Learner Driver Car Insurance

Any driver will be able to tell you that learning to drive takes practice – and most of us would agree that driving lessons don’t always give you all the practice time you need. What’s more, driving lessons aren’t cheap, so being able to get some more time behind the wheel with a friend or family member will not only help the learner driver to improve, and strengthen their skills, but might also save money on additional lessons too.

All motor vehicles used on public roads in the UK are required to have the appropriate level of insurance in place – and when a learner is driving the vehicle, there must be insurance in place to reflect that, in order to remain ‘appropriate.’ This can be achieved in several ways, including:

1. The owner of the car amending their own, existing Car Insurance policy to include the learner as a Named Driver.
2. Taking out another Learner Driver Insurance policy that is separate from the vehicle owner’s annual Car Insurance policy. This can be an annual, or a short-term, flexible policy.

Amending the vehicle owner’s existing Car Insurance

There are a few downsides to this approach to getting insurance to cover a learner driver. Adding a learner as a named driver could mean:

Higher Premiums: A learner driver is inexperienced. For insurers, this means that they represent a high risk – a high risk that they might find themselves needing to make an insurance claim. This high risk will be reflected in the premium that the vehicle owner will be asked to pay.

Loss of No Claims Bonus: Many drivers use the fact that they haven’t had to make an insurance claim as a way of reducing their annual Car Insurance costs. They build up a ‘bonus’ (which amounts to a kind of money off discount with insurers) for every year that they have held a policy and not made an insurance claim. These discounts can add up to considerable savings as the years go by. If a learner driver is added to the existing Car Insurance policy and, unfortunately, does need to make an insurance claim, then the No Claims Discount of the main policy holder will be impacted and their premiums will rise in the future.

Taking out a separate Learner Driver Car Insurance policy

The alternative to adding a learner as a named driver on the vehicle owner’s insurance, is to get a separate insurance policy designed specifically to cover the learner. This means that the owner’s insurance is not amended so there is no increase in premiums and no impact on the No Claims Discount if the learner needs to make an insurance claim (because they would be claiming on the Learners Insurance, and NOT the vehicle owner’s policy). These reasons alone are pretty compelling!

Types of Learner Driver Car Insurance

There are two elements to consider when choosing the right type of stand-alone Car Insurance policy for a learner driver.

1. The Level of Cover
2. The Duration of the Cover

Level of Cover for Learner Drivers

In the UK, Car Insurance is offered with different levels of cover. The most basic being Third Party, followed by Third Party, Fire & Theft, and then the highest level of cover, offering the widest protection, is Comprehensive Car Insurance Cover. You can find out more about each level on our standard Car Insurance Page.

Duration of Insurance Cover

How long you need the Learner Driver Insurance in place really depends on how long you will be learning. If you are planning on taking is slow and practicing every now and then, a Long Term or Annual Learner Driver Insurance policy might be appropriate. But with these there is a chance you will pay for more cover than you need – remember that, as soon as you have passed your driving test, your Learner Driver insurance will no longer be valid and you will need to find a new Car Insurance policy to suit your circumstances.

If you are planning to learn to drive over a shorter period, then a Short-term Learner Driver Insurance policy might be better value.

What to look for in a Short-term Learner Driver Insurance Policy

If you have decided that a short-term policy, separate from the Car Insurance held by the vehicle owner, sounds like the right choice, you’ll find UK insurance providers offer a range of these types of product. As with all insurance, features and benefits vary from company to company, so always check the details of the quotes you are comparing.

Some features you might want to look include:

• Instant Cover: Some online providers can start your cover as soon as your application is complete and has been accepted.
• Flexible Cover: Can you choose a length of policy that suits your needs? For example, GoShorty’s Learner Driver Insurance offers a choice of cover from 1 hour to 24 weeks.
• Level of Cover: Are you getting basic cover, or a higher level of comprehensive protection from the policy?

One more thing….

If you are looking into Learner Driver Car Insurance because you will be supervising a Learner in your vehicle, the GOV.UK website has some really useful information that might be worth a look. The Supervise a Learner Driver section will give you a summary of the rules and requirements, plus has ideas for planning and managing trips out on the road together.

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