Finding cheap car insurance for young drivers
For drivers under 25, car insurance can be one of the most expensive and confusing parts of getting on the road.
Age and driving experience play a large part in how insurance premiums are calculated, so unfortunately young drivers typically pay a lot more for cover than experienced drivers, regardless of how careful they are on the road.
Fortunately, there are specialist insurers that offer tailored and flexible options that can help young drivers get the best insurance for them, at an affordable price.
Compare young driver insurance
Compare cover and find the best young driver insurance for you, your budget, and how much flexibility or freedom you want - on your car or someone else's.
Young driver insurance
Policies without a black box
Standard insurance policies designed for young drivers between 17-24 years old.
Suitable for young drivers who prefer not to have their driving monitored or already have some driving experience.
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Black box insurance
Telematics policies
Policies that use a small device in your car, or an app on your phone, to monitor driving behaviour.
Insurers base their renewal premiums on driving performance, rather than just age and experience.
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Temporary insurance
Flexible short-term policies
Cover for drivers on their own car or someone else’s.
Cost-effective if annual cover is too expensive, you don’t drive very often, or you want to use someone else’s car without risking their no claims bonus.
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Affordable young driver insurance without a black box
There are reasons why some young drivers might prefer a car insurance policy without a black box.
For example, they may have had a telematics policy for a few years, built up some No Claims Bonus (NCB), and now want a non-black box policy, but they're still under 25 years old.
Some drivers may not want to share their driving data, either due to privacy concerns or because they think their driving could increase their premium.
Others might simply prefer to take out a standard young driver policy and not think about their insurance until it’s time to renew it.
Whatever the reason, insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Insurance premiums for young drivers can vary significantly depending on the driver’s details, so a policy without a black box could be a similar price to a policy with one, and you'll have insurance without the restrictions.
Whatever the reason, insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all, and premiums for young drivers can vary significantly depending on the driver’s details. You could find that a policy without a black box is a similar price to a policy with one, and you'll have insurance without the restrictions.
Are you better off with or without a black box?
It depends; by and large, more careful drivers with lower risk factors can make good savings with black box insurance. On the other hand, if you've got a few bad driving habits, or present a higher risk, car insurance without a telematics box might be a better option.
Learn more about the pros and cons of black box insurance, but why not get a quote for both to compare costs?
Temporary insurance for young drivers
Short-term insurance can be a great way to save money if you don’t drive very often, plan to borrow someone else’s car, or are looking for alternatives to standard annual polices.
Why is car insurance so expensive for young drivers?
Unfortunately, young and inexperienced drivers are known to be at higher risk of having an accident and making a claim on their insurance.
The road safety charity Brake has research showing that drivers aged between 17 and 19 years old make up just 1.5% of all UK drivers, but have around 9% of fatal or serious road accidents when they are driving. 16 to 19 year-olds are a third more likely to die in a crash than older drivers, and one in four 18 to 24 year-olds crash within two years of passing their driving test.
Insurers base insurance premiums on risk, so it’s not surprising that this kind of data can increase the cost of insurance for young drivers under the age of 25, and perhaps more so for new drivers under 21. And if you’ve been unfortunate enough to have had an accident or a conviction, you might find it even harder to get on the road.
How can you reduce your premium?
You’ll find lots of useful information on this website, but if you’re specifically looking for money-saving tips for young drivers, read our article on how to reduce the cost of your car insurance. You’ll learn about:
- Buying the right car
- Choosing the right level of insurance cover
- Why a higher excess could save you money
- Avoiding too many additional drivers
- Car security as a way to reduce your premium
- Avoiding car mods that enhance your car’s performance
- Reducing your mileage
- Breaking away from your parents’ policy
- Keeping a clean licence
- Improving your driving skills
What levels of car insurance are there?
Comprehensive
The highest level of cover
Covers:
- Damage to your vehicle as a result of an accident or vandalism
- Damage caused to someone else’s car, and any personal injury claims they make against you
- Fire damage and theft
Third party, fire and theft
Second highest level
Covers:
- Damage caused to someone else’s car, and any personal injury claims they make against you
- Fire damage and theft
Third party only
Minimum level of cover
Covers:
- Damage caused to someone else’s car, and any personal injury claims they make against you