Advice please - Best way to insure young drivers? (Provisional and Full license)

[JustCallMeMac]

SWMBO currently drives a Nissan X-Trail as her main car, which I also use when I need to tow the Westfield. She has fully comp and full ncb.

 

We have just bought a tidy little 2004 Nissan Micra 1.4 SX for our 18 year old son to practice in whilst learning and for when he passes his test. My wife also plans to use the car as a more economical means of transport than the X-Trail, at least when pootling around locally. We collect on Saturday.  

 

So SWMBO contacted her insurance company today, (LV), for a quote and asked for the additional car to be added to her existing policy, with her as the main driver and my son, as a named driver, on a provisional license, thinking this would be the cheapest way of doing things, at least until he passed his test! And the quote, albeit they wanted to issue a separate policy, £5,200.00,   , which was confirmed as correct by whomever she spoke to!!! Think that tells you how badly LV wants any new business remotely associated with learner drivers!

 

Anyhoo, she’s looked at other options, using Go Compare, (see below), but I would really welcome your advice and opinions with regards what exactly is the most cost-effective way of insuring my wife and our son and who out there offers the most favourable policies and rates, where young drivers are concerned, as it’s clear that some prefer to steer well clear! She’s going to speak to Admiral later, about their multi-car policy but in the meantime, this is what she’s found:

 

Option 1 (Son with provisional)  

Son as main driver + SWMBO as named driver - £410.00 (So best option for now, although how would it stand that my wife’s occasional use would likely outweigh my son’s occasional use?)

 

Option 2 (Son with provisional)

SWMBO as main driver + Son as named driver - £640.00 (which makes a mockery of LV’s offering)

 

Option 3 (Son with full licence)

Son as main driver (in order to start building his own ncb) + SWMBO as named driver - £1,800.00  (‘Black Box’ options available at circa £400 less)

 

Option 4 (Son with full license)

SWMBO as main driver + Son as named driver (but won’t be building his own ncb) - £987.000 

 

Oh and just for giggles, if I told my lad to walk, stick to his push bike, or use public transport, my wife would only pay £130.00!

 

Any advice welcome!

 

Thanks.

[Stuart]

Named drivers can build NCB allowance with some insurance companies - Direct Line for one.  I don't think it's the full NCB allowance but something towards it though.  They don't use comparison sites either. 

 

There's a guide to young driver's insurance here.  But £410 for an 18 year old on a provisional is dirt cheap

[dhutch]

Named drivers can build NCB allowance with some insurance companies - Direct Line for one.  I don't think it's the full NCB allowance but something towards it though.  They don't use comparison sites either.

I did as year of this, after doing my first year on a 'fleet policy' that allowed a single car and drivers under 21, which was not available the following year.

I then did a year as the policy holder with directline, which was priced about always way between that of someone without and ncb and that of someone with a years proper ncb.

Then I went onto another provider the year after, claiming and getting paperwork to state that, I had two years ncb.

So for me it worked. This was about 8-10 years ago.

Daniel

[blue ass fly]

I found the cheapest way was to insure our lad as the main user with me and the missus as named

I also found out that the peug 106 or skoda favourite were the cheapest

Fiesta , corsa , clio etc were crazy money - i think the micra was expensive too

And funnily enough,the cheapest was LV !!

[jim_l]

The reason it is cheaper to insure a car on a provisional than when you have first passed is because they will always be accompanied , technically 'under instruction' when driving on a provisional. 

 

Also note that most companies will not commit to a premium covering a future state, i.e. when he has passed, you will always be at their mercy premium wise when you make the call to change him from provisional to full licence. 

 

So, assuming you don't envisage him being on a provisional more than a few months, here is a plan: 

 

1) Identify a couple of companies that offer competitive quote with son on full licence as main driver and a reasonable premium on provisional.

2) Check out what their cancellation charges are (fixed amount ££ or months premium, etc)

3) Insure him as main driver  (preferably with both of you named) but be prepared to cancel if once he has passed their quote is more than expected

 

This gets him going with his ncb as soon as possible and a good chance of avoiding the need to change company on passing.

 

Note that if he passes mid policy you shouldn't have to pay the full £1800 rate as you will only be covering part of a year, the full £1800 rate should only come in year 2, at which point you can shop around.

 

Note that the average person passing their test these days has driven for 60 or more hours, be prepared to get lots of 'accompanied driving' in.

[Lyonspride]

When I was 20yo, I found the best way was to buy a Westfield.........

 

Pug 106 1.1 = £750 a year

 

Westfield Sei = £350 a year

 

3 mile drive to work every day, cycled in the rain, walked in the snow.

[Mooch]

I was looking for insurance for my 17 year old daughter while she's learning and was told about this lot by a friend.  Not used them myself, but could be worth a look.

 

http://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/learner-driver-insurance?gclid=CP-TuanRmr4CFccSwwodBTcALQ

[jonjh1964]

My daughter has taken out 3 months learner driver insurance through A Plan for £240, also available on a monthly basis for £85 details on their website. It's her own policy and doesn't impact on my main insurance for the car in anyway. It's a learner only policy therefore ends the moment she passes her test. I looked into adding her as a named driver to my policy and the cost was ~£380 but it impacted conditions such as protected NCB even if she wasn't driving.

Edit: the A Plan policy is the same underwriter as Mooch's link above

[pickmaster Andy Lowe]

I remember Quentin Wilson a few years ago now saying his plan was an MG Midget for his daughter when she passes her test as it's classic insurance and only 2 seats which kept the costs down a lot !!!!!!!

Probably completely out of date info by now but you never know

NFU subsidies young drivers in Land Rovers to help keep farming alive

Just another thought I've heard passed around !!!!!!

[SootySport]

I would go with opt. 1 to start with, when he passes his test the same insurance company should show some favour to keep his business and a policy of his own.

 

As for Classic car policies, the really cheap premiums are intended for owners of at least 2 cars, whereby you have a regular daily car. The policy holder needs to be 21 years old as well. 

[Northwarks]

My 17 yea old son inherited his sisters 1.3 Ford Ka, provisional insurance was easy and relatively (throughout gritted teeth) low cost through Collingwood (https://www.collingwoodlearners.co.uk), was short term & fitted in with what we wanted. When he passed his test however we had problems getting anything reasonable.

 

I didn't want him to have a blackbox as I don't agree with the concept and IMHO some set a % figure on driving standard but no explanation of what contributes to the score, Some offered discounts/refunds on the premium for good driving and set a figure of 75% as a cut off but theres no explanation as to what contributes .. so if he exceeded the speed limit by 1 or 2mph would that have an impact - they couldn't answer that. The other issue was his age, no one was able to offer him any monthly schemes, under 18 so no finance agreements.

 

In the end I was able to secure a 12 month policy from Direct Line, we ended up with a black box but on what was a direct line trial, so no reduction OR INCREASE in premiums and no target driving style. There is a portal he can go and look at, with read/amber/green against speed, cornering and braking. There's no blackbox removal fee which is important as most charge for removal. £1100 fully comp in his name, so no fronting, he's building his own NCD and we can rip out the blackbox out at the end of the year ..

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

Similar experience to others, I was in a position where I had switched from a car allowance to a company car and before my no claims ran out we bought a cheap run about for my daughter to learn in and as a general run about for all of us (and my son later) Citroen C2 (group 2). With my daughter it was not too bad, when my son was added on his 17th birthday is was not too painful either, but when we talked about possible costs post pass they were a bit none committal and said that it was possible that they would not insure at all. (Admiral multi car). As it turned out when he passed they did not sting us too much. Roll on six months or so, my daughter was staring a nursing degree and therefore needed a car to get about, we were up front with the insurance company and even though it was my policy she was declared as the main driver with every body else as named drivers, can't remember the exact figures but for us all it was around the £800 mark. A month later my son also needed a car as he was starting on an apprenticeship, that meant finding another cheap and cheap to insure car, we found the 107/c1/argo to be as cheap as you get and also cheap to tax and run so decided to get on of those for him, he said he would rather have the C2. We ended up swapping the c2 to a 107 using my policy still with my daughter as the main driver but without my son. For my Son to insure the C2 we were looking in the region of £2.5K but with a black box (again through admiral) it was about £1200. Though I have mixed feelings about the black box it was the only option. As they are getting older the costs are now coming down.

[dhutch]

I have heard the 'more than' offered a policy that gave a discount if not driving at night, and or, after a certain time or something, prehaps with the option of buying yourself cover for late use on a night by night basis. I think that was black box based.

My parents bought a 3cyl fabia for my brother to learn in, which being 6 years after I learnt had seen the prices go up even more and a lot of the loop holes close. My sister was fine in a 2.0l HDi 306 but there was no chance with him.

Haven't they now also made it illegal to discriminate by sex, which should level the price between male and female drivers. Skirting round any comments about this being more, or less, fair.

Daniel

[JustCallMeMac]

Thank's very much to all who contributed. This forum really is excellent for anything and everything, whether related, or non-related, to the Westfield. Another benefit of membership to simply pick the brains of those who've 'been there, seen it and done it.'

 

Anyway, Option 1 taken, whilst my lad has his provisional, with my wife as a named driver. Collingwood were used, (thanks Northwarks) on an instalment basis, with no penalty for cancellation, when my son passes. So £80 up front, then £30 per month sounds reasonable to me.

 

The real fun will start after that, once he's passed, but plenty of good advice above to follow up on.

 

Thank you all again.   

[Northwarks]

Thank's very much to all who contributed. This forum really is excellent for anything and everything, whether related, or non-related, to the Westfield. Another benefit of membership to simply pick the brains of those who've 'been there, seen it and done it.'

 

Anyway, Option 1 taken, whilst my lad has his provisional, with my wife as a named driver. Collingwood were used, (thanks Northwarks) on an instalment basis, with no penalty for cancellation, when my son passes. So £80 up front, then £30 per month sounds reasonable to me.

 

The real fun will start after that, once he's passed, but plenty of good advice above to follow up on.

 

Thank you all again.   

 

 

 

I will add that Collingwood said they would be competative if we stopped with them and renewed once he passed .. they were way off the mark and wanted >3k sadly but couldn't knock their provisional insurance one bit!