Cost of Owning a Car is too Expensive for Many Students

Do you own a car and have to pay for your gas and insurance? Have you ever run out of money and been unable to drive? Well, that seems to be a concern for many students at Penn Manor.

Out of six students interviewed at Penn Manor, all six of them had to pay for their insurance and gas on their own without their parent’s help.

Jenna Reel, a student at Penn Manor said, “yes, I think that my parents would help me if I really needed the help, but I’ve never needed it. I earn enough money to make it every month.” Reel is one of the lucky ones.

According to Allstate Insurance Company, the cost of insurance is higher for teens because they have a higher chance of getting into an accident. The prices vary by gender. Males have higher insurance rates than females, because statistically they get in more accidents than females.

Kevin Tolle owns his own car and also has to pay for his insurance and gas. Tolle explained it was not difficult for him to come up with the money.

“No, I work a lot,” Tolle said.

Insurance rates for teens can be as low as $75 to more than $2,000 per year.

According to superpages.com, there are several ways to lower your insurance rates as a teen. By choosing not to drive a sports car or driving a not-so-nice car, rates can be reduced drastically. Another way to lower rates is to get the student discount by earning good grades.

Chandler Miller, a junior at Penn Manor whom does not have her license nor permit, said, “I think that kids should have to pay for some of the insurance, because if their parents just hand their kids a car and pay for everything then the kids will learn to not care.”

Macon Kirtoey has to pay for insurance and gas, but his dad gave him a car. He said it can be hard to always get payments  in on time.

Kirtoey added “it sucks” when explaining he had to pay for his insurance and gas.

Most teens look forward to driving on the open road with their friends without a care in the world. Most of them don’t think about the fact that they will have more expenses once they get their license. Insurance companies are trying to keep the insurance as low as possible, but it will probably be very affordable.

So, next time you are driving with your friend, offer them a couple of dollars for gas money and other expenses, because it really could make a difference for them.

By Kelly Owens