The Obamas' Car Insurance Bill is About to Soar

A driver's license is a rite of passage for any teenager, even the daughter of the sitting U.S. president.

Malia Obama is only the second teenager to earn a learner's permit with a White House address. (Chelsea Clinton was the first.) The Obamas' older daughter turns 16 on July 4, the minimum age to start the licensing process under Washington, D.C., graduated licensing laws. She must hold the permit for six months and have at least 40 hours of supervised driving before moving to an intermediate stage that lasts until she is 18.

During this initial period, she is prohibited from driving between midnight and 6 a.m., and she is not allowed to have any passengers. After six months, she can have no more than two, but they are probably going to be two humorless guys in dark suits.

She cannot talk on a cellphone while driving, even with a hands-free device, and she cannot text.

The Insurance Bill: Doubled

By the way, the Obamas will feel a bit of the pain you did when your teen joined the fray. Their car insurance bill is about to go way, way up.

Presidents and first ladies don't drive, unless it's a few feet behind the wheel for the benefit of cameras, so at least they'll get a low-mileage discount.

But using the Obamas' last car purchased before the election, a politically correct 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, and using Insurance.com to compare car insurance quotes for 100/300/50 liability coverage, comprehensive and collision with a $500 deductible, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, towing and rental coverage and medical payments, this middle-aged professional couple in a low-risk ZIP code would pay about $1,526 a year.

Adding Malia as an occasional driver and including discounts for good grades and driver training, the cheapest premium we found was $3,292 a year. To insurance companies, every new driver is an unknown quantity, even one who has grown up in the spotlight.

Do let her parents know if you see her hooning around Pennsylvania Avenue.

The original article can be found at Insurance.com:The Obamas' car insurance bill is about to soar