Learn to drive at 17 to reduce later car insurance?

carolynwall

My son wants to learn to drive as soon as he’s 17 but realistically won’t get a car for a couple of years. If he passes his test at 17, will the insurance will be cheaper at 19/20 as he won’t be classed as a new driver (in spite of not driving for 2 years)? Or would it not make any difference if he learns to drive at 19 and gets a car straight away? 

Spies

He won't have any no claims still and insurance doesn't get much cheaper until later twenties. 

Veteransaver

It won't do him any harm.  It's a few years ago now but my insurance definitely fell after the first year (despite even having a claim) and by 21 was actually fairly reasonable even on a fairly powerful car.
At least if he has a license he can be added to another young drivers insurance Eg girlfriend which can also lower the girlfriends premium (though generally it works better the other way, Eg a female on a males policy can lower it quite significantly), even if he never drives her car. Some policies also allow no claims to be built up as named driver.
Also, you generally need fewer lessons the younger you are.

daveyjp

May not make much difference, but insurance do ask how long a licence has been held, so it will be used as part of the insurance premium calculation and having a licence two years which will be clean will help.  

There is however one benefit of passing at 17 and not driving.  If you get 6 points within 2 years of passing you need to do the test again, so passing at 17 and not driving for two years will get rid of that potential problem!

I passed at 17 and it was 7 years before I bought car insurance.  I rarely drove and I had no need or the funds to buy and run a vehicle.

Aretnap

Veteransaver said:

At least if he has a license he can be added to another young drivers insurance Eg girlfriend which can also lower the girlfriends premium (though generally it works better the other way, Eg a female on a males policy can lower it quite significantly)...

Your more than a decade out of date there. Differential pricing based on sex is illegal, so assuming their age, occupation and other details are the same there will be no difference between adding a make to a females policy or vice versa.

Betterthanlife

daveyjp said:

May not make much difference, but insurance do ask how long a licence has been held, so it will be used as part of the insurance premium calculation and having a licence two years which will be clean will help.  

There is however one benefit of passing at 17 and not driving.  If you get 6 points within 2 years of passing you need to do the test again, so passing at 17 and not driving for two years will get rid of that potential problem!

'and not driving for two years will get rid of that potential problem!' As will driving within the law   

Herzlos

There's no reason not to do it. Insurers ask how long you've been driving and assume that equates to more experience. It may not be a big difference as he'll have the same NCD and age, though.

It's pretty backwards because someone who passed a test but didn't drive for 2 years is going to be a higher risk than someone waiting 2 years, passing and then driving with fresh experience. 

It also means that if he does need to drive within that period for whatever reason he can do.

LeafGreen

Back in the day when I worked in insurance, it was beneficial to have held a full licence for at least 1 year.  I can't see any down side so I'd say go for it.  

amanda1024

Only potential downside is that learning to drive without a car to practice in will likely mean needing more paid lessons in an instructor’s car (although probably still cheaper than buying and maintaining a car)

Nasqueron

Not sure if they are any good but the odd firm exists that consider his record as a named driver say on parental car (not earning no claims directly to be clear), provided he does drive it occasionally - Marmalade seem to do something like that and Sainsbury's do (or did) something similar where a named driver NCB can be transferred to a Sainsbury's policy in their own name

Aletank

I'd say his insurance would be cheaper with 2 years "experience" also it will be cheaper now than in 2 years to take driving lessons & test fees etc also driving tests are getting harder all the time, so will be easier now than in 2 years.