More than half a million young drivers pass their driving tests each year in the UK. But the excitement of being a freshly licensed driver can be short-lived once they realise just how expensive car insurance for young drivers is. That’s because insurers see them as more likely to cause accidents and make expensive claims.
Luckily, there are ways for young drivers to get cheaper car insurance. Let’s look at a few of them.
Shop around
Shopping around and comparing quotes from different providers is the best first step to finding good car insurance deals for young drivers.
Most insurers will have a quote-checking tool on their websites. Alternatively, you can use car insurance comparisons sites such as MoneySupermarket, Confused.com and GoCompare.
Stick with cars that are cheap to insure
Some cars are simply more expensive to insure than others. In the UK, cars are ranked in groups from 1 to 50, with group 1 being the cheapest to insure. The grouping is based on things like performance, the value of the car when new, parts prices, repair times and so on.
So, before buying a car, do some research on it first and then run an insurance quote based on your findings to inform your decision.
Drive carefully
Penalty points on your record might result in higher car insurance premiums, and so it definitely pays for young drivers to drive carefully.
To prove your competence as a safe and skilled driver and potentially lower your premiums, you could consider a special training course like Pass Plus.
Go easy on modifications
Custom modifications such as alloy wheels and body kits may look impressive on your car. But they’ll likely cost you in terms of higher premiums.
Add a voluntary excess
A higher voluntary excess – the amount you pay upfront when you make a claim – could significantly lower car insurance costs for young drivers.
However, remember that there is also a compulsory excess that comes with almost all insurance policies. So, run the numbers first to see if you can afford the total excess if you end up needing to make a claim.
Consider telematics
Telematics or black box insurance is where a GPS box is placed in your car to monitor how and when you drive. If you prove to be a safe, careful and considerate driver, you could be rewarded with cheaper car insurance. To find out more, check out our analysis of black box insurance and how it works.
Add an experienced driver to your policy
Adding an older, experienced driver to your policy (e.g. a parent) could bring down your premiums. That’s because the insurer will be reassured that you as the young driver won’t be the only one driving the car. In their view, this will reduce the chances of an accident occurring.
But don’t name the experienced driver as the primary driver in an effort to bring costs down further. This is breaking the law and could land you in legal trouble.
Check out multi-car insurance
This could be a great option if you are still living at home with your parents. Multi-car insurance allows you to insure all cars in one household under one single price. The costs might be lower due to more experienced drivers being part of the policy.
Pay your premiums annually
If you can afford to pay for your annual car insurance in one ago, consider doing it. You’ll save on monthly interest charges and might end paying a much lower premium overall.
Make your car more secure
Adding security features to your car, including an alarm or immobiliser, reduces the risk of the car being stolen. This makes you less of a risk to insurers and could result in lower premiums.
Remember
If you’ve been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, some insurers are offering their customers the option to reduce their cover temporarily or defer their payments.
Others are also offering car insurance refunds if your driving habits have changed, for example, if you are driving less because of coronavirus lockdowns.
So, if you haven’t already, check with your current insurer to see whether any of these options are available to you.
