Put learner driver on new policy or wait?

rosie383

I am buying a car today for which I will be the main driver but it is intended as a car for both my daughter and myself.
She is taking her driving test in 3 weeks and I am not sure whether it is worth putting her on the policy now as a learner, then changing her status when she passes her test.

I understand that it is going to be very expensive either way, but which is the best way to do it? Obviously, if I don't put her on as a learner, she won't be driving it. She is studying for exams at the minute so wouldn't be intending to drive it except for a few practice sessions before her test if I insure her.

System

Buy a couple of professional driving lessons?

rosie383

She has been having driving lessons. I just don't know whether it is worth putting her on before she passes her test and then changing the policy, or waiting and adding her as a new driver once she does pass.

rosie383

Wow! I just did a comparison with her as a learner (£789) and as a new driver putting in that she passed her test today (well over £2.5k!!).

Aretnap

rosie383 wrote: »

Wow! I just did a comparison with her as a learner (£789) and as a new driver putting in that she passed her test today (well over £2.5k!!).

That's fairly normal, and makes sense when you consider the difference between a teenager driving with his/her mum in the passenger seat, and a teenager driving alone, or worse, with three mates in the car asking "so, how fast does this go?"



Learner drivers don't actually have as many accidents as you might expect, and more importantly when they do have accidents they tend to be low speed prangs which cause fairly minor damage - water off a duck's back to an insurance company. The really costly accidents for insurers are high speed collisions which cause serious or catastrophic injuries - which tend to be associated with young, overconfident, newly qualified drivers much more than learner drivers.


Keep in mind that you'll have to tell the insurer if/when she passes her test and that the cheapest company for a learner won't necessarily be the cheapest for when she's newly qualified. So if you do put her on the insurance as a learner try to factor in what then insurer will charge when she paseses, or the cost of cancelling and looking for a new policy.

rosie383

I've decided just to go with insurance for myself for now and think about putting her on the insurance at a later date. Because I have no NCD in my name (been a named driver for many years) my own is around £400 as it is. And that is with going through topcashback.