Young driver insurance
Compare cheap car insurance quotes for young drivers
How much does car insurance cost for young drivers?
The cost of your car insurance will depend on lots of different factors including your address, car model and the type of cover you choose.
The average cost of comprehensive car insurance for drivers aged 18-24 is £928. But, it's £1,260 for third party only cover (TPO).[1]
For 17 year-old drivers buying comprehensive insurance, there's no getting around the fact that it's still expensive – although prices did drop slightly in 2020.[2]
This all means that comparing policies is more important than ever when you're at the beginning of your driving career.
Why is car insurance more expensive for young drivers?
Car insurance prices are based on statistics and the level of risk.
Government data shows that drivers and passengers aged 17-24 are more likely to be injured in a road accident than older people.
Your lack of experience will also make you seem more of a risk to insure, which will push up the price. As a young driver, you’re unlikely to have years of no claims to prove that you're a safe driver to insurers.
What types of car insurance are there?
There are three main levels of car insurance:
- Third party only (TPO) – Includes damage to other people and their vehicle in the event of an accident. This is the lowest level of cover you’re required to have by law
- Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) – Covers damage to other people and their vehicles due to an accident, plus damage to you and your car because of fire or theft
- Comprehensive cover – This includes all of the above, plus the cost of repairing or replacing your car in the event of an accident
You can also get different types of insurance, like classic car cover or black box insurance.
What is black box insurance and how can it help young drivers?
Telematics – or black box – insurance covers all the same things that regular insurance does. The main difference is that your insurer will install a device in your car that keeps track of how you drive.
It’ll monitor things like your braking, speed, mileage and whether you drive at peak times. The cost of your car insurance will then be reviewed regularly and adjusted according to how well you’ve driven. You’ll be able to check how you’re driving on the insurer’s website or through an app.
Careful driving could see your premiums fall, but speedy or reckless driving would likely mean the cost increases.
What are the cheapest cars to insure?
Unsurprisingly the cheapest cars to insure for young drivers are small-engine hatchbacks – this is because they’re not too powerful and are generally in lower insurance groups, so considered less of a risk.
What’s this free £250 excess cover?[3]
If you claim on your car insurance, you’ll probably have to pay part of the cost yourself – this is called the excess.
When you buy car insurance through us, we’re offering to refund up to £250 of your excess if you need to make a claim.
Join over a million customers with free £250 excess cover^
Claiming on your car insurance is stressful enough, without the added cost of your excess – and we want to help with that.
If you do need to claim, you'll have to pay your excess first, and then we'll refund up to £250 after your claim's settled.
It really is free. We haven't hidden the cost anywhere.
^Up to £250 refunded after claim settled. Car insurance purchases only. Excludes breakdown, windscreen and glass repair/replacement. Full T&Cs apply.
Frequently asked questions
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Yes, it’s a legal requirement to at least have TPO cover.
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Your car will need insurance if it’s parked on the road, even if you’re not using it.
If you can keep your car in your garage or on your driveway, you can make a Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN), which tells the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) that you’re not currently using your car and so you don’t need to insure it.
But just because you aren’t driving your car doesn’t mean accidents don’t happen – you can get SORN (or laid-up) insurance, which protects your car if you’re not driving it.
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It’s unlikely. Cover to drive other cars is usually excluded from car insurance for young drivers. It’s not a very common feature on all kinds of policies anymore, even for more experienced drivers.
So if you want to use another person’s car regularly look into getting yourself insured as an additional driver under their policy. Temporary car insurance might be useful if you’re only driving their vehicle as a one-off.
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You’ll likely be able to get the following optional extras, for an additional fee:
- Breakdown cover
- Courtesy car
- Legal expenses
- Lost or stolen keys
- Misfuelling cover
- No-claims discount protection
- Personal injury cover
- Windscreen repair and replacement
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Giving the wrong information to your insurer would likely mean your insurance is void and you could even be prosecuted for fraud.
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[1]Average price paid for annual comprehensive car insurance polices where the main driver is 18-24 years old purchased in December 2020. For comprehensive policies it was £928.05. For third party only policies it was £1,259.55.
[2]Average price paid annually for comprehensive car insurance purchased in 2018, 2019 and 2020 through GoCompare when the policyholder is 17.
[3]Up to £250 refunded after claim settled. Car insurance purchases only. Excludes breakdown, windscreen and glass repair/replacement. Full T&Cs apply.