How Teenagers Can Find Cheap Car Insurance

Sometimes, statistics speak for themselves. According to research by safety campaign organization Brake, young drivers account for more than two in five road deaths and road crashes remain the leading cause of death for people aged between 15 and 24.

Federal studies in the USA have shown that teen drivers are twice as likely to die as adult drivers. Indeed the younger you are, the higher your risk – 16-year-olds in the USA are three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 17-year-old and five times as likely as an 18-year-old. So it comes as no surprise with this added risk, that car insurance providers bump up their charges for young drivers.

Indeed in 2008 several car insurance companies in the UK stopped offering quotes to 17-year-old drivers altogether. For teenagers looking for car insurance quotes there are slim pickings – and even though some insurers claim to be specialists in offering young people quotes, their premiums often show little reprieve.

As such the emphasis is on teenagers themselves to actively seek out cheap car insurance. They must take every step they can to bring their premiums down to an affordable rate.

Think about car insurance when buying a car

For teenagers buying a car for the first time, they should be thinking about insurance costs even before they sign on the dotted line at a dealership or with a private seller.

Make sure you find out which car insurance group the vehicle fits into before you buy. Car insurance groups are ranked from 1-20 (1-50 from December 2009) with the lower car insurance groups reflecting vehicles that are comparatively straightforward to repair, have accessible parts, are low performance and have good security features. These vehicles are rewarded with cheaper premiums.

So if you’re interested in buying a car, visit the Association of British Insurers car insurance groups database to see the band your potential vehicle would fit into – and then make an honest assessment of whether you could afford the premiums.

Generally it is cars with small engines and that have no modifications that are the most likely to be rewarded by insurers due to the fact they are less likely to be driven at high speeds and they are less desirable to thieves.

Tips for teenagers to cut their car insurance premiums

If you already have a vehicle and are facing high premiums because you’re a young driver then you can take a number of actions to potentially knock those costs down.

One of the most obvious routes, as with any driver, is to increase the security of your car. Teenage students that live in University cities are particularly prone to having their cars stolen so boosting security is crucial. Look to park your car in a garage overnight rather than leaving it on the street and also fit security devices such as alarms, immobilisers and trackers. If you have any specialist equipment in your car, such as a car stereo, remove it overnight or look for code protection.

Teenage drivers hoping for cheap car insurance should look to take advantage of several discounts that are available exclusively to their age group. For example, several insurers offer rapid bonus schemes allowing teens to earn a full year’s no-claims bonus in just nine months. Several other insurers will offer limited mileage discounts if you agree to drive only at certain times of the day and for restricted distances.

Another option is to take the Pass Plus course. This is available immediately after passing a driver’s test and involves a further six hours of road tuition in conditions you may be unfamiliar with such as driving on a motorway, at night or in large cities. With some insurers, completing this course can see teenagers’ premiums slashed by 35 per cent in their first year.

Take advantage of your parents’ experience too. If they have a good driving record then add one of them to a teenager’s policy as a named driver – this could knock around five per cent off your premium. However, don’t be tempted to ask a parent to front a policy for you. This is illegal and will invalidate your insurance if you are caught.

Perhaps the most important step that teenagers can take to secure cheap car insurance is to shop around with a comparison website. As the number of providers offering competitive premiums is limited it’s vital to get as complete an overview of the market as possible – comparison websites can compare more than 100 policies with one search.