Parents of newly-minted teen drivers know their youngsters need car insurance before hitting the road, but it's not necessarily cost-effective to simply add another driver to the family auto insurance policy. According to CNET, which recently surveyed available insurance benefits and discounts for new teen drivers, adding a teenager to a family car insurance policy can drive up premiums as much as 140%. Rates could be even steeper if that teenager has an auto accident, and that pricey coverage could last until the new driver is roughly 20 years ago. Smart teens and their parents shop around for the best coverage for the price. Those who do will learn that teenagers can get discounts for being good students, taking driver's education, driving an energy-efficient vehicle, or opting to walk or use public transportation more often than they get behind the wheel. Here are the steps CNET recommends for families that are getting ready to hand over the keys to a teenager:

• Decide if you're getting a separate auto insurance policy for your teen or if you want your teen listed on your insurance. The former is usually considered cheaper in the short term as your own premiums won't go up. But the latter option is typically safer: Your own policy will be extended to your teen, with few changes made.
• Decide which car insurance coverage benefits are important to you, and make sure to watch out for them when speaking to an insurance agent. For instance, many insurers won't extend accident forgiveness to younger drivers, but Nationwide will.
• Check which car insurance discounts your teen might be eligible to receive. Many companies offer good student discount benefits as well as discounts for teens who've taken approved safe-driving courses.
• If your teen or young driver needs to complete certain tasks in order to qualify for car insurance discounts, they should, whether that entails boosting their grades or taking a training course.
• Compare car insurance quotes from a number of different insurers (taking discounts into account) before making a decision.

• Best new cars for new drivers in 2020
• 6 ways to save money on insurance for teen drivers
• 5 most expensive states for insuring a teen driver