Gen Z drivers had both the highest incident rate and accident rate from January 1 through November 20, 2023, according to a LendingTree study. This age group had 49.07 incidents — which includes accidents, DUIs, speeding and citations — per 1,000 drivers during this period. That is nearly twice the rate of Millennials, who had the second-highest number of incidents, with 25.13 per 1,000 drivers. When looking specifically at accidents, Gen Z drivers were involved in 30.25 accidents per 1,000 drivers. This is significantly higher than all of the older generations, as Millennials had 14.22 accidents per 1,000 drivers, the Silent Generation had 14.03, Baby Boomers had 12.64 and Gen X had 11.96. Early estimates from the NHTSA also showed that traffic deaths of people ages 15 to 24 increased 6% in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, which is the largest increase amongst all age groups. The only other group to see an increase (3%) in fatalities to start 2023 were those 65 years and older. Younger drivers generally have less experience on the road than their older counterparts, which is reflected in their higher auto insurance rates. So, what can Gen Z drivers do to keep their premiums as low as possible? LendingTree suggests they:

• Avoid tickets and accidents, as these things are sure-fire ways to increase anyone's auto insurance premium. Young drivers who maintain a clean driving record will avoid making their already lofty premiums even less affordable.
• Pay their bills on time, as credit history can effect insurance rates in some places.
• Shop around for quotes from at least three different companies when purchasing an auto policy to ensure they're getting the best coverage for the best price.

In the slideshow above, we'll look at which states have the safest Gen Z drivers in the nation based on fatality rates, according to a report from John Foy & Associates.

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• Majority of Americans say car insurance is becoming unaffordable