Car Insurance for 86 year old

GillianD

Hi, I am trying to find a reasonable premium for car insurance renewal for an 86 year old friend. 
Last year this proved VERY expensive at over £500 but this year, the cheapest I can find is £743!
Can you help me understand why?
He has no convictions, no health problems, a modest 2009 Skoda Fabia which he needs for him and his wife.
My understanding is that young/new drivers are heavily penalised due to frequency of accidents due to speeding etc but other than age, it seems experience counts for nothing.
We have tried contacting the British Ins Brokers Assoc for specialists but costs were all over £1k.
Any tips on what we might be able to do or why premiums are so high... again?

user1977

Because their age means health and ability to drive is only going to diminish, and drivers can't always be trusted to stop driving when their physical or mental faculties deteroriate (or even be aware that that's happening).

400ixl

At that age the risk of them being involved in an accident increases and as such the cost of insurance does likewise.

So exactly the same principle as for younger drivers, just for the opposite of speed.

You could try adding younger named drivers to see if that makes a difference. Otherwise that is the cost of the risk.

Lorian

Tried saga?

Aretnap

The average (mean) car insurance price in the UK is upwards of £900, so by that measure the quotes you are getting for your friend are actually fairly reasonable.

https://www.confused.com/car-insurance/uk-car-insurance-statistics-and-facts

Though in fairness the mean will be skewed by young drivers who are paying many thousands. The median price (the price that 50% of people pay more than) is more in the £400 range. So your friend is paying a bit more than a "typical" premium, but not absurdly more.

https://www.gocompare.com/car-insurance/guide/how-much-does-car-insurance-cost/

Experience does count up to a point, but unfortunately so does age. People's premiums come down as they get older, are lowest around late middle age or early retirement age, then start to creep up again.

This just reflects the sad march of time - as people get very old their concentration starts to go, their observation starts to suffer, their reflexes aren't what they once were etc etc, and sadly they also aren't always very good at judging for themselves that it might be time to stop driving. 

Not saying that any of that applies to your friend yet of course - but if it's true as a generalisation that young people often drive too fast and aren't as good as they think they are, then there are also generalisations that are true about older people.

dinosaur66

it is the same in travel insurance ,,if he went on a holiday to spain

when he was 79 cost £100

when he is 86 £900