It is well known that black box insurance policies can help to save drivers money on their premiums, especially for younger drivers who otherwise face the highest charges.
But there are many reasons why young drivers wouldn’t want to install a telematics device into their vehicle, from privacy concerns to the fact that any driving mistake will boost your premiums.
Here at Money Expert, we compare quotes from a wide range of providers to help find you the best deal on your car insurance. So, if you’re a young driver looking to cut costs, or you just want to find cheap insurance in general, you don’t necessarily need a black box policy. You can find great deals on car insurance without a black box too.
In This Guide:
- What is car insurance without a black box?
- Why would you want a no black box insurance policy?
- Who will benefit from a no black box insurance policy?
- How can I get cheaper insurance without a black box?
What is car insurance without a black box?
Insurance without a black box, or no black box insurance, is simply a standard vehicle insurance policy that doesn't have telematics device installed.
Black box insurance, also known as telematics insurance, is a type of car insurance policy that involves installing a tracking device into your vehicle, known as a black box.
This device monitors multiple aspects of your driving, from your mileage and the time of day you’re on the roads, to your speed and even how hard you break and how smooth you turn corners.
Black box policies are often advertised to young drivers as a way to get cheaper premiums, but this isn’t always the case.
Why would you want a no black box insurance policy?
There are a few reasons why drivers might want a no black box policy. These include:
No guarantees
When you compare car insurance quotes, black box policies will often be quoted as having much lower premiums than policies without a black box. But there’s not guarantee that your premiums will stay at that level.
The nature of black box insurance means that your premiums can go up or down depending on how good your driving is. If you’re found to be driving recklessly, such as driving too fast or predominantly at night, your premiums can shoot up.
There’s no way of tampering with your black box to prevent it from recording any of your trips, so you have to be confident that you’re a careful driver before signing up to black box insurance.
More restrictions
Some drivers may feel that they’ll be more restricted on the roads with a black box policy.
For example, driving at night or over long distances could result in higher premiums with a black box because it’s more likely you’ll have an accident in these conditions. But if you’re a confident driver, then you may find it restricting having to carefully judge when and where you should be driving.
Also, while going over your pre-agreed mileage with a black box won’t necessarily penalise you or invalidate your policy, it’s more likely to result in higher premiums than if you exceed your mileage with no black box.
Privacy concerns
Some drivers may also have concerns regarding the privacy of their personal information when it comes to black box policies. This is because your car and its movements will be tracked whenever you turn on the engine, and your insurer can see a lot of information about where you’ve been.
According to a study conducted by LexisNexis Risk Solutions, around half of UK motorists had some level of concern about how their personal information would be collected and used under a black box policy. However, it’s important to note that privacy laws prevent your insurer from sharing any of your personal data with third parties, unless requested to by a law enforcement agency.
Who will benefit from a no black box insurance policy?
The types of drivers that may be better off with car insurance without a black box include:
- Unconfident drivers: It often takes many hours of experience for new drivers to build up their confidence on the road. Less confident drivers are more likely to make mistakes which could drive up their premiums with a black box.
- Reckless drivers: Even if you’re a confident driver, you may be a bit of a speed demon and test the boundaries of what’s legal. If you think you’re likely to go over speed limits, or maybe you just get easily confused on what the speed limit is on certain roads, then you’re probably safer with a no black box policy.
- Night drivers: If you drive regularly at night, for example those that work late or on night shifts, a black box policy probably won’t be beneficial to you. This is because accidents are more likely to occur during the night, so your premiums will increase as a result of this.
- Experienced drivers: If you’re an older driver with tonnes of experience and a long history of no claims, you probably won’t get much of a discount by opting for a black box policy compared to younger, inexperienced drivers. Therefore, it’s not worth letting one out-of-character mistake potentially increasing your premiums for years to come.
How can I get cheaper insurance without a black box?
While it is true, especially for young drivers, that a telematics policy is one of the best ways to get cheap cover, there are many other things you can do to lower your premium without resorting to a black box:
- Choose a smaller car: The smaller, less powerful your car is, the cheaper it generally is to insure. Look for cars in low insurance groups in order to cut costs in insurance, with the lowest being group 1.
- Raise your excess: When taking out a policy, you’ll be asked to set a voluntary excess. Generally, the higher you set it, the cheaper your premium will be. However, don’t set it too high – keep it affordable for when you need to make a claim.
- Improve your skills: A black box isn’t the only way that you can prove to your insurer that you’re a good driver. Taking part in advanced driving courses such as Pass Plus can also show your insurer that you’re a lower risk, thus resulting in cheaper cover.
- Improve security: Parking your car in a locked garage overnight as opposed to the road, or fitting it with an industry-improved alarm or immobiliser, can also lower your insurance costs as it means you’re less likely to claim because of theft.
- Compare quotes: One the best ways to get the cheapest cover possible is to shop around. Compare no black car insurance with Money Expert today and get a list of the cheapest quotes available to you from a range of providers.
