Car insurance for young drivers

It’s not cheap learning to drive, and that first car isn’t going to cost peanuts either – but have you thought beyond that? It’s important not to forget your car insurance when you’re budgeting for your first set of wheels, but uSwitch is here to help.

Car insurers charge higher premiums for certain drivers because they calculate that they are more likely to make claims. The more claims a person makes, the more they cost the car insurance company – and insurers don’t like that.

Statistically younger drivers make more claims because they are less experienced, and so have more accidents. Also new drivers won’t have a no claims bonus, and so they don’t even have a way of securing a discount.

But, before you consider robbing a bank to run your first car, read our tips on how to keep that premium down.

If you can afford it, the earlier you have car insurance the better. As soon as you get insurance you can start building up that all important no claims bonus which in the future could earn you up to a 70% discount.

Another idea is to get yourself added to someone else’s car insurance, which is a cheaper option. This also means that with some insurance companies you can start building up your no claims bonus as early as possible.

Even if you’ve got the cash or the inclination to splash out on your first car, the most important thing to think about is how much your car insurance will be. As a young driver your insurance premium will probably be much higher than you think, and if your car isn’t cheap to insure then you’ll be in an even worse financial position.

To make sure your ideal first car isn’t going to cost the earth use the uSwitch.com car insurance comparison service to find out how much it’s really going to end up costing you. Also, beware that if you’re buying a brand new car dealers often offer a year’s free car insurance, but this will mean you’re just delaying paying out that initial years insurance.

Remember that the most stylish car is going to have a lot more hidden costs than a reliable run around – so think about your bank balance before your image.

There are other steps you can take to keep that premium down. One is to take your Pass Plus test, which may just seem like extra cost and hassle, but many car insurers will give you a good discount on your premium if you have it. Another thing to consider is the kind of car insurance cover you want. As a young driver third party, fire and theft is recommended, but to learn more read 'What cover can I get?'