What is car insurance fronting?
Car insurance fronting is where someone declares themselves as the main driver of a car, when someone else will actually be driving it more. Fronting is illegal.
Key takeaways
Car insurance fronting is fraud: It involves falsely listing someone else (usually a more experienced driver) as the main driver to get cheaper insurance.
If caught, the policy is invalidated, leaving you liable for any costs if you have an accident. The falsely listed driver may also face legal repercussions.
There are legal ways to lower your costs. Consider looking for cars in lower insurance groups or increasing your voluntary excess.
What is car insurance fronting?
Fronting is a form of insurance fraud.
When you buy car insurance, the insurer will ask who the main driver will be and calculate your premium based on this information. It will also give you the option to added named drivers or additional drivers.
Fronting in car insurance is when someone – often a parent or older driver – falsely claims they are the main driver of a vehicle when in fact it is a younger, or less experienced, driver who will be using the car the most. Having an older driver as the main driver will result in a cheaper premium.
Policies for young motorists can be eye-wateringly expensive as they are deemed higher risk, so it’s easy to see why fronting would appeal. However, fronting is illegal, and if an older motorist is falsely naming themselves as the main driver of a car then the insurance policy can be invalidated. In some cases the driver could even find themselves charged with insurance fraud which is a serious criminal offence.
Who is the main driver of a car?
The most straightforward way to determine the main driver of the car is to ask yourself who drives it the most. That person should be identified as the main driver on any insurance policy. Named drivers should use the car infrequently and less than the main driver.
If, for example, you drive to and from work every day in the car and your child drives it a couple of times a week, then you would be considered the main driver. However, if your child is the one using it more frequently - perhaps they take it with them to university - then they would be the main driver and would need to register the insurance in their name.
Your insurance provider will also ask who the owner or registered keeper of a vehicle is when you ask for insurance quotes – although this is often the main driver, it might not always be the case.
Can you be the main driver on two cars?
Yes, you can, but only if you genuinely drive both vehicles most frequently.
Who is a named driver on a car insurance policy?
A named driver is an additional individual insured to drive a vehicle not primarily under their name. You will get the option to add named drivers on your insurance application.
You might add a named driver for practical reasons. For example, so your partner or child can legally drive your car if necessary.
But you might also add a named driver in order to get cheaper insurance. Adding a more experienced or older driver as a named driver to a young person’s car insurance policy will usually result in a cheaper premium as they are viewed as a lower risk driver.
What does fronting insurance mean?
Fronting insurance means swapping round the main driver and named driver on a car insurance policy application to obtain cheaper insurance.
Why is car insurance for young drivers so expensive?
Younger drivers tend to attract higher motor insurance premiums because they are statistically riskier on the road due to their lack of driving experience. Young drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident, make a claim, or have a claim made against them.
What happens if I am caught fronting by my insurance company?
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) warns that if you are caught fronting then there will be serious consequences. Any claims you make will be questioned and probably denied, and your cover will become invalid. If third parties were involved and they make a claim against your insurance, your insurer will be obliged to pay them, but it then may try to recover the costs from you.
Your insurer may also cancel your policy, leaving potentially both the younger and older driver uninsured. Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK and you can get a criminal conviction for driving without cover.
Fronting is a criminal offence so if your insurer catches you out you could be prosecuted for fraud. This could mean:
Going to court
Getting a criminal record
A hefty fine
Points on your driving license
The effect of this is that you will find it hard to get an affordable insurance policy in future. A black mark would also be placed on your credit record, meaning you may have difficulty getting loans or credit cards.
How do insurance companies know if you are fronting?
In most cases, insurers find out about fronting when an insurance claim has been made.
When a policyholder makes a claim, the insurer will ask a number of questions to ascertain what has happened. The answers to these questions may suggest that the policyholder is guilty of fronting – prompting the insurer to investigate further.
For example, consider a scenario where a parent is named on the policy as the main driver and their student child as a named driver. If the child has an accident in their university town, and not near their parents’ address, the insurer might suspect that the child takes the car with them to university during term-time, and so is actually the main driver.
If an insurer launches an investigation because it detects fronting, it might do some or all of the following:
interview both the main and named drivers to confirm their driving habits
consult motoring databases
look at CCTV
look at road toll, congestion charge and ULEZ records
check the driver’s social media to see where they have been
In the above example, if CCTV shows that the car is regularly driven around the university area, the insurer may conclude that the child is actually the main driver and the parent and child are guilty of fronting.
How can I make sure I don’t unintentionally commit car insurance fraud?
To avoid fronting, make sure the main driver of a car really is the main driver. If you split the use of a car with someone else and you’re not sure who drives it most, keep track of each person’s mileage for a typical period of time and work out who uses the car the most.
If your circumstances change, tell your insurer straight away. For example, if you are named as the main user or named driver on your car insurance policy and your adult child starts commuting to work in your car each day, let your insurer know. The insurer may suggest that your child takes out insurance in their own name – although this may be expensive initially, it will give your child the chance to start building their own no claims bonus.
When it comes to committing other types of car insurance fraud, the key is to answer the insurer’s questions honestly when you take out the policy, and keep it updated if anything changes. The key things to think about are your annual mileage and what you use the car for (e.g. social domestic and pleasure, or commuting or business use too).
Top tips for younger drivers to get cheaper car insurance
Fortunately, there are legal ways to cut the cost of car insurance for younger drivers.
A younger driver could add a parent or older, more experienced driver as a named driver on their policy.
A named driver is insured to drive a vehicle in which another person is classed as the main driver, with the same level of cover as the main driver. This additional driver can bring down the cost of a policy.
Courses such as Pass Plus and IAM Roadsmart’s Advanced Driving Course help young drivers hone their skills in certain situations such as driving at night or on the motorway.
Not all insurers offer a discount to drivers who have taken an advanced driving course, but these courses are still worth doing as you will learn to be a better driver and therefore less likely to be involved in an accident. A claim-free history will mean cheaper insurance in the future.
Increasing the excess on your car insurance can also result in cheaper premiums. The ‘excess’ on a car insurance policy is the amount the policyholder pays in the event of a claim – then the insurer pays the rest.
Most policies have a compulsory excess and a voluntary excess. The higher the total excess, the cheaper your car insurance will usually be. This is because you are less likely to make a claim, and any claims you do make will be cheaper for the insurer to settle.
Where affordable, young drivers should pay for car insurance annually rather than monthly.
If you opt for monthly payments, you’ll pay more in total as when you pay in instalments, the insurer effectively gives you a loan for the whole premium and you repay this amount monthly, with interest.
Young drivers should avoid making modifications to their car as this will make insurance costs go up. Adding more security, such as a tracker, alarm or dashcam, will usually make insurance cheaper.
If a young person will only be using the car occasionally, then there are temporary car insurance policies which provide cover for a few days or weeks.
These are usually more expensive than an annual policy on a pro-rata basis, but could be a good option if you only need to drive for a few days.
Add a named driver
Take an advanced driving course
Increase your excess
Pay annually
Avoid modifications
Consider temporary insurance
Will black box insurance result in a cheaper premium?
Younger drivers could also consider telematics insurance (or ‘box insurance’). This is where technology – known as a ‘black box’ – is fitted to the car allowing the insurer to monitor where, when and how the car is driven.
If you drive safely, it can demonstrate to the insurer that you are a sensible, skillful driver, and bring down the price of premiums. Some insurers also allow drivers to track their driving using a mobile phone app - and may bring down the cost of renewal if the person drives safely.
Compare car insurance for younger drivers
The easiest way to find cheaper car insurance is to compare quotes with MoneySuperMarket. Just tell us a little about yourself, the car you want to insure and your driving history, as well as that for any other drivers you’re adding to the policy.
We’ll put together a list of quotes tailored to your requirements. You can browse and compare by the overall annual and monthly cost of the policy, the level of protection you’ll get and any extras included in your cover.
Once you’ve found the right policy, click through to the provider to finalise your purchase. As with any insurance product you should remember that the cheapest policy isn’t always the best – we recommend balancing cost with the level of cover you get to ensure you have the right protection at the best price.
