Finding young drivers car insurance

For young drivers (between the ages of 17-24) car insurance can be a large drain on financial resources but as with all drivers it is a legal necessity to be able to drive on the UK's roads. Many of those who belong to this category of driver will likely be aware of some of the reasons why their premiums tend to be higher than for most other categories of drivers, and some may be at a loss as to why they pay so much more and feel like they are being treated unfairly.

Car insurers often set the prices of premiums based on the risk posed by a category of driver. Risk is the determination of likelihood to be involved in an accident resulting in a claim on the insurance policy. The higher the risk a group is perceived to pose the higher the premium they will be required to pay.

Unfortunately, young drivers are determined to be a high risk group and will therefore pay a higher premium than a driver from a category such as the over 50's who drives a similar vehicle.

Reducing the cost of car insurance

There are still ways that a young driver can bring the initial cost of their car insurance down and many of these can be achieved by taking a responsible approach to minimising personal risk.

If possible discuss a mileage limit with your insurance provider as agreeing a set limit could earn a reasonable discount off your premium cost. The general idea is the less time your car spends on the road the less likely it is to be involved in an accident and therefore the lower the risk.

Safe driving will reward you over time in the form of building a no-claims bonus. This bonus increases with each consecutive year you hold it until you reach the maximum discount which could be as much as 75%. Conversely convictions against your name can do exactly the opposite; although some insurers may not increase your premium for having one conviction such as speeding against you, a second conviction will suggest you are a bigger risk and is almost certainly going to result in a premium increase which could be as much as 74%.

Modifying a car is a popular way for young drivers to individualise their vehicle to some extent through altering performance or styling. The problem is that these changes will almost always incur increases in premium prices. Some modifications will increase the perceived value of the car itself, and some will increase the car's performance making the car more likely to be driven faster thus increasing the chances of being involved in an accident. The general advice is that to keep your perceived risk to the insurer as low as possible don't modify.  If you do consider modifying the car discuss it first with your insurer. Also be sure to make sure you declare any and all modifications on your car to your insurer as a failure to do so could invalidate your policy.

Select a sensible car in order to benefit from insurance savings. A car with a lower powered engine is considered a safer choice than a high performance engine since the lower power means less likelihood of being driven at high speeds and therefore less likely to result in an accident. The age of the car can also make a difference in insurance prices since discounts are commonly offered once the car reaches 5 years of age and a further discount once it reaches 10 years of age.

Security on cars is also something that should be taken into account as adding extra security measures can reduce the risk of car theft or vandalism and therefore reduce the need to make a claim on the insurance policy. Consider adding an immobiliser or alarm on any car that doesn't already have one, if the car is of reasonably high value a GPS tracking system may also be a sound investment.

A common way to find a car insurance policy which can help you find the cover you need at a price you can afford is to consider one of the many specialist policies offered by many car insurance providers. A specialist young drivers insurance policy will be tailored to offer features and options that are likely to be relevant to the type of driver they are made for and as such can come into their own in the right circumstances.

The best place for a young driver to begin finding car insurance which is affordable is to use a car insurance comparison website. This will allow you to compare policies from dozens of insurance providers in just a few minutes. Doing this will allow you to begin with the best starting cost which the measures above may enable you to bring down further and achieve a very reasonable price for your policy.