Young driver car insurance
Young driver car insurance can be expensive so it's important to do what you can to find a good deal. Cuvva is a good place to start, with no nasty deposits, curfews, cancellation fees or black boxes. We've come up with some extra tips for reducing your premium, too.
Car insurance built for new drivers
At Cuvva, we’re on a mission to to give everyone affordable access to a car anytime, anywhere. We've built our young driver cover the way it should be.
Temporary insurance
Ultimate flexibility
Fully comprehensive cover
Borrow a parent’s or friend’s car using a temporary car insurance policy, from 1 hour to 28 days
Need more time? Instantly extend your cover in the app
The car owner’s no claims discount is protected
Drive your own car or borrow someone else’s
Monthly rolling insurance
Hassle free
Fully comprehensive cover
Earn a no claims discount as usual
No deposits, curfews, interest or hidden fees
Cancel anytime for free
Smart Pricing
Fairer prices
Save up to 1/3 on your premium with Smart Pricing, our answer to outdated black boxes
The better you drive, the more you can save - with 10% off just for signing up
Drivers under 20 save on average £247 a year with Smart Pricing (Cuvva data as of November '22)
All done through the app, with no need for a clunky black box and no nasty hidden fees
10 ways to save on new driver insurance
New driver car insurance is expensive, costing around 25% more in your 20s than in your 30s. Each insurer has its own way of assessing how risky you are. However, there are ways you might be able to get your price down - like getting added as a 'named driver' to your parent’s insurance policy, taking out temporary car insurance to borrow a car, or even joining the electoral roll. Our young driver insurance expert Cameron is on hand with more tips in the video below.
Young driver car insurance FAQs
How might young drivers be able to save money on their car insurance?
- Add a more experienced driver to your policy
- Get your insurance quote as far in advance as possible
- Choose a car in a low insurance group, as they're cheaper to buy, repair and insure. Our personal favourite at Cuvva is the Fiat Panda, in insurance group 1, due to its practicality and size
- Consider using temporary car insurance to share a car with a family member or friend. If you only need it every now and again, pay-as-you-go insurance could save you money
- Adjust your voluntary excess to reduce your premium. Just make sure you can afford to pay it if the worst happens
- Register to vote by joining the electoral roll - yes, this can reduce your price!
- Be accurate with your mileage
- Improve your credit score
- Consider using Cuvva’s Smart Pricing. The better you drive, the more you save - and all you need to do is sign up to our subscription policy and activate your permissions on your phone
What’s the cheapest way to insure a young driver?
- There are three main options for insuring a young driver:
- 1. They could get an annual policy of their own in the traditional way. But this does lock them in, regardless of how much they drive.
- 2. The young person could get added to a more experienced driver's policy as a 'named driver', which might reduce the cost, but bump up the parent's policy price significantly.
- 3. They could try temporary car insurance, which drivers can get for as little as 1 hour.
- The best option depends on how often the young driver expects to use the car.
- Our research indicates if a 20-25 year old uses a car only 50 times a year, they could save £750 by using temporary insurance compared to the price of an annual policy. If they are driving over 95 times a year, it would financially make sense to consider a monthly rolling policy, like Cuvva's Subscription. The third option of named driver insurance can be expensive for parents - this could be over £5,000 extra a year (based on our research using the persona of a 20-year-old man living in Bedford).
Can a parent put their child on their car insurance, and does it make it cheaper?
- Yes, you should be able to add your child to your policy as a named driver providing they’re of legal driving age and have a licence.
- Young drivers are generally seen as being more risky to insure - but if they are added to a more experienced driver’s policy, the risk is reduced. Doing this could save you some money compared with getting them their own full annual policy.
- However, if an experienced driver adds a more novice driver to their policy, they may see their premium increase in price significantly.
How much is insurance generally for young drivers?
- Generally it’s most expensive to get insured when you’re 17 or 18, before gradually getting cheaper as you get older.
- For example, in November 2022 Cuvva did some research into how much it would cost a young person from Bedford to insure their 2011 Vauxhall Corsa. Using a price comparison website, we found the average price was £6920 for a 17-year-old, £6579 for a 18yo, £4043 for a 19yo, £3428 for a 20yo, £2306 for a 21yo, £2177 for a 22yo, £1675 for a 23yo, and £1626 for a 24yo.
- But it also depends on other factors, like your address, your job, where you park your car and so on. A 22-year-old living in a city with on-street parking might pay more than a 18-year-old in a quiet neighbourhood and a garage, for example.
Does your job title have an impact on your price?
- Your job title is one of the things that impacts your premium, based on how likely it is for you to be on the road and at what hours, as well as how people in your profession tend to drive.
- Cuvva research into a typical 24-year-old living in Bedford shows a variety of different prices for different jobs. Using a price comparison website, we found insuring his 2011 Vauxhall Corsa for a year would cost £1937 if he was a pharmacist, £2247 if he was a construction worker, £1979 if he was a professional footballer, £1944 if he was a civil engineer, £1896 if he was a teacher, £2204 if he was a nurse, £2303 if he was a solicitor, and £2509 if he was a surgeon.
- Our research indicates if you use a car only 50 times a year, you could save £750 compared to the price of an annual policy.
Does telematics actually make your insurance cheaper?
- The aim of telematics is to reduce your premium by showing you can drive safely.
- With Cuvva’s Smart Pricing, good drivers can save up to 1/3 on their bill - and everyone gets 10% off just by signing up. It’s all sorted through your phone, too, so there’s no need for clunky black boxes or pesky installation fees.
- Traditional telematics devices like black boxes are a little different, though. And, perhaps counterintuitively, it can sometimes be more expensive to sign up for telematics - at least at first.
- Recent research by Cuvva found that the average starting price for a policy with telematics is cheaper when you’re younger, but can actually increase your premium when you get older.
- Always get a quote with and without telematics, to see what you end up with.
Will my price go down when I’m older?
- Generally, yes. Younger drivers are seen as being more ‘risky’ to insure, because statistically they are involved in more accidents and make more claims.
- But as you get older, the chances of you getting into an accident reduces, and your car insurance premium gets cheaper as a result.
- Cuvva recently carried out research on young driver car insurance prices. We saw a 76% difference in price between an 18-year-old’s premium and a 25-year-old’s. The biggest difference was between the ages of 18 and 19, when an average premium according to price comparison data fell by 39% from £6579 to £4043.
- But things like your job, your address and when you park your car (as well as your claims history) also impacts your price.
Do I earn a no claims discount as a named driver?
- Not usually, unfortunately. Only the main driver can accrue a no claims discount.
- Even worse, if the named driver has an accident, it can impact the main driver’s no claims discount.
I just passed my driving test, can I drive a van?
- Some insurers have restrictions on how soon you can drive after your test depending on your age.
- But if you can get insured, there are no rules against driving a van with car insurance, providing it is less than 3,500kg in weight.
What categories of insurance can new drivers get?
- Some insurers have restrictions on age and car type for younger drivers, but generally young drivers should be able to avail of a wide range of policies. This includes full annual car insurance, pay-as-you-go temporary cover, and learner driver insurance.
- The categories of cover are the same as available to older drivers: Third Party, Third Party Fire and Theft or Fully Comprehensive.
How young drivers can save money
Getting an affordable insurance price during your first years on the road can be difficult. That’s partly because young drivers are more likely to have an accident (1 in 5 are involved in a crash within their first year of driving, according to the UK Government’s Transport Committee in 2021). This makes them riskier to insure - but there are ways to show insurers that you are lower risk. We’ve broken down the most popular below.
Black boxes for new drivers
Black boxes (also known as telematics devices) assess how safe a driver you are, with insurance discounts offered for good drivers. They are very common with young drivers hoping to save money on their premium - although they do have downsides.
Advantages
If you drive well, black boxes might reduce your premium in the long run. Sometimes insurers give you discounts just for signing up
‘Plug and drive’ and OBD port devices can be easily installed and removed by yourself
If your car is stolen, the black box’s GPS signal can help track it down
Disadvantages
There are sometimes curfews and mileage restrictions with black box insurance policies
There can be hefty renewal fees: wearemarmalade charge £100, for example, as of November ‘22
They can be clunky to instal and can be expensive to remove: Co-op charge £90, as of November ‘22
Your price can go up if you break the rules of your policy, or you fall into a ‘riskier’ group
Getting added as a named driver
Getting added to a parent's policy could make your premium go down but theirs go up. As of November 2022, you could expect your parent’s policy to go up by more than £5,000 per year (based on our research using the persona of a 20-year-old man living in Bedford).
Advantages
It can be cheaper than using temporary car insurance to borrow a car depending on how many times you hit the road
You can reduce your premium versus a standard annual policy by showing that a more experienced driver will be doing most of the driving
Disadvantages
If you aren’t driving that often, being a named driver can be unnecessarily expensive compared to using temporary car insurance to borrow a car
You’ll need to plan ahead with the car owner to make sure you don’t both want to use it at the same time
In most cases, the main driver’s no claims discount that they've built up will be ended if you have an incident
You can’t build up your own no claims discount, which would have helped you get a cheaper premium in the future
Borrowing a car vs a yearly policy
Borrowing a car using temporary car insurance rather than getting a yearly policy could be a great way to save money - depending on the amount of trips you make. It’s probably not worth if you’re driving more than 90 times a year, according to our recent research. Below are calculations based on Cuvva’s average prices and price comparison website research data in November 2022. Prices based on a male driver based in Bedford.
Advantages
If you make roughly 50 two-hour trips a year, by using temporary insurance you could save around £750+ a year against an annual policy
You also won’t need to spend money buying and maintaining a car, paying tax, carrying out MOTs and making repairs
Disadvantages
If you drive the UK average of 298.5 trips a year, borrowing a car would cost over double (206%+) what 12 monthly rolling policies would (for a male driver aged between 20 and 25). If you’re only going to take 90 trips, borrowing would be around £120 less a year
You can’t build up a no claims bonus, unlike with an annual policy or a monthly subscription like the one offered by Cuvva
Like being added as a named driver, you’ll need to plan ahead with whoever owns the car
Related reads for young drivers
Black box insurance without the box
Want to get a better insurance price, but don’t want a black box or telematics device installed in your car? Smart Pricing could help.
Haven’t passed yet?
Learn to drive with provisional licence insurance. Get cover for up to 6 hours in a day. Just grab a supervisor, scan your licence, take a picture of the car, and you’re good to go!
Driving with a provisional licence - the rules
Everything you need to know about driving with a provisional licence.
How to change your insurance after you pass
You’ve passed! Firstly, breathe a sigh of relief and give yourself a huge pat on the back! Now the admin: your learner driver insurance won’t cover you anymore, so you’ll need some means of getting home from the test.
Getting the cheapest car to insure
Looking for an affordable motor? We've gone through Google data to find the 10 most popular cars that are both cheap to buy and insure.
How to get cheaper insurance for young drivers
Here’s some extra tips on how to get that car insurance premium down.
What's included, and eligibility criteria
With our car insurance, you'll get fully comprehensive, just like you would with an annual policy.
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
Fire damage
Carriage of own goods 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 full licence holders, you’ll need to be aged 19-65 to use Cuvva for the first time. If you’re under 21, you’ll need to have held your licence for at least 13 months, and not had any at-fault incidents
We can insure existing customers up to the age of 71. You just need to have a policy with us before the age of 65
If you’re a provisional licence holder you’ll need to be aged 17 - 40 and not have held your licence for over 5 years
A GB licence holder (that means issued in England, Scotland or Wales)
There’s not a fixed number of accidents, claims or licence points 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 £40,000
Vans/commercial vehicles must be worth less than £20,000
Meet our modification rules. We accept lots, including any to aid a disability, but there are some we can't insure
Not be in an insurance group higher than 40. If you have a car in a higher group, you might be able to use our subscription (pay monthly) cover
Not be scrapped or impounded temporarily
Not be a company car, a hire car or a vehicle on a fleet policy
How to get insured quickly
1
Download the app
It just takes a few clicks to get started, and it's free.
2
Get a quote
Enter details about you and your car
3
Check your cover and pay
With a fully comprehensive policy of your own!
The underwriting expert's view
Adam Kent, Cuvva's Senior Underwriting Lead and Insurance Expert, said: ‘Car insurance is expensive for young people because they are considered to be high-risk drivers. Statistically, young drivers are more likely to get into car accidents than older drivers, and car insurance companies charge higher premiums to cover the increased risk. There are a few things young drivers can do to try to lower their premium, such as driving a less expensive car or utilising telematics like Smart Pricing. It can be tempting to falsify or manipulate your answers to get a cheaper premium, but it’s very important not to. Insurance companies are sophisticated and will find out the truth. If you have lied and later make a claim, the insurer might not pay, could void your insurance and may even press legal action against you to recover any costs.’
Any questions?
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