When you start looking for the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds, don’t expect it to be easy. Drivers in the 16 to 25 age group are considered to be the highest risk driver group to insurance companies. Plan on a paying a higher premium at least until you reach 25, and that’s only if you keep your driving record clear of speeding tickets, accidents or any other traffic violations.

If you’re male, you’ll pay more for car insurance than you would if you were female. Unfortunately young male drivers are considered the highest risk group, the most likely to speed and more likely to crash than females in the same age group. You could ask your parents to carry you on their car insurance policy as an occasional driver, which would save some money. The potential downside is that if you are actually a primary driver and you wind up in an accident, your insurance company can deny any claims arising from the accident and cancel the entire family policy once they discover you are actually a primary driver and not an occasional one.

You can forget about finding the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds if you current drive or plan on buying a shiny new sports or luxury car. Car insurers consider both of these types of cars as high risk because the former has a higher accident/wreckage rate and the latter is more expensive to repair or replace. Therefore, your premiums will be much higher than if you settle for a nice 4-door sedan or SUV.

Where you live can have an impact on your premiums as well, regardless of your age. City dwellers typically pay more insurance because there’s more traffic, thus more chances of accidents than in rural areas where the traffic is much lighter. If you live in state that has a higher rate of traffic accidents than other states, anticipate paying more for insurance.

Your search for the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds will turn up some incentives for reducing even a high premium if you exercise due diligence and don’t settle for the first company that will take you on. If you’re an A student, you qualify for good student discounts on your car insurance. If your commute to school or work is short one, you may qualify for a low-mileage discount. Insurance companies also offer premium reductions for completing a driver safety or defensive driving course. You can also get a reduction in your premium for having your vehicle equipped with safety or security features such as anti-theft devices, anti-lock brakes and air bags.

The most important thing you could do to practically guarantee low premiums when you’re older is to drive safely, adhere to the traffic regulations and rules and avoid excessive speeding tickets as well as accidents. Insurance companies like to see a clean driving record, no matter how old you are. Now is a good time to establish and maintain good credit, because that’s another plus in your favor when it comes to getting insurance at the lowest price you can get.