Simon Jones 8 minute read Guides

Cheap Car Insurance for Young Drivers

If you’re a young driver looking for cheap temporary car insurance – or just want to find out more about getting cheap car insurance for new drivers – read on…

By Simon Jones

Updated on May 16, 2023

Cheap Car Insurance for Young Drivers

Learning to drive at a young age is super exciting, it’s your first chance at real independence and freedom. You should be excited, and rightly so… you’re able to go where you want and do what you want! Drive-thrus, lifts, trips, and chilling with your friends.

However, it’s pretty common knowledge that getting insurance on a car at a younger age or when you first pass is a nightmare. It never seems cheap. Getting the right policy is essential!

So don’t let the buzz and excitement of learning to drive and passing your test be killed by pesky insurance. Hopefully here at Veygo we can keep the excitement alive and with some useful pointers – get you on the road!

Comparing cheap insurance for new drivers

When looking for cheap car insurance for young or new drivers. It’s important that you don’t just jump to the first site that pops into your mind and settle with them (Unless it’s Veygo of course). Landing on the wrong site and it could end up costing you hundreds of pounds. You may not even get the best temp cover for you. Slow down, and make it one of your main focuses after passing your test to set some time aside to compare which insurance is best for young drivers.

A good place to start would simply be searching for ‘cheap car insurance for young drivers’. By doing this, you’re likely to find a site that will do the comparisons for you. However, comparison sites aren’t always the best place to look, as not all insurance companies can be found on them. While comparison sites are a good start, make sure you know how to use them properly: using multiple sites, take notes, and make sure you do your own research.. then use the comparison sites as a guide. This is a good way to make sure you don’t miss any cheap insurance companies.

Martin Lewis explains cheap car insurance really well to help you understand it more. It’s also important that you’re looking for the correct insurance. For instance, you may want to go independent and get your own fully comprehensive insurance policy. But if you’re going to be using another car whilst shopping for your own, then temporary insurance will likely be best suited for you.

Find out more about comparing temporary car insurance here.

What is third party insurance

Third party insurance may seem like a quick solution to get cheap car insurance for young drivers, as it doesn’t cover as much as a fully comprehensive policy, therefore it should be less expensive… right?

Actually, you may well find third-party only (TPO) insurance isn’t a cheaper way to get car insurance for younger drivers. These policies can be more expensive than comprehensive car insurance, because insurance companies have found that those who take them out are at higher risk of having an accident.

Before going for what may seem to be the cheapest option, compare different types of policy to make sure! Also, if you can’t afford to repair or replace your car if you have an accident, getting a TPO policy is likely to be a false economy.

What is temporary car insurance?

This is a brilliant way to get cheap car insurance for first-time drivers, as you only need to be insured as and when you’re using the car.

For example, when you first pass, you may be looking to drive your parents’ car for a few weeks, or a couple of months. Being put on their policy as a named driver risks their no-claims bonus (NCB). Plus you might not know how long it’ll take to shop for a car of your own.

Veygo offers a temporary car insurance policy that is separate from the main policy. This is the handy answer to using your folks’ car with zero effect on their NCB should anything happen.

Student life is another example. Let’s say you leave your car at home while you travel off to university or college. This would then mean you’ve got a car with either; insurance that you’re not using and paying for, or a car with no insurance. Buying temporary car insurance solves this as when you come home from college or uni – you’re able to buy insurance for the specific time you’re home, from as little as an hour, and it’ll be finished by the time you go back, and you won’t be paying a penny more than you need to!

For those who are leaving their car for certain periods of time, don’t forget to SORN it. Check out everything you need to know about SORNing your car.

To find out what is and isn’t covered by Veygo’s insurance policies, please read our product information document and our policy booklet

Cars with cheap insurance for young drivers

If you’re searching for cheap car insurance for first-time drivers, you’ll notice a big difference when it comes to types of cars. Bigger and faster cars definitely fall into the higher category for newer and younger drivers’ insurance. If you’re looking for cheap car insurance for young drivers, then it’s fair to say that it’s unlikely that you’ll be looking to spend loads on a newer, bigger car anyways.

When looking for your first car, look for something with a smaller engine, as this is likely to mean lower emissions, less fuel needed, and cheaper tax. Overall, cars with smaller engines will mean lower running costs… Not to mention a lower price for insurance.

Check out The cheapest ways to buy a car to see which cars fall into the best insurance groups, and what to look out for to get a car in the cheapest insurance groups.

Also you can tap up Parkers, the car valuation pros. Check out Parkers’ car insurance group checker here.

Tips for cheap young driver insurance

Being totally real, no matter which way you go about it, you’re unlikely to find very cheap car insurance. Plus it’s going to be expensive in comparison to someone who’s been driving for a long time. It’s really about finding the deal that best suits you, so here are a few tips to think
about when looking for cheap car insurance for young drivers:

– Be with someone who’s applied for car insurance before and let them help you. You can learn from their previous mistakes and use their experience to your advantage.

– Look into a black box (telematics) policy. This is among the most common ways to lower your insurance, by fully monitoring your quality of driving, and mileage. A lot of young drivers may be put off by a black box, but in reality if you’re driving safely then it shouldn’t be any inconvenience to you.

– A good thing to look out for with a black box is that some offer discounts for good driving.
The initial price of the insurance could potentially be lowered every month if you show good etiquette and behaviour on the road, while staying within your mileage allowance.

– Adding extra security to your car may also help to reduce the cost, as it puts your car at much less risk. This could include buying additional security features, or having a designated place to park your car – like a driveway off the road or a garage.

– As mentioned, the type of car you drive can make a big difference. To find the cheapest car insurance for young drivers, you’re going to want a sensible car – in other words, a car with a smaller engine and good safety features. If it’s your first car, don’t worry too much about getting something too flashy. The first one is just to learn how to drive properly by yourself on the roads. So if by some chance you get a small bump or scratch, it won’t be the end of the world, and shouldn’t have too much effect on you or your car.

– Whatever car you end up buying, make sure that you try to keep it to how it originally came from the manufacturer. Making certain modifications can result in increased insurance prices, as they can be deemed high risk. In other words, no modding!

– Consider a one-time payment, if you can. Paying the full price of your insurance will usually, if not always, be cheaper than paying it monthly. So if you can pay it in one, it’s likely to save you money on your car insurance overall.

– Then – the classic – get your parents or an experienced driver named on the policy, as this is the good old way to bring down the cost of car insurance.

– Look into any additional courses that may help to bring the cost down. Check with your insurance provider before signing up to the course though, as they may not accept it.

Why is car insurance more expensive for younger drivers?

It’s purely down to the numbers. It’s proven statistically that younger drivers will get into collisions and accidents more often than drivers with greater experience. So given that younger drivers on average pose a higher risk to insurance, this pushes up the price.

Why are some cars cheaper to insure than others?

There are a number of factors that affect insurance price on cars. For example, the initial cost of the vehicle. So the more expensive the car is, the more the insurance might be. However, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Another important factor is how safe the car is. If a car’s cheap but at high risk of being involved in an accident, then its insurance is likely to be higher than the price tag suggests.

Other factors include the cost of repairs and parts, how the car performs, and the car’s safety and security features.

Who’s considered a young driver?

The typical age bracket to be considered a young driver is between 17 and 24 years old. But don’t worry… The more years you drive, and the more years’ no-claims you build up, the cheaper your insurance should get!

So, as mentioned, if you’re looking for cheap car insurance, get a quote on our temporary
insurance from 1 hour to 90 days!

Get quote

Originally published on May 25, 2022

Simon Jones

Worked for short-term car insurance provider Veygo for over 3 years. Been involved in building insurance products for learner drivers and people looking for temporary cover on cars, then telling the world about them through marketing campaigns. Also drive a bit myself, mainly my son around where ever he needs to go.