The temporary alternative to additional driver insurance
[Temporary car insurance](/car-insurance/temporary) is a great way to cover yourself to drive other people’s cars without tying yourself into a costly and long-term additional driver policy.
10 million+ policies sold
2 million+ cars insured
4 million+ app downloads
What is additional driver insurance?
Additional driver insurance (sometimes called named driver insurance) adds a driver to someone else’s policy, allowing them to drive their car. It’s a good option if the additional driver is trying to reduce the cost of their own insurance, because they can get added to the policy of a more experienced driver, who are seen as less 'risky' and cheaper to cover.
However, while it can be cheaper and handier for the additional driver, the main driver’s own policy and no claims bonus is at risk if anything happens. This is because if the additional driver has an accident or needs to make a claim, it will impact the main driver’s policy.
Additional driver insurance vs. temporary car insurance
Instead of getting added to someone else’s policy as an additional driver, you could use temporary car insurance to drive their car instead. This might be a good idea if you’re an infrequent driver or a young driver finding that annual insurance is too expensive, because you can buy a short-term policy from just 1 hour whenever you need to hit the road. The car owner’s policy and no claims bonus is also protected, because you’ll have your own standalone policy.
However, it’s probably not a great option if you drive a lot, because short-term hourly policies tend to work out more expensive than an annual policy in these cases. It’s best to consider how much you drive before choosing between additional driver insurance or temporary car insurance.
How much does it cost?
Both temporary car insurance and additional driver car insurance premiums depend on a lot of factors relating to the driver and the car. The [driver’s age](https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/age-and-car-insurance) and driving history, and the car’s make and model, all impact the price.
However, to give you a rough idea, the average price for getting 1 hour’s temporary car insurance with Cuvva is £16.27. For 1 day, it’s £31.43.
For additional driver insurance, getting added to an annual policy will cost hundreds or even thousands - again, depending on the driver’s own circumstances.
Flexibility
Buy a policy in minutes
Extend instantly if you need more time
Policies from 1 hour to 28 days, all sorted via the app
Policy docs sent to your phone
No deposits, interest, tie-ins or credit checks
Peace of mind
Fully comprehensive cover
Highest category of insurance available
Car owner's no claims bonus is protected
Cover for damage to the vehicle, damage to other people’s vehicles, personal injury plus more
[Breakdown cover](https://support.cuvva.com/en/articles/8167008-breakdown-cover)
Insurance for all
[Learner driver insurance](https://www.cuvva.com/car-insurance/learner-driver) to nail those manoeuvres
[Temporary van cover](https://www.cuvva.com/car-insurance/temporary-van-insurance) to lighten the load
[Test drive insurance](https://www.cuvva.com/car-insurance/temporary/test-drive) before you buy
[Drive away insurance](https://www.cuvva.com/car-insurance/temporary/drive-away) for new cars
[Borrow a car](https://www.cuvva.com/car-sharing/borrow-a-car) or [lend out your own](https://www.cuvva.com/car-sharing/lend-a-car)
What’s cheaper, additional driver insurance or temporary car insurance?
It’s not that easy to say, because it depends on how much you drive. If you’re an infrequent driver and only need to get behind the wheel every now and then, temporary car insurance might be cheaper because you only pay whebn you want to borrow a car and get on the road. But if you’re driving every day or week, an annual policy as an additional driver might make more sense.
What is an additional driver?
An additional driver is someone who is added to someone else’s annual car insurance policy so they can drive their car. Sometimes called a named driver, they receive the same level of cover as the main driver.
How do additional drivers impact the main policy?
Adding a younger, less experienced driver to your policy as an additional driver could have a negative impact and make your own policy more expensive. However, adding a more experienced driver to your annual policy could reduce the premium. However, make sure you're the main driver is using the car most - otherwise you could be committing a type of car insurance fraud called [fronting](https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/named-driver#what-is-fronting).
What happens if there’s an accident?
If an additional driver has an accident and needs to make a claim, unfortunately it will impact the main driver’s policy and no claims bonus. Their own premium might go up and they’ll lose any NCB discounts when they want to renew
However, if the other driver is using short-term car insurance, they’ll be using their own standalone policy. This means the car owner’s own policy and no claims bonus won’t be impacted.
Types of temporary insurance
1 hour car insurance
Instead of becoming an additional driver on someone else’s policy, you can just get a standalone 1 hour policy to drive their car.
Learner driver insurance
Learner insurance by the hour could be a cheaper alternative to getting added as an alternative driver to a parent’s policy - perfect for practising those manoeuvres.
Young driver insurance
Car insurance can be expensive for drivers under 25, even on additional driver policies. Temporary young driver cover means you only pay for when you’re driving.
What's included, and eligibility criteria
What you’re protected against
Damage to your vehicle up to £40k
Damage to third party property up to £2m
Your legal liability to other people arising from an accident
Attempted theft
[Theft](https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/stolen-cars)
Fire damage
[Carriage of own goods](https://support.cuvva.com/en/articles/89933-can-i-use-cuvva-cover-for-my-business) business use - for vans as well as cars
Up to £400 for after-fit audio equipment and £100 for your things
Driving after 10pm
Who is eligible for temp cover
For full licence holders, you’ll usually need to be aged 19-70 to use Cuvva, and have held your licence for over a year
If you’re a provisional licence holder you’ll need to be aged 17-50 and not have held your licence for over 15 years
A GB licence holder (that means issued in England, Scotland or Wales)
There’s not a fixed number of accidents, [claims](https://www.cuvva.com/how-insurance-works/car-insurance-claims-explained) or [licence points](https://support.cuvva.com/en/articles/2614434-how-licence-points-affect-your-car-insurance) that would stop you from insuring with us
Your car or van must
Be under 20 years old
Cars need to be worth less than £60,000
Vans/commercial vehicles must be worth less than £40,000
Meet our modification rules. We accept lots, including any to aid a disability, but there are some we can't insure
Meet our insurance group requirements
Not be scrapped or [impounded](https://support.cuvva.com/en/articles/5904217-impounded-vehicles) temporarily
Not be a company car, a hire car or a vehicle on a fleet policy
How to get temporary car insurance as an alternative to additional driver cover fast
Get insured and on the road in less than 5 minutes.
1
Get started on the app
It just takes a few clicks
2
Find your car
Enter your registration plate
3
Check your cover and pay
Get cover from as little as 1 hour up to 28 days
4
Extend whenever you need
If you need more time than you thought
Any questions?
Got a question? Our tireless customer support team is on hand every single day of the year, between 9am and 9pm. Let's have a chat.
