Car Insurance for Young Drivers
Finding cheap car insurance that suits your needs can always be a bit of an up-hill struggle, even if you are an experienced driver with many years on the road. In the case of young drivers however, all of these problems are exacerbated a great deal, and getting car insurance for new drivers can often be a much more expensive proposition than getting a policy for anyone else.
So just why is it that cheap car insurance for young drivers is so hard to come by?
Well, primarily this is because insurance companies tend to view young drivers (particularly male drivers under the age of 25) as being in the ‘high-risk’ category. The maths is simple – from the insurers point of view new drivers are less experienced and hence more likely to be involved in a crash or accident than an older driver. Since there is a greater chance that the insurance company will have to pay out on a claim, the extra risk is taken into account when they are calculating the insurance premiums that will that you will pay as a young driver.
What can a young driver do to get cheaper car insurance costs?
In the case of young drivers who are still living at home and using their parents car, one option would be to simply add them to an existing insurance policy held by their parents. If it is a small car, then the cost of adding a young or even teenage driver to a policy may not be that great at all, although clearly it is up to the parent whether they trust their child to drive responsibly. In some cases, if the family car has a large engine, the cost of adding a young driver may be prohibitively expensive.
This may seem like an attractive option for reducing cost in the short term, and if your car usage is minimal – if you live in the city and public transport is readily available for instance – it may indeed be the best choice.
However, if you intend to own a car of your own one day then it is best to get a car insurance policy of your own as soon as possible, as the cost to you will decrease incrementally over time.
For young drivers who have recently purchased their first car, getting cheaper car insurance is largely a question of driving sensibly and making sure you protect your no-claims discount. Yes, in the short-term you will likely be paying over-the-odds on your premiums, but in the future you will be able to claim more off your policy price as the level of risk you represent in the eyes of your insurer drops.
What else can be done to lower the cost of young drivers insurance?
There are several other factors that determine how much car insurance will cost for young drivers. Chiefly among these is the type of car you own. Make, model, engine size, and even the colour of a car can affect the insurance premiums you pay to protect it. Generally, the larger the engine the greater the cost of insurance. Any security features (such as an immobiliser) your car has will usually reduce the cost of insurance. These factors should be taken into account when thinking about what kind of car to buy as a first car.
If you already own a car then there are a number of things you can do to reduce your car insurance as a young driver. Firstly, limiting the amount you use the car can equate to a sizeable reduction in your premiums – simply because the less you use the car the less likely you are to have an accident. Another would be to take a defensive driving course, such as the Pass Plus scheme in the UK. These courses teach you how to drive more safely, and many car insurance companies are happy to give a discount to young drivers who show the willingness to take such a course.
Lastly, if you can keep your car in a safe place (ideally a garage, but even a driveway will do) you are likely to get a discount from your insurer as this reduces the likelihood of your car being stolen or vandalised.
Keep these points in mind when making decisions about how to lower your young drivers car insurance.
Check back with CarInsuranceCovered.co.uk for more details on how to get cheap car insurance for young drivers.