Learning to drive can be an exciting and rewarding experience. However, If you want to practice in your own car then you will need insurance to do so. our guide will explain what learner driver insurance is and how to find the best deals.
In This Guide:
- Will I need learner driver insurance?
- How does learner driver insurance work?
- Is learner driver insurance expensive?
- Will I need to get a new insurance policy when I pass my test?
- How can I get cheap learner driver insurance?
Will I need learner driver insurance?
You won’t need an insurance policy to cover you while you’re taking practical driving lessons with a certified driving school – they’ll cover all of those costs for you as well as any petrol costs.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) recommends any learner driver has at least 47 hours of lessons with a professional driving school before taking a test. They also recommend a further 20 hours of practise independent of these lessons. This is where learner driver insurance comes into play.
If you’ve got your own car to practise in, you’ll need to take out a temporary learner driver’s insurance policy in order to practise in it. Most insurers base their policies on learner drivers being younger, often around 17 years old. Premiums can be expensive for these kinds of policies as the combination of youth and inexperience is rather toxic for insurers given the implied high risk of road accidents.
If you want to practise in a relative’s car, you can be added to their policy as a named driver which is likely to be slightly cheaper for you, but riskier for them. The extra premium added to the policy on your behalf will be a pricey one. And not only this but if you’re not careful, you may find that any accident you have while driving may actually damage your relative’s no claims discount.
You should also bear in mind that not all insurers will allow learner drivers to be added to others’ policies, and those that do will still charge rather high premiums, so make sure you shop around if you want to go through with this option.
How does learner driver insurance work?
A learner driver insurance policy will allow you to practise your driving in any car, as long as you have a UK provisional license and are accompanied by another fully qualified driver who is over the age of 21 and has had a full license for three years at least.
This is only the basic legal requirement though; some insurers will add extra stipulations such as raising the minimum age of the supervising driver to 25, or putting a cap on the value of the car that the policy is taken out on.
Learner driver insurance policies can be taken out for a range of different time periods. Some providers will let you take out a policy for as little as a day at a time, some offer seven day minimum cover and some will offer annual policies.
Is learner driver insurance expensive?
Generally, learner driver policies give you fully comprehensive cover on the car in question but again, this will vary from provider to provider so make sure you read the small print. You will be able to get third-party learner cover at a lower price but it is often worth spending that little bit extra to make sure that you’re covered against damage to the vehicle you’re driving, given your lack of experience.
So learner driver insurance can be relatively pricey, but as a general rule you get what you pay for, and balancing costs with the level of cover is important.
You should always compare quotes for learner driver insurance online to make sure that you’re getting the best deal.
Will I need to get a new insurance policy when I pass my test?
In short, yes. a provisional driver policy covers certain things that full policies don't, and vice versa. Thankfully, purchasing a learner driver insurance policy can pay off in the long run – many providers will offer a discount on your full policy once you’ve passed your test if you took out a learner policy with them while you were learning. Alternatively, you can look for a better deal with a different provider that offers good deals for new drivers.
How can I get cheap learner driver insurance?
There are various ways to reduce the price of your learner driver insurance policy without sacrificing the level of cover you receive. Installing a black box that monitors your speed and mileage as well as other aspects of your driving is a great way to do this.
Having a black box insurance policy once you’ve passed your test will serve to maintain low premiums and avoid the sky-high prices often offered to young and newly qualified drivers.
If you want to make sure you get the best prices on the market for learner driver insurance, you should compare car insurance quotes online. Our insurance comparison service is easy to use and totally free; just let us know what kind of cover you’re after and we’ll show you a list of the best quotes available that fit your requirements.