Learner driver insurance?

[Wobblyprop]

Hi Folks.

                 my 17 year old is due to begin scaring us all by learning to drive.

Does anyone know the best way to set about getting insurance for him?  We'll be buying a small engined car.  Having him bust my full NCB isn't attractive, but what's the cost of his own insurance?  Anyone been thro' this recently and can advise?

Cheers,

Steve.

[Terry Everall]

try ringing APlan and ask about your options including MARMALADE

[Thrustyjust]

Whichever you look at , its going to be damn pricey. Luckily my daughter is now 23 , so we have got over her insurance costs, but my son is nearly 15 , so got it all to come again. He has been driving for about a year now, so learning road skills before going on the road. My wife is an ex ADI, so will carry on with teaching when he is 17.  Box's seem to be popular and also looking outside of the usual car suspects. Mainly because most Corsa's, 106's statisically will be ditched by young boys within the first 6 months. My daughter backed this up by regulary telling us of the accidents while in 6th form.  Look at something he wouldnt be seen driving , ever, like Kia's etc. We found with one of our apprentices, it was cheaper to have a Volvo V40 estate 1.6 petrol , with alloys, air con, leather than a Corsa , 1 ltr , crappy interior etc. He had it for a couple of years to get the premiums down and no teenager would be ever seen in one.

On another note, remember that the policy for them learning will then go up when they pass, as they wont have you sitting next to them as well. Good luck with the minefield that is. 

[Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO]

We used Marmalade for my daughter, it was around  £200 for 3 months, pricey, but worth it in the end. When she passed the company we were with wanted  £2900 for the remaining 3 months of the policy. It worked out cheaper to insure my wifes KA in my daughters name with us both as named drivers. The car had to have a black box fitted which limits use but at least she's getting her own no claims bonus. 

[SXRORY]

Cheapest way would be to insure them on the existing family cars provided they are suitable and have them as a second driver. 

If it's an additional car car that's theirs it needs to be in their name. I work in the industry "fronting" policies is not good and can they can be voided in a claim if set up to get cheapest price. Ie Set up in a parents name

Good luck. If they can get through a year unscathed the policy's rocket down with bonus and experience

Telematics policies will probably be the cheapest (black box) 

 

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

It is not the learner bit that's costly it's when they pass, when talking to insurance companies ask about the two costs.  I'd swapped to a company car so still had my NCD to use on a small run about which they learned to drive in. One of the key things is to get as low an insurance group car as possible. at the time it was cars like Pug 107, Citroen C2 and C3 etc. not always the cheapest cars but the insurance difference could be eye watering. I think the low insurance also helps to keep the prices up. As time went by we ended up with both needing cars. Son (youngest) had a black box for a couple of years having set up his own policy and that made a big big difference to costs. I must admit when I drove the car it made me think about driving. Even though at the time the insurance was still in my name when my daughter started to need the car  more we told the insurance company that she was  the main driver which only made a small difference. Even though my daughter had a prang it did not effect my NCB as it was protected. It was a bit confusing for a while as they initially trying to hold the accident against both of us, driver and insured, but eventually after a bit of an argument  said that as I did not actually have the accident it should not be on my record. 

 

Good luck.

[Ian Podmore]

Disappointed this thread isn't about learner insurance on a Westfield.