Crazy Car Insurance Quotes!

Alx_3

I'm 18 in February and passed my test yesterday. The cheapest car insurance I can find is circa £6000 on an 800cc daewoo matiz. I have no convictions or health problems.

Why are the quotes so much? I don't understand it... can anyone give me any advice?

Ky

dunstonh

Why are the quotes so much?

Because you are 18, probably male, and probably your location is higher risk given that amount. A small European car may be a slightly cheaper option.

Its always been the case that when you are male and young you cost more. When I started driving in the 80s, my premiums were about 20% of my salary (in a low risk area). You see the same sorts of range nowadays. The difference perhaps back then is that you didnt need to be quite as choosy with the car you picked and that the higher risk postcodes did not appear to be hit as hard as they are today.

Alx_3

Thing is though, when i was looking for quotes earlier on in the year before i passed my test (and putting in the box that i had passed) i was getting quotes circa £2000, while living in the same postcode.

My cousin, who also lives in the same postcode as me, insured a fiat uno for just under 2 grand with direct line...

the prices just seem to have shot up for no reason. I have also tried getting quotes on the same model fiat uno as my cousin got insured on, and with every company it's been above 6 grand.

I'm just confused as to why it would have shot up so much in less than a year. i will NEVER be able to afford that insurance price, simple as.

Ky

missile

Unfortunately for you, statistics clearly show young inexperienced drivers are very high risk and insurers price accordingly.

Alx_3

And they've raised them 4 grand within less than a year?
something seems fishy.

Ky

gatita

Whilst I realise that young male drivers have more accidents than most, the quotes for this 18 year old are totally unrealistic! No wonder so many of them do not have insurance! who on earth could afford those prices?

Couldn't a scheme be set up for people who have just passed their test whereby as long as the car insured is of the least cc and they stay accident free in the first year, the insurance premium would be a reasonable amount. Something HAS to be done about this surely?

dunstonh

Whilst I realise that young male drivers have more accidents than most, the quotes for this 18 year old are totally unrealistic!

In real terms they are not too different to those premiums of 20 years ago. The exception is in higher risk postcodes.

No wonder so many of them do not have insurance!

Breaking the law is not an excuse. Owning a car is not a right.

Couldn't a scheme be set up for people who have just passed their test whereby as long as the car insured is of the least cc and they stay accident free in the first year, the insurance premium would be a reasonable amount.

Who is going to pay for that scheme?

Something HAS to be done about this surely?

We all managed when we were younger. So, why should this generation be different?

magic57

Hi there

My son has insurance with Admiral. They are not on comparison sites. He was 24 and a new driver when he got quoted £1200 at a high risk postcode. The insurance was for 10 months not 12 but was all he could afford. They might be worth a try.

The insurance for young drivers is far too high. How can they get experience if they cannot afford to insure their cars. Some young drivers are very careful and considerate. Some older experienced ones less so. I have been hit twice up the back by older drivers.

Good luck anyway.

bouncydog1

Many many threads on this particular topic. Your premium is affected by the car you drive, where you live, what your driving experience is and whether you are male or female.

Some insurers will not even quote for certain postcodes any more as the claims experience from these areas for certain groups (young males with little driving experience) is very high.

Your best bet is to contact a broker (not Swintons as they do not have a very good reputation according to many posts on here) and ask them to trawl the market for you. They will also be able to provide tips on how to bring the cost down - pass plus, adding one or two parents with good records, low group car, not using your car between the hours of 11.00 p.m. and 5.00 a.m, restricting mileage etc. etc.

Quotes differ hugely so this really is the best way forward - not all insurers will quote online either. As to the increase in a few months, Quinn used to quote low premiums for young drivers and went into administration so it is possible that your original quotes may have been from them.

You also need to read through the many many threads on this topic for a few pointers.

mikey72

bouncyd!!! wrote: »

Many many threads on this particular topic. Your premium is affected by the car you drive, where you live, what your driving experience is and whether you are male or female.

Some insurers will not even quote for certain postcodes any more as the claims experience from these areas for certain groups (young males with little driving experience) is very high.

Your best bet is to contact a broker (not Swintons as they do not have a very good reputation according to many posts on here) and ask them to trawl the market for you. They will also be able to provide tips on how to bring the cost down - pass plus, adding one or two parents with good records, low group car, not using your car between the hours of 11.00 p.m. and 5.00 a.m, restricting mileage etc. etc.

Quotes differ hugely so this really is the best way forward - not all insurers will quote online either. As to the increase in a few months, Quinn used to quote low premiums for young drivers and went into administration so it is possible that your original quotes may have been from them.

You also need to read through the many many threads on this topic for a few pointers.

I've never had any problems with Swintons.
Well worth a call to the local office.
Can't say I agree with premiums staying the same in real terms either.
One of my first cars was a 1600cc supercharged beach buggy, and I could afford the insurance on that.

Ian_W

magic57 wrote: »

Some young drivers are very careful and considerate. Some older experienced ones less so. I have been hit twice up the back by older drivers.

Of course on an individual basis that is true but insurers don't know the individual, they can only rate them individually when they have built some experience (as in NCD), until then they have to rate yound drivers as a group.
This is quite interesting (and very scary!) from the AA website:

Five facts about accidents involving young drivers

1. 1 in 5 drivers are involved in a crash during their first year on the road
2. male drivers aged under 21 are 10 times more likely to have a car accident than male drivers aged 35 or over
3. young drivers have a higher proportion of crashes at night than older drivers
4. 1 in 8 British drivers are under 25, but a quarter of drivers who die in traffic collisions are in this age group
5. In 2007, 40% of passengers killed or seriously injured – meaning lost limbs, paralysis, brain injury and other life-changing injuries – were in a car driven by a young driver

Insurers are commercial organisations who exist to make a profit, and there are enough of them for there to be completion for business. The only way to make young driver premiums cheaper is for their accident stats to improve dramatically (tougher test, higher age to drive etc) OR for someone else to subsidise them. So who?

Me and other experienced drivers, the taxpayer, just who do you want to pay for little Johnnies insurance?