Black box telematics insurance

No, you'll be insured to drive your vehicle as soon as your policy starts, even if you haven't had your black box installed yet.

Yes. Your insurance provider will usually have an online portal or app which you can log into to see a dashboard with your driving information and how it is being 'scored'.

You will generally be able to see your journey history, speed patterns, and a breakdown of how your score is being calculated.

Yes. Black box insurance policies are designed to reward lower-risk driving habits. If the data from your device suggests you are a higher-risk driver your insurer will consider you more likely to make a claim and may respond by increasing your insurance premiums.

Higher-risk driving isn't just about having bad driving skills. If you often drive at night or on more dangerous roads insurers will consider you more likely to claim from them, even if your actual driving is very good.

However, as your telematics data will not be shared outside of your specific insurer, if black box insurance is increasing your premiums you always have the option to switch to a non-telematics policy.

Yes, if they're insured to drive your car. Usually, this means you'll need to add them as a named driver on your policy.

Since telematics can't tell who is in the driver's seat, anyone who drives your car could affect your driving score, and therefore your premiums.

No. Turning off or tampering with a black box while your telematics policy is active can invalidate your car insurance.

If your car insurance is invalidated, your insurer will not have to pay out if you make a claim, and your insurance premiums will likely be higher in the future. Plus, since driving without insurance is illegal, if you use your car while your policy is invalid you could face fines, penalty points, and having your vehicle seized.

If you no longer want to use your black box, you can cancel your telematics policy at any time. As with all car insurance policies, you may be charged some fees for doing this, especially if you've had the policy in place for more than two weeks.

Exceeding your estimated annual mileage is rarely a problem as long as your insurer is aware of it. Your provider will generally just charge you a bit extra to reflect the additional risk.

Some telematics policies adjust premiums automatically based on your recorded mileage, while others require you to contact your insurer to increase your mileage allowance. In this case, it's best to update your insurer in advance of going over your mileage to avoid unexpected charges or issues with your cover.

Depending on the type of telematics device and your insurer, the black box may detect a crash by measuring the force of impact. It can also send your location, which may help emergency services respond more quickly.

The data recorded before and during the incident, such as speed, braking and direction of travel, may be reviewed by insurers when investigating the claim. This information can be used to help establish what happened and, in some cases, support or challenge fault decisions if there is a dispute between drivers or insurers.

Many black boxes use GPS to track your car’s location. If your car is stolen and the device is still active and has not been removed or damaged, your insurer may be able to share location data with the police to help recover it.

GPS tracking is not guaranteed. Signals can be lost if the device is disabled, removed, or the car is taken somewhere with poor reception. Insurers are not responsible for recovering the vehicle, but they can support the investigation once you report the theft.

You must report the theft to the police as soon as possible and provide your insurer with the crime reference number to progress your claim.

The time, cost and process of switching your telematics insurance to a new car will vary depending on what type of monitoring system you have.

1. Plug-in device or smartphone app

If you use a plug-in device or a smartphone app, switching cars is usually straightforward. You’ll still need to tell your insurer so they can update the policy details, but no new installation is required.

2. Hard-wired black box

If your policy uses a hard-wired black box, the process is more involved. Your insurer will usually deactivate the old device and arrange for a new one to be fitted in your new car. This can take a few days to organise, depending on installer availability, and you may not be able to drive the new car until the box is installed.

Some insurers cover the cost of transferring or refitting the black box, but others may charge a fee. This fee is usually within the £100-£200 range. For example, as of 2026 Wise Driving charges £120 to move a black box between vehicles.

It’s worth checking specific costs and timescales with your insurer before changing cars so you can avoid delays or unexpected charges.

Yes, you can cancel your telematics policy at any time. However, you may have to pay fees for both cancelling the policy and for removing your black box.

• Cancellation fees

With all types of car insurance, if you cancel after the 14-day cooling-off period you will usually pay a cancellation fee. These vary by insurer and are often around £50. For example, as of 2026 Hastings Direct charges £45 to cancel a car insurance policy early, while Aviva charges £38.

• Refunds

If you cancel mid-policy, any refund of your premiums is normally calculated on a pro-rata basis. This means you get back the unused portion of your premium, minus the cancellation fee and any non-refundable costs, such as black box installation.

• Black box removal (optional)

Once the policy is cancelled, your insurer will deactivate your telematics device. If you have a professionally installed black box, you can usually choose whether to have it removed. This often comes with an extra charge, which commonly ranges from £100 to £200.

It depends on your insurer. Some will cover driving in certain other countries as standard, or you may be able to add this cover to your policy for a fee.

It depends on the type of telematics policy you choose, as installation and setup vary.

Some policies use a professionally installed black box. An engineer fits the device directly into your car, and your insurer usually arranges the appointment at a time that suits you. Installation typically takes place after the policy starts, and you may be given instructions on when you can drive.

Other policies use a self-install device. These are usually plug-in boxes that connect via the car’s OBD port, USB port or cigarette lighter. You fit them yourself by following the insurer’s instructions, and they can usually be moved to another car if you change vehicles.

Some telematics policies are app-based. Instead of a physical device, you download an app to your smartphone, which uses your phone’s sensors and GPS to monitor driving. These are often the quickest to set up but rely on you carrying your phone on every journey.

It depends on your insurer and policy type. But as a general rule of thumb:

• You will not be charged anything extra for black box installation

• You will be charged around £50-£100 for removal if you have the type of black box that needs to be uninstalled by an engineer

Some insurers will also charge a no-show fee if you miss a scheduled installation appointment.

It depends on your insurer.

Some will offer a discount upfront when you take out a black box policy. But it is more common for insurers to monitor your driving habits for a period of time, or number of miles, before offering low-risk drivers a discount. This timeframe is generally between 3 and 12 months.