Question: My husband and I are paying our insurance company $60 per month for my daughter to drive with her permit. I have a large circle of friends who have children in various stages of the driving process, and I am the only mom in this group who is paying insurance for a permitted driver. In fact, everyone's jaw dropped when I brought up the subject. Of course, I called the insurance company and was given the runaround. Can you shed some light on this subject for me? -- Donna Michael, Fontana
Answer: It's amazing how wildly insurance policies and costs can vary from one insurer to the next. If you want to save that $60 per month, you might want to shop around for another insurance provider, Donna. While it is the prerogative of all insurance companies to set their own rates and policy requirements within the scope of the law, you will find that most insurers simply require you to sign a liability form while your young driver has her permit, and do not require a premium payment until the driver is licensed.
Reader comments about last week's column on the top 10 things that make motorists crazy:
"Don't worry, I'm not having a go at you, after all, motorcycle lane splitting is legal here in the U.K. even if most cagers don't know it. It's just that one of the reasons we split lanes (annoyance No. 8) is because too many drivers do annoyance No. 3 (tailgate!)." -- Darren Frost, United Kingdom
"Drivers that turn on their blinker and then immediately cut in front of you should have made the list of top 10 pet peeves." -- Audrey A. Longshore, San Bernardino
"Women rule supreme when it comes to grooming while driving. I am a delivery driver, so I see this all the time." -- David Amiss, Las Vegas
"I knew that talking on a cell phone would be No. 1 on the list of what upsets other drivers. I carry a cell phone because I recently had open heart surgery, but I pull over to the side of the road if I need to use it. I was almost hit by a lady who was busy talking on her cell phone. I honked my horn, and that scared her so much she slammed on her brakes and dropped the phone. I am just thankful she did not hit me." -- A senior citizen
"I have seen men grooming in their cars in the morning, but women are far worse. I don't know how many times I have almost been rear-ended by women trying to apply their makeup and drive at the same time. I don't understand how they can apply mascara while driving; it's hard enough doing it at home in front of a mirror. Then again, I also saw a man shaving one morning. But he was not shaving his face, he was shaving his head. It's amazing what you see driving on the I-10 in the morning." -- Diane Patterson, San Bernardino
Michelle Groh-Gordy is the owner of InterActive! Traffic School Online at www.trafficinteractive.com , and writes a syndicated weekly column on driving for the publications of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group.
