Black Box Car Insurance
Bank on a black box car insurance policy which charges a premium based on how you drive, not how other young people drive.
What is Black Box Car Insurance?
Black box car insurance, which is also often referred to as telematics insurance, is a type of car insurance policy that uses a telematics device, commonly referred to as a "black box", to monitor and record your behaviour and driving habits. This technology allows insurers to assess your driving style and tailor the insurance premium based on your actual driving performance.
To provide this cover we work with Marmalade, who help thousands of new and young drivers with their insurance every year. Their policy offers a more tailored insurance premium based not on how young people generally drive, but instead on how you drive. The idea behind that is to enable young drivers to earn cheaper premiums through responsible driving.
Benefits of Black Box Insurance:
- Potential to have lower insurance premiums
- Encourages safer and more responsible driving
- Helps settle claims
- Provides access to your driving data
- Can act as a theft deterrent
Who is Black Box Car Insurance suitable for?
Black box insurance cover is only suitable for:
- Learners and full licence holders.
- Drivers between 17 & 30 years old.
New policyholders of this black box insurance cover benefit from having no curfews or night-time driving restrictions, the ability to start earning their own no claims discount, and a self-fit black box which requires no engineer fitting.
Get in touch with us today and find out more about how we could help you get your hands on a suitable black box car insurance policy.
How does Black Box Insurance work?
Black box policies allow an insurer to track your driving habits and provide you with a score. If you demonstrate consistently that you drive safely, you could qualify for lower insurance premiums. This offers young and new drivers in particular not only a smart way to enhance their driving skills, but also a route to potentially reduce their car insurance costs.
From the moment you take out a telematics insurance policy from an insurer, a black box will be fitted to your car. This black box will then record information regarding your driving performance. Your insurer will have access to this information and provide you with a score that will determine how much your insurance premium will cost. Most insurers will typically monitor the following driving habits:
- How far you've driven / mileage
- The time you've driven your car
- Braking & acceleration
- Any accidents that occur
- The smoothness of your driving
Each of these driving habits will impact the score decided by your insurer, which you should be able to see via your insurer's app.
What different types of black box car insurance are there?
Depending on your insurer, you may get the option to pick from various different types of black box or telematics insurance. Policies may differ based on the device that monitors your driving performance:
- Plug-in device: a small device which can be plugged into your car’s cigarette lighter. Be sure to check if your car is able to fit this device before purchasing.
- Pay-as-you-go: This is a policy which is charged based on how far your drive annually.
- Black box: Installing a small black box in your car is the most common form of telematics insurance.
- Rewards-based: Some providers may reward consistently safe drivers with which policies offer rewards, such as cashback, vouchers or discounts.
- Smartphone app: Download an app which can track your driving and sends data to your insurer.
Is it worth getting a black box fitted?
To many, getting a black box fitted is deemed as a negative. However, for many young and new drivers, having a black box fitted to their car saves them a significant sum of money.
As well as saving money throughout the policy, proving that you are able to driving safely for a long period of time can also convince insurers which provide you cover in the future that you should be given a cheaper insurance premium.
Black Box Car Insurance FAQs
Does a black box track where you park?
Yes, the black box system can provide information on where the car is parked. As well as informing about driving habits, telematics data will also track the location of your car when parked overnight.
How much do black boxes cost?
Black box installation fees are arranged with your insurer. Whilst some insurance providers will fit a black box free of charge, others may charge up to £150 for fitting.
What happens if I speed with a black box?
The consequences of speeding whilst fitted with a black box will differ per insurer. However, in most cases, if you're caught speeding whilst being monitored, your policy will be cancelled and you'd need to find an alternative insurer to provide you with a policy.
How long does a black box stay on your car?
Typically, most car insurance providers will cover you for 12 months, so that's how long you'll need to keep the black box fitted for. Once the policy ends, you can then opt to renew it and keep the black box, or leave the policy and remove the black box.
How much money does a black box save?
It's believed that insurance premiums could be reduced by around 25% when the policy holder's vehicle is fitted with a black box. Therefore, naturally, for new drivers black boxes are a great option if they're looking for cheaper car insurance premiums.
Do all black boxes have a curfew?
It's unlikely your insurer will enforce a curfew on your driving. However, if you regularly drive late at night, the amount of you save on your policy premium may be less than a driver that drives less frequently at night.
Can someone else drive my car with a black box?
Yes, someone else can drive your car with a black box, as long as the driver is insured to the car. However, the black box will most likely be able to identify the new driver and their driving could affect your score.
Ultimately, you should make your insurer aware if a family or friend intends on driving your car.
Can a black box tell if you crash?
Thanks to modern day technology, most black boxes now are able to recognise if you've been involved in a crash.
Black boxes can measure G-force, so the impact of a crash or cars colliding will be made aware to insurers when they come to collect driving data.
Why choose Howden for Black Box Car Insurance?
Here at Howden, we pride ourselves on doing the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to. This is no different when it comes to getting you your black box car insurance. Thanks to the great relationships we have with our selected panel of insurers, including the black box car specialists at Marmalade, we make the process of comparing multiple insurance policies, on your behalf, simple and easy. What’s not to like?
As an insurance broker, we also know that each policy needs to be as individual as its owner and their driving experience. That’s why we provide a personalised service, focused on getting to know you and finding out exactly what you want from your black box car insurance.
Ultimately, whether you need to make a claim, purchase a new black box policy, or renew an existing one, just know we’re here to help.
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