Car Insurance for Provisional Licence Drivers

Finding affordable car insurance on a provisional licence

When you learn to drive on public roads, you must have a provisional driving licence. The car you drive must also be properly taxed and insured.

If you pay for lessons with a qualified driving instructor, you probably don't need to worry too much about insurance because the school should make sure that appropriate cover is in place. But what if you want some extra practice in the car of a relative or friend? Or maybe you have your own car and a willing volunteer to teach you the basics or to help you hone your road skills.

You can buy car insurance for provisional licence drivers so they are covered if they drive their own car, or if they have permission to drive someone else's vehicle.

Car insurance for provisional licence drivers explained

There are a number of advantages available to those who purchase car insurance for provisional licence drivers. In some cases, for example, it allows the learner to build up a no-claims discount, which could cut the cost of a standard policy when you eventually pass your test. It also protects the no-claims discount of the tutor if they have added the learner driver to their existing policy as a named driver. If the learner has an accident in their parent's car for instance, they can claim on their own policy which will leave their parent's accumulated no claims discount unaffected.

The downside of car insurance for learner drivers is the cost - it certainly isn't cheap. Insurers set premiums according to the probable risk of a claim. Young drivers pay more than older motorists because they are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident. Inexperienced drivers are also more risky than motorists who have spent years on the road. So, if you are young and inexperienced, it's an expensive combination.

Find cheap car insurance for provisional licence drivers

However, there are a number of ways that provisional licence drivers can bring down the cost of car insurance:

Add a named driver
Motor insurance policies are issued in the name of the policyholder, who is described as the main driver. The policyholder can then add a list of “named” drivers who are also insured to drive the car. If a driver with a provisional licence can add a more experienced, older motorist to his or her policy, the premiums will be lower because the insurer will assume the driving responsibilities will be shared.

A named driver could be the person who sits alongside the provisional licence holder when they are practicing in the car. But remember that in order to supervise a learner driver, a person must by law be over the age of 21 and have at least three years' driving experience under their belts.

If the provisional licence holder is not the main driver, he or she could be added as a named driver to the policyholder's insurance. So, if you are learning to drive in your dad's car, you could piggyback on his insurance as a named driver. The addition of a learner driver will obviously increase the premium for the main driver, but it will probably be cheaper than buying a policy in your own name.

But take care! You should not be nominated as a named driver if you are in fact the car's main driver. The practice is known as fronting and is an offence which could invalidate the policy.

Pick the right car
Insurers consider the car as well as the driver when they quote for cover. They look at a range of factors, including the performance and security features on the vehicle to assess the likelihood of accidents or theft. Every make and model of car on the road is assigned to a car insurance group numbered between one and 50, with cars which are classified in group one normally being the cheapest to insure.

If you are buying a car in which to learn to drive, it may well be worth checking which insurance group it has been classed in so as to make you paying as little as possible for what is likely to be a considerable expense. You can find out details of the groupings at www.thatcham.org

Avoid some modifications...
Spoilers, extra lights, alloy wheels - they all bump up the cost of premiums. So try not to make any modifications to your car. If you can't resist a few tweaks, be sure to tell your insurer. Otherwise, any subsequent claim could end up being rejected.

... but choose others
Not all modifications push up the premium. In fact, you can actually lower the cost of insurance by adding security-enhancing modifications such as an approved alarm, immobiliser or tracking device.

Limit your mileage
If you pass your driving test and progress from a provisional to a full licence, you need driving experience - and that involves miles on the clock. But remember that the more miles you drive, the greater the risk of an accident and the higher the cost of cover. If you can agree a limited mileage you can therefore often negotiate a lower premium.

Compare prices online
You have a better chance of finding the best deal if you compare quotes from a wide range of insurers. Our job at MoneySupermarket is to do the leg work for drivers with provisional licence's by searching for policies available through more than 100 car insurance companies.

For further ideas on how to reduce insurance expenditure, visit our money saving tips page.