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Finding cheap car insurance for 18-year olds can feel like an uphill struggle. That’s why we are on hand to help you find the best deals around, search with us today.
Car insurance for 18 year olds
To drive on UK roads, you must have car insurance no matter how old you are. Young drivers are far more likely to be involved in accidents than drivers aged 25 and older, meaning premiums can be some of the highest. If you can’t afford your own policy, you could be a named driver on another person’s car. Remember though, you can’t pretend that someone else is the main driver of your car to benefit from cheaper insurance, this is fraud!
If you’re caught without appropriate insurance, you can be fined and end up with six points on your licence. If you receive those points within two years of passing your driving test, you can also have your licence taken away.
How much is car insurance for an 18 year old?
Insurers analyse data to work out what the chances of a claim being made are. The higher the chance, the pricier the policy.
Unfortunately, young drivers around the age of 18 are more likely to be involved in an accident and make a claim. The ABI report that drivers aged 17-24 only make up 7 per cent of UK licence holders and drive fewer miles than the average but are involved in 24 per cent of all fatal collisions. With that in mind, it’s not unusual for policies to be upwards of £900.
Young brains are not as developed as adult brains, actions are guided more by the emotional and reactive amygdala and less by the thoughtful, logical frontal cortex. This means young people are more likely to take risks and act on impulse behaviour, this make them riskier to insure.
Another factor that can contribute to higher premiums is the fact that you might also be a student. Taking your car to a busy university town and parking it on the street can increase the risk of damage or theft which can raise premiums too.
If you’re 18 and have accumulated one years’ worth of no claims discount, then the good news is that so long as you keep on going, premiums are more than likely to come down.
Call us on 0330 022 8791 for a quote over the phone
Why compare car insurance for 18 year olds?
We’ve discussed that car cover for young drivers is particularly expensive, so shopping around gives you the chance to see what different insurers are offering and at what price – helping you get a clearer picture of the market. Arming yourself with all this knowledge can give you clarity over what represents the best value for money.
Simply fill in one quick form and let us do the searching for you, it only takes around 5 minutes to compare with us. Alternatively you can call a friendly expert on tel: 0330 022 8791
What’s the cheapest car insurance for 18 year olds?
In the past, third party policies were often the cheapest option but that’s not necessarily true now. This is because insurers realised that some of the most expensive claims came from third party policyholders who were often in high-risk groups (like young drivers). To balance out premiums and compensation claims, the cost of insurance cover changed accordingly.
Today, that means some of the most competitively priced car insurance packages are actually comprehensive policies, which makes it even more important to compare quotes. Visit our car insurance page for all our top tips on finding the best cover for you.
Car insurance for 18-Year Olds FAQs
What does car insurance for 18-year olds cover?
Car cover for young drivers is no different to other car insurance. As with policies for other age groups, you’ll need to choose from one of three levels of cover:
- Third-party only insurance – covers the cost of injury or damage you’ve caused to other people and their property. These policies don’t cover the cost of damage to your car so if you have an accident, you’ll need to pay for your own repairs.
- Third-party, fire and theft insurance – gives you third-party only cover and will also compensate you if your car is damaged by fire or is stolen.
- Comprehensive insurance – includes third-party, fire and theft cover and also compensates you if your car is damaged in an accident – even if the accident was deemed your fault.
By law, you must have third-party only cover at the very least. In the past, that often meant third-party policies were the cheapest option but that’s not necessarily true now. That’s because insurers realised that some of the most expensive claims came from high-risk groups (like young drivers) and prices were changed accordingly.
Today, some of the most competitively priced car insurance packages are actually comprehensive policies which makes it even more important to compare quotes.
How can I find the cheapest car insurance for 18-year olds?
If you’re 18 and struggling to find cheap car insurance, there are ways to keep costs down; for instance, you can:
- Pay for your policy in one go – although it’s a lot of money, paying upfront can actually work out cheaper. Paying in monthly instalments might be more manageable but you may have to pay interest fees – increasing what you pay overall.
- Increase your voluntary excess – doing this can lower your overall premium but it still needs to be affordable. Claims can’t go ahead if you don’t pay the excess.
- Be accurate with your mileage – overestimating the miles you do can increase the cost of cover because the more you’re on the road, the greater the risk of an accident.
- Boost security – keep your car as secure as you can, immobilisers can be a relatively inexpensive way to do this and it could shave a few pounds off your premium.
- Avoid modifications – changing your car from its factory spec might make it unique but it’s also likely to increase your policy. The only modifications that might not affect your premium are those that improve security.
- Try a Black Box policy – also known as telematics insurance, premiums are based on your driving. A device installed in your car will monitor the way you drive, sending the information back to your insurer. If you drive consistently well, you could see a reduction in your premium.
- Add a named driver – adding a more experienced driver to your policy can help lower premiums. Be aware that falsely declaring an experienced driver as the main driver (with you as the named) to lower insurance costs is called fronting. Fronting doesn’t just invalidate your policy, it’s also insurance fraud.
- Choose a small car – smaller, less powerful cars are usually cheaper to insure compared to expensive cars with large engines. If you’re on the lookout for a new car, check to see what insurance group it belongs to first. The lower the group number, the cheaper it is to insure.
- Take an advanced course – some insurers are willing to discount premiums if you’ve done an advanced driving course.
Don’t forget – comparing car insurance really is one of the most effective ways to find the best value car insurance no matter what your age. To start your search for car cover that gives you the protection you want at a great price, simply fill in our online form or call a friendly, expert advisor on 0330 022 8814.
How much is it to add a 17-19 year old to my insurance?
If you’re a parent and want to add your son or daughter as a named driver, the cost will depend on all sorts of factors.
Insurers will consider things like the type of car you have, including the make, model and its age. They’ll also take into account how long your teenager has been driving for — for instance if they’re still learning or have recently passed.
Take a look at our young driver and our learner driver insurance pages for more information or if you’d like to chat to an expert, call today on tel: 0330 022 8814
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