Does my mileage impact my car insurance price?
Key takeaways
Higher-mileage drivers (over 20,000 miles/year) pay more due to higher accident risk
Driving fewer miles will save an average of 3%* on your car insurance
You can calculate your miles with our mileage calculator, or look at your MOT records
Does mileage impact the cost of car insurance?
Yes. Insurance companies will ask for your average annual mileage when you take out a policy, and use it as one of the factors that go into calculating your insurance price.
In general, if you’re a high-mileage driver (driving, say, more than 20,000 miles a year), you’ll pay more for your car insurance.
That’s because the more time you spend on the road, the more likely you are to be involved in an accident, which means there is a greater likelihood your insurer will need to pay out.
Mileage is only one of the factors that determines how much you'll pay for your car insurance - your age, where you live, your job, your claims history and the car you drive all affect the price you pay.
How much difference does mileage make on car insurance price?
Driving fewer miles could save you up to £414* on your car insurance costs.
However, for most drivers decreasing your mileage will not have as big an impact on your insurance price as other factors. Bringing your mileage down from 10,000 miles to 2,000 miles will net you an average saving of 3%* on your car insurance.
In contrast, paying annually rather than monthly will save you 31%* on average, and comparing quotes can save you up to 48.39%*.
What mileage is the cheapest for insurance?
Our data shows that drivers who clock up between 10,000 and 20,000 miles a year pay the least on average.
It isn't always the lowest mileage drivers who get the cheapest car insurance quotes. This may be due to the experience factor - if you rarely drive, insurers may consider you to be at higher risk of making mistakes or not reacting quickly to unexpected actions from other road users.
Overall miles per year | Average monthly premium price |
|---|---|
0 - 5,000 | £539.67* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £530.25* |
10,001 - 20,000 | £516.68* |
20,001 - 30,000 | £601.77* |
30,001 - 40,000 | £766.90* |
40,001 - 50,000 | £783.94* |
Over 50,000 | £664.31* |
These figures are based on fully comprehensive car insurance policies.
How can I calculate my annual mileage?
Other tools you can use to calculate mileage include:
The odometer in your car, which registers how far your vehicle has travelled
Your last few MOT certificates or service records, which contain mileage figures
A black box, which will automatically track your mileage and other driving habits
Does mileage matter on insurance?
Yes, it’s important to give your insurer an accurate annual mileage figure.
If you significantly underestimate how many miles you drive then you risk invalidating your insurance or having your claim denied. If you overestimate your mileage, you’re likely to pay more for your insurance than you need to.
If you change jobs or move house you may need to recalculate your mileage and let your insurer know.
What happens if I go over the mileage limit on my car insurance?
You should contact your insurer and let them know your mileage estimate ended up being too low. Ideally you would do this before you cross your mileage limit.
Your insurance provider may increase your premiums in response. However, underreporting your mileage can give your insurance provider grounds for invalidating your car insurance policy and refuse to pay out for any claim you might make.
Can insurance companies see my number of miles driven?
Yes, car insurance providers can check your mileage from your MOT records and service history. If you have telematics insurance, they will also receive mileage data from your black box.
What is low mileage car insurance?
There is no standardised definition of how many miles insurers consider "low". But if you're clocking under 6,000 miles each year you're probably driving less than the average motorist.
Insurers don't usually sell a specific low mileage car insurance product. However, they will take a lower mileage into account when setting premiums, so if you drive less you will probably get cheaper car insurance.
There are also insurance policies available where you pay a fixed fee for cover and then are charged per mile driven. This pay-as-you-go model can work out cheaper than regular car insurance for infrequent drivers. However, as there are not many pay-as-you-go providers in the UK, you will have fewer companies to choose from.
You can get a pay-as-you-go car insurance quote through MoneySuperMarket if you fit the criteria. Generally you need to be driving less than 6,000 miles a year.
Another money-saving option if you don't drive often is to take out temporary car insurance.
How do my age and mileage impact insurance premiums?
Older drivers generally pay lower premiums and young drivers typically pay higher premiums. That's because young drivers tend to be new drivers, who are less experienced and statistically more likely to have an accident.
Driver age | Overall miles per year | Average monthly price |
|---|---|---|
17 - 24 | 0 - 5,000 | £1334* |
| 5,001 - 10,000 | £1290* |
| 10,001 - 20,000 | £1290* |
| 20,001 - 30,000 | £1340* |
| 30,001 - 40,000 | £1826* |
| 40,001 - 50,000 | £838* |
| Over 50,000 | £1403* |
25 - 29 | 0 - 5,000 | £1082* |
| 5,001 - 10,000 | £815* |
10,001 - 20,000 | £740* | |
| 20,001 - 30,000 | £985* |
| 30,001 - 40,000 | £1147* |
| 40,001 - 50,000 | £1293* |
Over 50,000 | £1065* | |
30 -39 | 0 - 5,000 | £760* |
| 5,001 - 10,000 | £633* |
| 10,001 - 20,000 | £581* |
| 20,001 - 30,000 | £723* |
| 30,001 - 40,000 | £760* |
| 40,001 - 50,000 | £1258* |
| Over 50,000 | £941* |
40 - 49 | 0 - 5,000 | £569* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £524* | |
10,001 - 20,000 | £522* | |
20,001 - 30,000 | £605* | |
30,001 - 40,000 | £674* | |
40,001 - 50,000 | £823* | |
Over 50,000 | £748* | |
50 - 59 | 0 - 5,000 | £407* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £420* | |
10,001 - 20,000 | £455* | |
20,001 - 30,000 | £538* | |
30,001 - 40,000 | £584* | |
40,001 - 50,000 | £504* | |
Over 50,000 | £556* | |
60 - 69 | 0 - 5,000 | £317* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £370* | |
10,001 - 20,000 | £424* | |
20,001 - 30,000 | £546* | |
30,001 - 40,000 | £525* | |
40,001 - 50,000 | £583* | |
Over 50,000 | £467* | |
70 - 79 | 0 - 5,000 | £342* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £412* | |
10,001 - 20,000 | £474* | |
20,001 - 30,000 | £522* | |
30,001 - 40,000 | £687* | |
40,001 - 50,000 | £504* | |
Over 50,000 | £450* | |
Over 80 | 0 - 5,000 | £509* |
5,001 - 10,000 | £598* | |
10,001 - 20,000 | £726* | |
20,001 - 30,000 | £1371* | |
30,001 - 40,000 | £498* | |
40,001 - 50,000 | £595* | |
Over 50,000 | £597* |
