542 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $6,552 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $6,601 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $6,607 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $6,601 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $6,610 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $6,601 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $6,659 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $6,667 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $6,900 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,905 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $6,915 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $6,963 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $6,972 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $6,963 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $7,022 |
| GMC Sierra SL Crew Cab 2WD | $7,027 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Prices above based on single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Massachusetts minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Estimates do not factor in specific location which can raise or lower price quotes substantially.
Based upon these rates, you can assume that models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, and Honda Odyssey are most likely going to be a few of the most economical vehicles to insure for a learners permit. Car insurance rates will be higher anyway because of the fact that there is more claim exposure for a school permit, but in general those makes and models will most likely have the lowest insurance prices that you are likely to find.
Cautious Boston drivers save money
The recommended way to find the best car insurance premiums for a learners permit is to pay attention while driving and not have accidents or get tickets. The chart below illustrates how violations and accident claims increase insurance rates for different insured age categories. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the prior example, the average cost of car insurance in Boston per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,756. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,979, an increase of $223 each year. Now add in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of car insurance for a school permit jumps again to an average of $2,599. That’s an increase of $843, or $70 per month, just for being a careless driver!
Discounts on Boston auto insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that provide coverage for a school permit may additionally offer rate discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 25% or more if you are eligible. Larger car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts are shown below.
- Farm Bureau includes discounts for driver training, renewal discount, safe driver, multi-policy, and youthful driver.
- State Farm has savings for defensive driving training, anti-theft, passive restraint, accident-free, and driver’s education.
- Progressive offers discounts for homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, good student, and continuous coverage.
- Allstate has discounts for resident student, economy car, senior citizen, safe driver, and early signing.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for defensive driving, Farm Bureau membership, anti-theft, business or organization, multi-policy, accident-free, and good student.
- MetLife offers premium reductions for multi-policy, defensive driver, accident-free, good student, good driver, and claim-free.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premiums assume a male driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Massachusetts state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with good student, vehicle safety, passive restraint, paperless filing, continuous coverage, and anti-theft discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for a school permit is 28% or $848.
The agents shown below can help you determine which policy is best, since lots of people like to have the advice of a professional agent when shopping for the best coverage for a learners permit. It’s not always easy to do it yourself, and insurance agents can provide you peace of mind knowing you have enough protection. To locate an agency in your neighborhood, click the button at the bottom.
- A-Affordable Insurance Agency, Inc.
55 Union St – Boston, MA 02108 – (617) 924-4915 - Allston Insurance Agency, Inc.
1065 Commonwealth Avenue # 3 – Boston, MA 02215 – (617) 562-8200 - H. Levenbaum Insurance Agency
1534 Dorchester Ave – Dorchester, MA 02122 – (617) 825-3900
View more Boston, MA insurance agencies
How to find economical insurance for a school permit
The list below summarizes some of the recommended penny-pinching solutions that can help Boston drivers find cheap coverage.
- Improve your credit score
- Prevent rate increases by staying accident-free
- Save money by observing traffic laws and speed limits
- Discounts for being claim-free can be substantial
- Raise comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles
- Save money by insuring your home and auto with the same company
- Compare rates regularly to ensure the best deal
That final tip is extremely important, as we emphasized in this article. Coverage rates in Boston can be adjusted at any time, so don’t be afraid to switch to a new company if a better rate can be found.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not a great idea if that loyalty ends up costing big bucks every year. It only takes a couple minutes to shop around to find cheaper insurance for a school permit.