Car Insurance 17 year old .....how?!!!

Kitchen_Gardener

I'm going to buy my 17 year old a small car. But how can I insure him for a reasonable cost?

He will be the main driver as I have my own car .
Should I be the registered keeper or not? Third party?

jimbo6977

Buy him something slow, unfashionable, and cheap to repair. Consider a black box policy. 

DO NOT pretend you are the main user. 

tacpot12

He should be the registered keeper. Full Comprehensive insurance is usually cheaper than Third-party, Fire & Theft. 

The cost is not going to be reasonable as 17 year olds male are very risky. Expect to a lot for the first two years of insurance, even for the very cheapest to insure car. If they can avoid an accident in the first year, their premium will fall a bit in the second year. You will need to have a long conversation with him about the value of a no-claims bonus. 

Car_54

Assuming he’s still learning, there are specialist insurers. Also, check with your own insurers.  It will get MUCH more expensive after he passes.
As above, get something unfashionable (at least to youngsters). Think small Toyotas etc rather than Corsas.

Check insurance costs before you buy. Cost to repair isn’t a huge issue, as the big risk to insurers is third party damage.

Username03725

If this is for him to learn in it's possible to buy learner insurance for whatever period of times suits, whether that be for a day or so, a month, year or all points in between. The car must already be insured for a qualified driver for the L insurance to be valid and it lapses as soon as he passes his test. We've done it for our two to allow them to practice between lessons in our own cars, so that they don't have a week to forget everything. And practice increases confident and awareness etc. 

Google Learner Insurance, if that's what you're looking for.

Ectophile

The best solution I have seen was on a local TV program a few years ago.  A young guy had bought himself a vintage tractor to get around on.  Not terribly practical, but dirt cheap to insure.

DullGreyGuy

Username03725 said:

If this is for him to learn in it's possible to buy learner insurance for whatever period of times suits, whether that be for a day or so, a month, year or all points in between. The car must already be insured for a qualified driver for the L insurance to be valid and it lapses as soon as he passes his test. We've done it for our two to allow them to practice between lessons in our own cars, so that they don't have a week to forget everything. And practice increases confident and awareness etc. 

Google Learner Insurance, if that's what you're looking for.

Be careful with this advice, some "learner" policies are top up only policies designed to be used for a vehicle that is already insured to protect the parent's/friends insurance from claims. 

The insurance doesn't get an MID entry and doesn't cover the vehicle when not being driven by the learner meaning the registered keeper would be failing to meet the continuous insurance requirements

photome

tacpot12 said:

He should be the registered keeper. Full Comprehensive insurance is usually cheaper than Third-party, Fire & Theft. 

The cost is not going to be reasonable as 17 year olds male are very risky. Expect to a lot for the first two years of insurance, even for the very cheapest to insure car. If they can avoid an accident in the first year, their premium will fall a bit in the second year. You will need to have a long conversation with him about the value of a no-claims bonus. 

I have always understood, the registered keeper doesnt need to be the main driver

tacpot12

Not having the registered keeper as the main driver/policy holder just opens up the insurance company's suspicion that things are not as they should be. You are right that the registered keeper doesn't have to be the policy holder (there is no law that says they must), but may insurers expect that the policy holder will be the registered keeper and will decline to quote if it is otherwise. 

Flight3287462

The car is being bought for the son who I imagine will keep it a few years (or more when they fully grasp the price of cars vs income) so it makes sense to have him as the registered keeper from the off.  My daughter was the registered keeper of her car just after she turned 16.

Insurance in the son's name from the moment he passes his test also make sense going forward.  I personally would avoid black boxes if at all possible.

Kitchen_Gardener

Flight3287462 said:

The car is being bought for the son who I imagine will keep it a few years (or more when they fully grasp the price of cars vs income) so it makes sense to have him as the registered keeper from the off.  My daughter was the registered keeper of her car just after she turned 16.

Insurance in the son's name from the moment he passes his test also make sense going forward.  I personally would avoid black boxes if at all possible.

What's wrong with the blackbox?