The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
The award-winning voice of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The Chant
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To NC’s credit: The near and far of car insurance

Rosalyn Schwanke, Editor in Chief
October 17, 2025
Rosalyn Schwanke
For high school students, the time quickly approaches to learn to drive, obtain a license and, perhaps, purchase a car. Though each individual’s journey onto the road will vary, its final destination remains the same: car insurance. This expense becomes a necessary evil, as state law requires it, but a well-educated driver can certainly choose a plan that suits his/her needs.

A new car leaves a 16-year-old giddy with excitement: it symbolizes freedom, self-sufficiency and a step into adulthood. Unfortunately, the four-wheeled legend requires a deeper investment than the initial purchase and an occasional tank of gas. To take that puppy on the road, a teen needs car insurance. 

Georgia law, including the Motor Vehicle Accident Reparations Act and other codes, requires all drivers to maintain basic liability insurance. This law prevents a situation where an uninsured driver causes an accident and then cannot pay for the damages the court holds them liable. Essentially, the bare minimum insurance covers up to $50,000 in injuries per accident and up to $25,000 in property damages. If a driver wishes to obtain a plan to cover other problems, such as theft, personal injury, or one-car collisions, he or she can, but the monthly payment will grow costly. 

Rosalyn Schwanke

“You’re going to have to get car insurance if you want to drive; there’s no getting around that. There are plenty of websites that allow you to compare rates, and I recommend you do as much research as you can on the internet before you actually start contacting people. Start doing that research before you even consider a car,” Advanced Placement (AP) Microeconomics teacher Tara Sisino said.

For teens, car insurance companies rarely offer inexpensive options. New drivers equate to risky investments for these companies, and as such, they resist covering the customers without a decent chance for profit. For teenagers with parents willing to add them to the family car insurance, a new 16-year-old driver will cost around $230/month to insure. If the young person will need his or her own plan, that cost will increase. Students with high grades tend to receive lower rates, though, considering their evident responsibility. Additionally, as a driver gains experience, the cost of his insurance will progressively fall until it hits approximately normalcy when the driver reaches 25. Notably, though, drivers who cause car accidents or frequently break road laws will not see these drops in price. 

 
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About the Contributor
Rosalyn Schwanke
Rosalyn Schwanke, Editor-in-Chief
In a flash of 7-year-old creativity, a young Rosalyn Schwanke wrote the first piece she felt truly proud of. In a dotted and lined notebook, with space at the top of each page for a crayon drawing, an undefeatable argument played out–the tooth fairy works harder than Santa Claus–and the writing fair judges agreed. With this newfound critical acclaim under her belt, she realized her love for writing. As a current NC senior, Rosalyn adores The Chant both as a creative outlet and an escape. She hopes to utilize her time as Editor-in-Chief to help other aspiring writers reach a new level of skill while she continues to research topics she loves. When she’s not at her keyboard, Rosalyn can be found thrifting, playing her bass, creating art or listening to a vintage record. As she enters her final year of high school, she hopes to make an impact as an officer in the Key Club and National Honor Society. Find Rosalyn on Instagram @rosalyn.s07.
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