What is car insurance fronting?

What's fronting?

Fronting means having an older or more experienced driver - usually a parent - claim they’re the main user of the car that’s mostly driven by a young person, or other high-risk motorists, to reduce the cost of car insurance.

Parents are usually fronting to make their children’s car insurance cheaper, but it’s a type of fraud and it's illegal.

The cost of car insurance for 17 year old has actually reduced a little in 2020 – but it's still a lot higher than for older drivers.

Fully comprehensive car insurance for all ages is £539.36 on average, but for 17 year olds it's £930.^[1]

That's what makes fronting so tempting, but it's not worth the risk. You could end up with a criminal record and it'll invalidate the young drivers’ car insurance too.

^*Average cost of annual comprehensive car insurance for policies bought through GoCompare in 2021 when the policyholder is 17, 21 or 25.

Fronting is common, but still a crime

We conducted research into fronting in 2021, and found that 56% of parents of young drivers would consider fronting to save money.^[2]

Parents are putting themselves at risk of picking up a criminal record for the sake of reducing their child’s car insurance premiums. You don’t need to though - there are plenty of legal ways to save on your child’s car insurance.

New drivers are more likely to claim, so their insurance costs more

Car insurance premiums for new drivers can be high compared to those of more experienced drivers, but there’s a good reason why.

According to the ABI, drivers aged between 17 and 20 are twice as likely to make an insurance claim as other drivers and the cost of their claims can be up to three times higher than the average.

The consequences of fronting

It's understandable to want to get your child on the road for less money, but fronting can have serious consequences.

• Your policy will be cancelled or declared invalid
• You could have a claim rejected
• You might have to repay any costs your insurer has incurred from past claims
• You could be prosecuted for fraud and driving without insurance
• You might get a criminal record, fine and/or points on your licence
• You could be banned from driving
• You insurance premiums will go up in the future if you're caught
• You might find fewer insurers are willing to cover you in the future

Who is the main driver?

Always state who the main driver of the car is when you get car insurance. It's usually the person who drives the car the majority of the time and the main policyholder.

It’s not just a matter of miles though. Think about:

• Who commutes in the car
• Who uses the car on a daily basis, or most days of the week
• Who does the most miles

If you’re in doubt, just call the insurer first to make sure you get it right.