Student Car Insurance

The main reason car insurance tends to be more expensive for students is because insurers have to think about each driver’s skill and experience behind the wheel. Stats also show that young drivers tend to have more accidents. Add these two facts together and they normally result in higher student car insurance prices – as unfair as that may seem.

Some insurers recognise how disheartening this is and aim to provide more options for budget and student-friendly car insurance.

If you drive a car, you need car insurance regardless of whether you’re a student or not. Student car insurance simply attempts to make things safer and more affordable those who are studying at university.

If you already have car insurance in place before you go to university, then you may be able to update your existing policy to reflect your change in occupation and term-time address. However, you may incur an administration fee to change these details on your existing policy.

If you don’t already have cover in place, student car insurance could be the more cost-effective solution as you may be able to access exclusive student discounts on your premium and any optional extras (such as breakdown cover).

Before taking out student car insurance, you should also consider how long you’ll need to be covered – if you only require cover for a couple of weeks during holidays, you may find temporary student driver insurance more suitable.

As a student, we know you’ll want to get the most for your money. It’s no secret that car insurance can be costly for young drivers, and it can take a few years for your No Claims Bonus to make a difference to your premium. We’ve put together a few tips to help you lower your student car insurance cost and help you get a quote that fits in with your budget.

1. Get a practical car

When choosing your car, try and pick one which is in a lower insurance group. For example, smaller cars with smaller engine sizes will be cheaper to insure.

2. Choose black box car insurance

Black box insurance is a great way to prove you’re a safe driver and reap the rewards in discounts and special offers. This type of insurance is especially suited to young/student drivers and helps build trust between you and your insurer.

3. Add an experienced driver to your policy

Adding a responsible named driver (such as a parent) to your policy can reduce your insurance cost. It tells insurers that you won’t be the only driver of the vehicle.

4. Pay for your insurance yearly

Insurers usually offer discounts if you pay for your insurance upfront. This may not be doable on a student budget, but may be something to think about.

5. Choose temporary student driver insurance 

If you’re living at university and only using your car when you go home for holidays/reading weeks, you may save money by insuring your car on a short-term basis.

6. Increase your voluntary excess

Opting to increase your policy’s excess fee can help insurers offer you a cheaper quote. This is because it suggests that you won’t make small claims. However, make sure it’s still an amount you could afford to pay if you had an accident.

7. Improve your car’s security

Making an effort to install extra security (such as a tracker or immobiliser) can secure you a discount, as well as securing your car.

8. Carefully choose the right level of cover

Third party only cover isn’t always the least expensive. It could also cost you a lot of money if you have an accident and need to repair your car. Do your research and make sure you’re covered for what you need.

9. Build your experience

Taking part in advanced driving courses should not only improve your student car insurance cost, but your driving skills too!

10. Pass Plus

Pass Plus is a 6 hour long driving course you can take once you’ve passed your driving test, and it helps new drivers build their confidence and improve their skills on the roads. Some insurers will offer a small discount on your premium for taking Pass Plus. Remember, you require a Pass Plus registered driving instructor to teach you for the qualification to be valid.

11. Add a named driver

Under some circumstances it may be easier to get added as a named driver to a friend or parents’ policy, rather than taking out your own student car insurance. However, it can also be expensive to get added as a named driver to your parents’ policy, and they may even be concerned about losing their No Claims Bonus should you have an accident in their car, so investigate all avenues before deciding what cover to choose.