SouthFlorida.com | Teen Link South Florida

A teen who has just received or bought a new car has a lot to celebrate, but he then must face the trouble of affording auto insurance.

Rates in Florida often top $1,000 a year but there are ways teens can reduce their insurance premiums.

Getting good grades can lower the price of car insurance. According to the Geico Auto Insurance's Web site, a student who maintains a B average or higher is eligible for lower insurance.

Michael Hartman, an insurance agent with Allstate, said cars equipped with side or front air bags are liable for reduced insurance premiums, as well.

Those with clean driving records are also rewarded with lower insurance rates. "We have a Good Driver discount for drivers who have not gotten in an accident within the last five years," said Christine Tasher, director of public relations/communications at Geico Auto Insurance.

She said teens with connections to Geico's partner organizations also can receive discounts.

Are you just getting behind the wheel? Novice drivers can take a class to teach them driving skills, and they often get lower insurance rates as a result.

Driver's Ed is an 8- to 9-week course offered in several high schools in Broward County. Students go to class for two hours every Saturday and learn the fundamental techniques of driving.

At the end of the course, students have the option of taking their driving permit or driver's license test, and many insurance companies offer discounts for graduates of these courses.

"The Driver's Ed class really helped me become a good driver," said Sasha Naranjit, a sophomore at Boyd Anderson High. "I'm not sure exactly how much it saved me, but at least a couple hundred dollars."

Although your age and driving record have an affect on your insurance rates, neither the color of your car nor the color of your skin has any effect, insurance agents say.

"The color of anyone's auto does not matter a bit," said Kenya McCarthy, an insurance agent for State Farm.

Also, "there is no truth to those rumors about race affecting insurance rates," Hartman said. "I have never heard that implied before."