Car Insurance for Teenagers

Insurers often view teenage drivers as higher-risk. This means that teenagers usually have to pay more for car insurance than older drivers. But is it possible to get cheap car insurance for teens?

Find out what sort of car insurance teenagers need, the benefits of having your own policy, and some ways you might save money on your car insurance.

What Car Insurance Cover Do Teenagers Need?

Why do insurers view teenage drivers as a higher risk? It’s simply because you’re new to driving. As you’re less experienced, you’re more likely to feel nervous behind the wheel, and thus more likely to get involved in an accident.

To save money on car insurance, some teenagers might feel tempted to choose third party insurance cover. This gives the minimal legal level of cover you can get.

Third Party Insurance for Teenagers

With third party cover, if you’re involved in an accident, your insurance will cover losses to any third party vehicles or property, but not your own. There is also no cover for fire or theft. So you’ll be responsible for covering any damages to your own car.

A third party insurance policy might appear more affordable on the surface, but in the long-term it might end up costing you dearly.

Comprehensive Car Insurance for Teenagers

If you’re ever involved in an accident with third party cover, the cost of repairs may exceed the amount you would have paid for a more comprehensive policy.[Get a quote]

Benefits of Teenagers Having Their Own Policy

One option for teenagers is to become a named driver on a more experienced driver’s policy. Parents often add their children to their car insurance policies, for example.

However, there are a few things you need to consider with this arrangement.

Who will be the main driver?

All car insurance policies have a ‘main driver’ – the person who drives the car the most. If you are added to a policy as a named driver, then by definition you must use the car less than the main driver. Sometimes being a named driver can help you save money on your car insurance.

No claims bonus

Also, as a named driver on someone else’s policy, you may not be able to build up a no-claims discount. Building up your own no-claims discount is the most effective way for new drivers to save money on their car insurance. So once again, while being a named driver can save money in the short-term, in the long-term it might not be so cost-effective.

For these reasons, some teenagers may decide to buy their own car insurance policies. It allows you to drive as often as you want, which will help you build up confidence behind the wheel. Plus, as you’ll be able to build up a no claims discount, you’ll be able to make significant savings on your car insurance in the long-term.

Learning to Drive and Provisional Insurance

Some insurers offer specialist car insurance policies to suit teenagers and young drivers. They take your unique needs into consideration to give you comprehensive cover for less.

At Go Girl, we offer learner driver car insurance and provisional car insurance cover. Our policies cover you when you’re getting supervised practice outside of your lessons. This is an excellent way for you to build up your confidence. It can help you pass your test first time, and set you on the road to becoming a safe and sensible driver in the long-term.

Once you pass your test, you can change your learner policy to a new driver policy, and start building up your no claims discount immediately.

Choosing the Right Car for Teenagers

There are many benefits for teenagers having their own cars. Before you pass your test, with your own car you can get as much practice outside of lessons as you want, providing you have the right supervision.

You can even take your driving test in your own car. And if you take your test in a familiar car, you might feel more confident, which will make you more likely to pass. If you have your own car, you can also get your own comprehensive car insurance policy. And as we mentioned above, this will allow you to build up a no claims discount, which will enable you to make savings on your car insurance in the long-term.

But what’s the best sort of car to get for a teenager? Ideally, something that’s small – not too powerful, easy-to-handle, and with low emissions. Cars that are small, safe, efficient and easy to drive generally fall into lower car insurance groups too. So choosing a car like this will help you make further savings on your car insurance.

You can read our full guide to the best cars for teenagers, young drivers and new drivers.

So if you’re a teenager looking to save money on your car insurance, talk to us. We’ll take your personal circumstances into consideration to give you a policy that truly meets your needs at a price you can afford.