Provisional Car Insurance

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gices
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anonymous_2
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F

You've just received your green provisional licence through the post and you're now excited to get behind the wheels for some driving lessons. The first thing you will need to do is find yourself someone to teach you how to drive. Okay, here are your options: contact the local driving schools in your area, go with a private driving instructor who has been recommended by somebody you know or learn with a family member or friend. But whichever option you choose, you will need to have provisional car insurance before you drive.

Collingwood Learner Driver Insurance

Lessons with driving schools cost around £22 and going with a private instructor is usually a couple of pounds cheaper. The Driving Standards Agency recommends that you have at least 42 hours of practice before taking your driving test, so that will cost you roughly £920 as a minimum. You will need more practice than that though to become a really confident driver and pass first time round. For that reason, many learner drivers choose to learn with a relative/friend as it is free and they consequently make huge savings on driving lessons which would have otherwise been charged by a driving instructor.

This is all good except for one thing - when you are learning in a driving instructor's car, be it with a driving school or a private instructor, there is a learner car insurance on the vehicle you're driving which protects you in the event of an accident. However this is not the case when you are driving your parent's or friend's car. Therefore you will need to purchase some kind of car insurance which covers provisional licence holders.

As a matter of fact, it is illegal to drive or learn to drive in the UK if you do not have proper insurance cover in place. Now you don't want to get a driving conviction before you even get hold of your full driving licence, do you? Therefore it is necessary for you to find a car insurance company which will be ready to insure you and believe me, there are just a few of them out there.

So which company does provisional insurance

There are some companies which offer provisional driver insurance but the quotes are really high. Why? Because they use the traditional methods of calculating insurance but give a heavier risk weight to your application because you're still a learner and this results in an expensive annual premium. However if you wanted something short term wise to help you with your driving, then you need to go with an insurance company which specialises in car insurance for learner drivers like the one listed below:

They offer car insurance for short periods to enable you to drive the car of your parents, friends or relatives and what is even better is that you can apply with just a provisional licence without risking the vehicle's owner no claims bonus. If you get put down on your dad's insurance as a provisional driver and hit a tree while learning, the claim to the insurer will mean that your dad will lose some of his NCB. With provisional insurance however, you become the policyholder and claims go on your name without affecting your parents no claims discount. Check it out for yourself!

Learner Driver Insurance

gices
gices Level 6
I'm a Software Developer and the co-founder of Clever Dodo. Born in Mauritius and now living in the UK, I usually blog about fitness, music, spirituality and driving topics to pass on my knowledge.

12 Replies

F
freeha Level 1

Want to buy a car and practice on my own with my provisional licence, will I get in trouble?

I've a provisional driving licence, if I buy my own car for practice then how much its insurance would be? I am confident that I can drive on my own without anyone sitting along wih me, is it ok if I go without my partner?

I want to buy a 4 to 5 year old micra automatic car, I took alot of lessons, but I failed as I get nervous with examiner. I'm fed up of paying for anymore money to my instructor, so if I practice on my own car on my own, is it considered as a crime, otherwise I'm confident that I can drive without my instructor.

gices
gices Level 6

You're still a learner and you're not allowed to drive on your own, it's against the law and is punishable. If you don't want to pay a driving instructor for driving lessons, then you can go with a friend/family member who has held his full UK driving licence for at least 3 years and is over 21 of age. Note that you need to have proper learner insurance on the vehicle you'll be driving as well.

C
chalkynkez Level 1

Does a learner driver need insurance on the full licence drivers car if he is fully insured?

I'm looking to go out with my dad just for him to show me how to get going. I've never been in a car, he was going to take me on a big open space like an empty car park just to let me move it if i dare to as I have never been in the driver side of a car to see if I can but I'm not a named driver and don't have insurance myself but he is fully comp help please.

gices
gices Level 6

If you sit in the driver's seat, you will both a licence (full or provisional) and adequate insurance. Car parks are normally public and it is an offence to drive on public roads without insurance or licence. Your dad's fully comp insurance covers him only and not you.

If you're serious about learning to drive, then do it properly; get your provisional first and then look for learner driver insurance.

anonymous_2
anonymous_2 Level 1

My dad is fully comp and has held a licence longer then 3 year, does his insurance cover me to drive with L plates on?

S
solmaz Level 1

Can a provisional driver get insurance that covers them in any car they use to practice?

I'm a provisional licence holder who hasn't got a car. Can I have a type of insurance which will allow me to drive in anyone's car as long as they are over 21 and have a full UK licence for over 3 years?

gices
gices Level 6

No, you can't. When you take out a car insurance policy, you are quoted a value based on the risk associated with the car in question and the driver. Therefore different cars will need re-assessment of the premiums and that is why such a product does not exist for learners. You can have a learner insurance policy on 1 car that you'd like to drive though, whether it belongs to your friend/family or parent.

S
solmaz Level 1

Is there any insurance company who insures learner drivers as a main policy holder?

I want to be the policy holder of the car and not a named driver.

gices
gices Level 6

That's what learner insurance is all about. It's short term and you get to be the policy holder. It's also fully comprehensive, so you can rest assured that you're protected to the maximum as a learner driver.

S
solmaz Level 1

Collingwood insurance not available for my postcode, any other learner insurance policy?

The only insurance company insures learners as a main policy holder is collingwood which I''ve been trying to get my insurance with them but they say they don't cover my post code!!! Can someone please help me?

gices
gices Level 6

You can try http://www.provisionalmarmalade.co.uk as they insure learners as well.

anonymous_2
anonymous_2 Level 1

I got a car for my birthday but only have a provisional license for me to practice - if I get insured on my provisional is that enough for me to drive the car with a qualified driver or does the car need other insurance?

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