New Driver Insurance

There is no getting around the fact that when you have first passed your driving test the cost of your first years insurance is going to be quite steep. One of the questions we get asked after one of our ex learners has passed is where can I find the cheapest insurance. Obviously you have just passed your driving test, so after paying out for a car you will want to save money in any way you can. This is why we have provided this quick guide on how best to find cheap insurance for a first time driver.

The reason your first car insurance is expensive is simply because you do not yet have a track record so to the insurance company you are automatically classed as a high risk, however once you get your first years no claims discount you will see your insurance costs drastically reduce.

New driver insurance is going to be expensive whichever way you go about it. However there are many ways in which you can reduce the cost a little.

 

A comparison of  third party fire and theft and fully comprehensive motor insurance.

Read on and decide which new driver insurance suits your needs best.

Third party or Third party fire and theft

The only insurance required by law is Third Party , this is an insurance which covers any risks to any third parties, in other words you are covered if cause damage to anyone or anything that is not you or your car! This type of policy is the most basic of insurance policies, and it may be worthwhile to add the extra benefits of a Third party fire and theft policy which again covers anyone and anything that is not you and you r car with the added benefits of cover against fire and theft.

Fully comprehensive.

This is the best insurance you can get, with a fully comprehensive policy you will be covered for any damage that you cause to anyone or anything, including your own car,these policy’s often come with other benefits such as a hire car to use in the event of your own car being off the road. It may be worth bearing in mind that if you do need to make a claim for your own car then you will be liable to pay an excess on any claims which is usually between £250 and £1000, Also should you be unfortunate to have to make a claim then expect a rise in your premium for the following year, with this in mind these policies are probably more suited only if you are fortunate enough to have a relatively new car or if you have a car on finance then often the finance company will insist on having a fully comprehensive policy From personal experience the best advice I can give when it comes to car insurance is to shop around, use the comparison sites , try the companies listed on my pass plus page, the difference between different insurers can run into thousands of pounds. Lower premiums by adding named drivers to your policy, my sons first insurance was over £3000 on a 10 year old Ford Fiesta , by adding myself and his grandfather to the policy as named drivers the price was reduced by a few hundred pounds. OK so his insurance was still six times what the car was worth but as they say every little helps. On the plus side after my sons first year of driving his insurance premium dropped from £3300 to little over £1000, so it just shows how you will be rewarded for driving safely.

When taking out new driver insurance compare don’t make the mistake of thinking that fully comprehensive is always the most expensive. My sons first insurance was fully comprehensive as that was the cheapest option at the time.

How to lower your Insurance Premiums

 

• Get a quote before purchasing your car as there can be a vast difference in premium on different cars
• Drive carefully and considerately.
• Plan ahead whilst driving, and try to anticipate the actions of other road users.
• Stay within speed limits any points on your licence will increase your premiums
• Keep your car legal, remember you will get points on your licence for defective tyres.
• Make sure your car has a valid MOT certificate
• Consider one of the insurers that use a black box to record your driving habits, this can reduce your premiums considerably
• Use Internet comparison sites
• Take a pass plus course

 

Here’s our advice for new drivers.

Choose the right car.

As a new driver you need to be looking a relatively small car with a small engine. When it comes to car insurance size isn’t everything the main factor on your insurance cost is the insurance group which your car falls into.

Insurance groups explained.

All cars are categorised into an insurance group from group 1 being the cheapest to insure up to group 50 being the most expensive to insure.

Examples of an insurance group 1 car could be Nissan Micra, Volsswagen Up, Fiat Panda, Citroen C1.

Examples of group 50 would include top of the range BMW’s , Ferraris etc.

The Fiestas which we use for our driving lessons are group 10.

Everything else falls somewhere in between and for your first car you want to be looking at cars below group 10.

Insurance groups take much more into account than engine size.

As well as performance there are things like repair costs, parts costs, safety and car security.

So check the insurance group before you buy.