How do I insure my car for a learner driver?
WHEN a family member or friend sets out on the road to getting a full driving licence, it’s certainly an exciting time – but it can be a stressful one too.
You will also need to be honest about whether you have the necessary skills, patience and time to teach an inexperienced driver without causing a family feud or falling out with a friend.
If you are confident in your ability and the car’s suitability, then you can save a fortune by giving your learner a head start. But you will need to make sure the vehicle you’re using is properly insured.
This will usually be cheaper than you expect, but be warned: the cost for a learner is a lot less than for a newly qualified driver who is venturing out on their own.
The usual method is to just add the driver onto your existing policy. This will inevitably involve a small rise in your premium and an administration cost – which can be up to £40, depending on your broker. Your insurer may refuse, though, and you should bear in mind that any bumps will affect your no-claims bonus.
An alternative is to opt for a ‘pay as you go’ policy, which allows you to buy cover for someone else’s car for anything between an hour and a year. However, this will only cover the learner for a car that belongs to someone else and already has an insurance policy covering it.
If the learner has bought their own car, they will need to take out their own policy, which will also help them build up their no-claims – unless things go badly wrong! Specialist insurers such as Collingwood and Marmalade are geared up for learners, but bear in mind the policy will need changing the moment the driver passes their test. Expect the price of cover to rocket.