Driving my parents’ car: do I need insurance?
When it comes to learning to drive there’s more than one option, you don't just have to learn with an instructor. Another way to get some hours behind the driving wheel is to jump in the car with your parents.
So, you’ve decided to learn to drive. You’ve got your provisional licence sorted and now you’re looking to book an instructor. Then you realise that it’ll cost a fortune to get all the lessons that your heart desires.
You start thinking “can I drive my parents’ car using my provisional?” or “can I drive my parents’ car without insurance?” Well, luckily for you, Veygo learner driver insurance answers these questions!
Yes, you can drive your parents’ car with a provisional licence, as long as you’re supervised, display L plates and are insured. No, you can’t learn to drive without insurance. As mentioned, Veygo learner driver insurance is one way to get behind the wheel of your parents’ car.
You’re now stuck thinking “how on earth do I convince them to let me have a spin in their car?” Don’t worry, we can help with that too. Read our tips on how to convince your parents to let you drive further down this page.
Why would you learn to drive without your instructor?
Cost
As previously mentioned, learning to drive comes at a cost. Most people learning to drive are 17 or 18, which usually means full-time education or only just starting out in the working world. So, it’s not super likely that you’ll have cash burning a hole in your pocket waiting to be spent on driving lessons.
So, first of all, cost. By hopping into the car with your parents you can save the cost of having to pay your instructor for the lesson, perhaps just having to give your parents some money for fuel. Simple enough.
I know your next thought: what about the cost of insurance to learn to drive legally on the roads? Funny you’re thinking that, because here at Veygo we have learner driver insurance, a great way to get the hours in.
Freedom
When learning to drive with an instructor you’re very limited to what they tell you: “go here”, “go there”, “that’s enough practice doing that”, “I think you need more time behind the wheel”. So, being able to practise with your parents gives you that ability to explore and rehearse the things you don’t feel too confident with.
Where to go
When learning to drive, typically you’ll be cruising around the areas where your test centre is. And in all honesty that makes sense, because you’re basically learning the test centre (as they say, you really learn to drive after you pass your test). There may be some routes you know you’ll be regularly driving after you pass, and getting behind your parents’ wheel gives you ample opportunity to practise them!
Practice
When driving with your instructor you’ll be practising manoeuvres, clutch control, and emergency stopping (among other things). So, you’ll be repeating certain manoeuvres multiple times.
When practising you may nail the move a few times and the instructor will tell you you’re fine doing them, however, being able to do them and being confident doing them are different. With your parents you can rinse and repeat the move until you’re super confident doing each one!
How to convince your parents to let you practise in their car
You’re feeling confident on the roads and you know some extra practice will make you a better driver. There’s only one problem: your parents aren’t keen. They might seem totally unreasonable, but once you understand their worries, you can start to answer them.
Understand their concerns
They’ve probably spent decades behind the wheel compared with your hours, so it’s no shock they feel nervous. Here’s what’s likely to be on their mind:
- Their No Claims Bonus. They may have spent years building it up. If you were added to their policy and had a bump, a claim could affect their No Claims Bonus and push up the price of their insurance.
- The cost and hassle of insurance. They may expect it to cost a fortune and take ages to sort out.
- The stress of teaching. They’ve probably never taught anyone to drive, and they might worry about falling out. Supervising a learner driver is a big responsibility and takes some preparation.
Show them you’re ready
Use this as a chance to show that you’re mature, responsible and ready to be on the road. A good starting point is to organise a chat between your parents and your driving instructor. They’ll hear about your progress from a trusted professional, including your strengths and the areas you still need to work on. Your instructor can also give them pointers on how best to support you.
It’s worth checking they can supervise you, too. By law, your supervisor must be at least 21, qualified to drive the type of car you’re learning in, and have held their full licence for at least 3 years. Our FAQ for parents teaching their child to drive answers the questions they’re likely to ask.
Offer a solution
Getting your own policy means your parents don’t have to add you to theirs. With learner driver insurance you can get cover online to drive their car for up to 180 days, and a short first session could help get them used to the idea. They can read more about insuring you to drive their car.
If all this insurance talk is a bit confusing, check out our car insurance jargon buster.
Remind them of the benefits
Practising privately costs much less per hour than a lesson with a qualified instructor. Using private practice to nail what you’ve learned in your lessons could help you get test ready for less. There are more money-saving ideas in our guide to the cost of learning to drive.
The DVSA says learners need, on average, around 22 hours of private practice on top of their lessons. The more you drive, the better your skills get, which could help you pass your driving test first time.
And once you pass, your parents get their freedom back. No more giving you lifts everywhere, and you might even start giving them lifts. It’s a win-win.
After you pass your test
Having passed your test, you’ll want to get on the roads as soon as possible! But if you haven’t found the perfect car yet, there are plenty of ways to go about buying one. Our guide on how to choose your first car is a good place to start.
So, let’s pretend you haven’t found the perfect car but you’re keen to get on the roads. That leaves you with one option: your parents’ car!
It’s often said that you don’t actually learn to drive until after you pass your test, so you really don’t want to put off getting on the roads for very long. So let’s discuss getting insured on your parents’ car!
- First of all, make sure you have their permission and you’ve discussed it with them!
- Secondly, consider the amount of time you’re going to be without your own car. It’s highly recommended that you don’t spend much longer than a month or two borrowing a car as it can become very frustrating very quickly.
So, considering this, a great way to kick it up a gear while you’re driving your parents’ car is to look into Veygo’s temporary insurance. Full licence holders can get cover for up to 60 days, so you can get on the roads and keep practising.
It’s not just about practice. You may have passed your test close to starting uni or college, where you may not need a car but could still want your own way to get about. That’s another reason why getting insured on your parents’ car could be essential!
Whatever reason you have for getting insured on your parents’ car, always remember:
- Yes, you can drive your parents’ car with a provisional licence.
- And, no, you can’t drive your parents’ car without insurance.
So, if you have a provisional licence and want to practise, or you’ve passed your test and need your parents’ car for any reason, take a look at Veygo’s temporary car insurance or learner driver insurance by hitting the button below!
