Even New Drivers Can Get Affordable Motor Insurance - We Tell You How

Having successfully overcome the trials and tribulations of the driving test process, as a new driver it can be discouraging to realise how high motor insurance costs can be despite the efforts of price comparison sites such as prudentplus.com, moneysupermarket.com and confused.com. Insurers base their premium price on the statistical level of risk which a driver presents and unluckily for new drivers, they are more likely to be involved in a motoring accident which results in a claim. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to reduce your cover costs whilst still obtaining a policy that meets your needs. Why not take a minute or two to read on and discover numerous ways in which new drivers can save?

Improve Your Skills

Experience plays a large part in developing better road sense and more accurate risk assessment. As drivers notch up the miles they become more confident when driving in challenging conditions and tend to be more aware of potential dangers. If you’ve only recently passed your test, a way to quickly gain enhanced driving abilities is to undertake further driving tuition. In particular, the Pass Plus course, introduced by the government and administered through DVSA, aims to give new drivers additional expertise behind the wheel. Many insurers will give a premium discount for drivers who complete this course, so it’s worth doing it if you can.

Consider PAYG and Short Term Insurance

Whilst having limited duration insurance may not help you acquire a coveted No Claims Discount, it may well make motoring more affordable during the first few years after you’ve passed your test. As the number of years you have held your licence increases, premiums drop, regardless of how much actual driving you’ve done whilst qualified. Advancements in telematics technology now mean you can have a “black box” fitted to your vehicle which stores data on mileage and driving performance. Using this data, some insurers offer a “pay per mile” policy, where drivers pay a unit rate per mile of motoring undertaken. Alternatively, short term motor insurance offers broadly similar benefits to an annual policy, but covers a much shorter period; typically anything from a month to twenty-four hours. In the same way as PAYG cover, short term insurance can be a cheap choice for new drivers with intermittent access to a vehicle.

Consider All the Variables

Calculating insurance is a complex business, with many variables affecting the final figure which insurers offer. For new drivers, the key factor which increases their policy price is lack of experience. Whilst nothing can be done to change this issue except letting time go by, there are plenty of other criteria which can positively influence car insurance affordability, but only if your insurer knows about them. It is therefore vital to give your insurer as much information as possible to enable them to give you a quote tailored to your individual circumstances. Smoking status, occupation, method of payment, a high excess and manner of car use (limited mileage, off-peak leisure use is perceived as least risky) can all affect your premium, often favourably.

Fully Comprehensive of Third Party Cover?

Don’t automatically assume that Third Party Cover will be less expensive than a Fully Comprehensive option. Third Party insurance is typically applied for by high risk individuals (working on the logical basis that less cover would mean less cost), which is why some insurers charge disproportionately expensive premiums for it in comparison with Comprehensive Cover. Luckily it is easy to alter the search parameters when you look for online quotes, giving you access to both Third Party and Comprehensive premium payments, so you can ascertain which is more economical. In addition, check your proposed policy to ensure you’re only paying for the cover you absolutely need. Strip out extras such as breakdown cover, a courtesy car and windscreen protection which can add pounds to your premium price.

Check Your Choice of Vehicle,

Prior to purchasing your first car, check what insurance group it falls into. Each make and model of vehicle falls into one of fifty insurance groups, Premiums rise with the group numbers, so especially for new drivers, low is good. Although as a general rule small, low powered, fuel-efficient cars rank well, there are plenty of apparent anomalies in the rankings, so check before you buy. Remembering that low risk equals reduced insurance price, additional security measures such as an immobiliser and garage parking can all have a positive effect on vehicle insurance cost.

Although new drivers typically pay more for insurance, following the suggestions above will go a long way to getting you the very best cover at an advantageous price. Once you start looking, it’s amazing what good deals you can find, so why not get your future life behind the wheel off to a good start by searching online for an affordable quote now?