The ‘L’ plates have been ceremoniously ripped into pieces, the tears of joy wiped away, paperwork has been sent off and your (for the sake of argument) teenager has taken another step towards independence – they’ve passed their driving test!
Whether they have access to their own car or want to drive yours, insuring a new driver is a challenge, with quotes varying from eye-watering to extortionate. We’ve put together a few tips for how to find the best insurance for a new driver.
It’s all about the risk…
That seems a pretty obvious statement, we know that new drivers are, in the eyes of the insurers, a much higher risk to them than drivers who are older, have more experience and can prove their driving record. Generally, they’re right – the statistics prove that but there are some things that you can do to reduce that risk.
Moneysavingexpert.com takes you through all the factors around risk (don’t pimp your ride!) and has carried out various pieces of research about using price comparison websites to get quotes. It’s an interesting read for parents and new drivers alike.
Do your research
Just because you’ve always bought insurance through a particular broker, website or company doesn’t mean that this will be the best option when you’re insuring your new driver. Uswitch.com has a number of tips about finding the cheapest insurance but then you have to weigh up all the options to make sure whether the cheapest is actually the best policy.
Get your new driver involved
Whilst it might be easier to sit down and work out all the insurance costs yourself, if your new driver is able to drive legally on their own, they need to have the skills to find their own insurance policies. Get them to consider whether a black box would be good for them, what their milage and driving hours will be and what they can afford in terms of voluntary excesses. Make sure they understand the implications of a Third Party, Third Party Fire & Theft and Fully Comprehensive policy and that also that if they pay monthly, the chances are, the cost will be much higher.
Don’t follow the crowd
Just because your friend or your new drivers friend has got an ‘awesome’ deal from one insurer doesn’t mean that it will be the best policy for you. Even if you live next door to each other you might find a better deal elsewhere so do the research.
Once they’re on the road, make sure their car is serviced regularly … you know where we are! Call us to book in on 01727 856543