That day you've dreaded forever is finally here.
Your little darling is now of legal driving age and is doing exactly what all kids his age do to their parents: He's bugging the crap out of you to drive.
In my opinion after insuring hundreds of these new drivers for clients over three decades, there are three steps parents can take to significantly impact their child's success as a driver:

• Expose your teen to many more hours of driving with a permit under your supervision than the law requires them to have, under every type of condition possible (ideally 30 to 40 hours).
  
• Do not okay your teen's licensing until he's responsible in all areas of his life.
  How responsible he is outside a car is pretty indicative of how he'll drive.
  
• After he does get licensed, set limits on his driving in that first year.
  For example, when he's driving, change his curfew from 11 p.
  m.
  to 10 p.
  m.
  , set the rule that he can't have more than one passenger in the car, tell him he can't drive on the freeway, and so on.
  

Keeping in mind that new teen driver roughly doubles your rates on the car she most often drives if she is an occasional operator and triples the rates if she is a principal operator, here are some tips that will reduce your insurance bill:

• Keep her as an occasional-use driver for as long as you can.
  This strategy saves 30 percent off her principal driver rates.
  (To reap the benefit of this practice, make sure you always have fewer cars than you have licensed drivers in the household.
  )
• Have her drive the older family vehicle, the value of which is low enough to not need collision or comprehensive.
  This approach saves 30 percent of her occasional driver cost.
  (Plus, the older car can handle a few learning-how-to-drive dings and dents.
  )
• Encourage her to get good grades.
  If she gets a B average or better, you may be able to save 15 percent on your insurance - check with your agent to see about the incentives your insurer offers.
  
• Teach her to be a safe driver.
  If she has no tickets or accidents, you may be able to avoid a 25 percent three-year surcharge, for example.
  
• If she goes off to college 100 miles or more away from home and doesn't bring a car with her, ask for a distant student credit.
  This can save you 70 percent to 80 percent on her insurance costs.
  Plus, she'll be able to drive during vacations and holidays and will be covered at school when she borrows a friend's car.
  
• When she becomes a driver of her own car, keep it titled in your name until she is officially out of the house.
  She'll pay 30 percent more on her own policy.