Don't know what to do about young driver insurance after accident

Aretnap

Mr.Generous said:

If they write off a car as a total loss I'm pretty sure the policy ends - but the full years premium has to be paid.

This is true to a point - but the insurer should give you the option of transferring the remaining months of the policy to a replacement car. This is subject to

(1) Getting a replacement car within a reasonable amount of time
(2) The replacement car being one that they would normally be willing to insure you to drive and
(3) Payment of the extra premium if the replacement car is more expensive to insure.

So if you do decide to replace the car it is with checking points 2 and 3 with the insurer before you commit to a particular cae.

Ectophile

Pack her off to university.  In 3 years' time, she'll be 3 years older, and won't have had any accidents for 3 years.  So insurance should be less astronomical.

Then pay for a few driving lessons, for confidence, and consider getting another car.

sheramber

Consider her doing Pass Plus

https://www.gov.uk/pass-plus/car-insurance-discounts

Kinggie

Aretnap said:

Mr.Generous said:

If they write off a car as a total loss I'm pretty sure the policy ends - but the full years premium has to be paid.

This is true to a point - but the insurer should give you the option of transferring the remaining months of the policy to a replacement car. This is subject to

(1) Getting a replacement car within a reasonable amount of time
(2) The replacement car being one that they would normally be willing to insure you to drive and
(3) Payment of the extra premium if the replacement car is more expensive to insure.

So if you do decide to replace the car it is with checking points 2 and 3 with the insurer before you commit to a particular cae.

Ectophile said:

Pack her off to university.  In 3 years' time, she'll be 3 years older, and won't have had any accidents for 3 years.  So insurance should be less astronomical.

Then pay for a few driving lessons, for confidence, and consider getting another car.

Myself and other half chatted yesterday and we are going to have a word with her today about her need for a car as realistically she is going to uni for 4 years so not sure she will need one tbh. I will see if maybe I can transfer the remaining months we have to pay onto my car otherwise we'll just have to carry on paying for the year. Also my hubby thinks we may be able to get temporary insurance if she comes back for Chrismas, Easter ... probably cost a fortune (especially with her history) but we'll check it out. 

pinkshoes

Kinggie said:

Myself and other half chatted yesterday and we are going to have a word with her today about her need for a car as realistically she is going to uni for 4 years so not sure she will need one tbh. I will see if maybe I can transfer the remaining months we have to pay onto my car otherwise we'll just have to carry on paying for the year. Also my hubby thinks we may be able to get temporary insurance if she comes back for Chrismas, Easter ... probably cost a fortune (especially with her history) but we'll check it out. 

My parents used to put me on the insurance over Christmas/Easter if I was home. I didn't need a car at uni - most university towns are designed not to need one!

You can get short term car insurance for up to 4 weeks. They can't build up no claims discount, but it usually means that when they've finished uni, they've then had their license for 4 years so the insurance isn't so scary as they're older!

ontheroad1970

Have you priced up short term - daily/hourly insurance?  It could be that she is able to drive your car for a short period of time occasionally - even just for an hour or so.  Driving is a practised skill so it would be good for her to drive occasionally even if it is just an hour a week.  It won't be cheap because of her age/claim, but it could be a useful thing to stop getting behind the wheel being a barrier.

prettyandfluffy

I loaned my (old) car to a younger family member who had recently passed their test on the condition that they insured it in their own name.  3 months later they crashed it, it was written off as being beyond economic repair.  As I still owned the car I bought it back from the insurers - about £75 I think - and bought another of the same model to use for repairing the original.  This was the most cost-effective way for me to get the car back on the road.  The family member has paid horrendous insurance premiums ever since, but has learnt a lesson.
It is highly likely that your daughter will be paying hugely inflated insurance premiums for the next 5 years and/or may have to have a black box installed.  I would be inclined to let her manage without for a few years, unless she can find at least some of the money herself.

theoretica

3 months insurance on your car would be cheaper than the repair you quote.  But would you be competing for use of the car over the summer?

tifo

Kinggie said:

She is on as an additional driver on my insurance policy.

Unfortunately she has had a collision where she was at fault.

From my own experience, both of you will now have to declare a fault accident for the next 5 years. Your daughter because she was the driver and you because it was on your policy.

lemondrops69

facade said:

I'd get her off your policy and onto one of her own. Get a cheap runabout, ( we used to say fiat Punto or Panda, as no young driver would be seen dead in one so they were cheap to buy and insure, but it looks like they are starting to change their minds about only having a mini/Fiat 500), and insure it for her with you as a named driver which will reduce the premium a bit.

.

As it is, you have a claim to declare now, and she's had an accident. As an inexperienced driver, her chances of having another are quite high, which is why insurers are charging so much.

Although the Punto is the only car to get zero stars on the Euro NCAP safety rating, so not sure I'd want my kids driving one of those