£5,000 to Learn to Drive? UK Insurance Costs Are a Joke

EmpireKicking

Hello,

I'm 32 years old, and I’ve just hit a wall I didn’t expect. Car insurance prices in the UK are absolutely insane.

I was expecting to finally start my driving journey. I got my provisional licence a month ago, thinking I’d start learning and slowly work my way to getting on the road. But after doing some research and googling from over ten insurance companies, I was absolutely shocked.

To be added as a named driver on a 2008 Ford Fusion, I was quoted between £3,500 and £5,000 per year. That’s not for a fancy car. That’s not even for my own policy, it’s just to be added to an existing one.

 How is that affordable for anyone?

Especially for adults who are starting later in life, trying to do things properly. I literally burned my provisional licence because there’s just no point holding onto it if I can’t afford to take the next step.

 It honestly feels like the system is working against people like me. Learning to drive should be a path to freedom, independence, and better opportunities, not something blocked by outrageous costs before you even touch the wheel.

 Has anyone else experienced this? 

DullGreyGuy

EmpireKicking said:

Hello,

I'm 32 years old, and I’ve just hit a wall I didn’t expect. Car insurance prices in the UK are absolutely insane.

I was expecting to finally start my driving journey. I got my provisional licence a month ago, thinking I’d start learning and slowly work my way to getting on the road. But after doing some research and googling from over ten insurance companies, I was absolutely shocked.

To be added as a named driver on a 2008 Ford Fusion, I was quoted between £3,500 and £5,000 per year. That’s not for a fancy car. That’s not even for my own policy, it’s just to be added to an existing one.

 How is that affordable for anyone?

Especially for adults who are starting later in life, trying to do things properly. I literally burned my provisional licence because there’s just no point holding onto it if I can’t afford to take the next step.

 It honestly feels like the system is working against people like me. Learning to drive should be a path to freedom, independence, and better opportunities, not something blocked by outrageous costs before you even touch the wheel.

 Has anyone else experienced this? 

Adding my wife to a Group 50 car with a 4.8L engine as a learner driver at 36 added £5 to the policy. Had we bought the Mini Cooper we had thought of getting before going crazy it would have added £400.  We had people stop and take photos of the car with the L plate on it. 

So are you going to confused.com etc and searching for a new business policy starting in circa 3 week with a policyholder thats a good risk with a decent NCD and yourself as a named driver with a provisional licence?  If so sounds like something more is afoot either on your history or theirs. Those sorts of prices are more like a newly qualified teenager than a thirties learner driver. 

MattMattMattUK

EmpireKicking said:

Hello,

I'm 32 years old, and I’ve just hit a wall I didn’t expect. Car insurance prices in the UK are absolutely insane.

I was expecting to finally start my driving journey. I got my provisional licence a month ago, thinking I’d start learning and slowly work my way to getting on the road. But after doing some research and googling from over ten insurance companies, I was absolutely shocked.

To be added as a named driver on a 2008 Ford Fusion, I was quoted between £3,500 and £5,000 per year. That’s not for a fancy car. That’s not even for my own policy, it’s just to be added to an existing one.

 How is that affordable for anyone?

Especially for adults who are starting later in life, trying to do things properly. I literally burned my provisional licence because there’s just no point holding onto it if I can’t afford to take the next step.

 It honestly feels like the system is working against people like me. Learning to drive should be a path to freedom, independence, and better opportunities, not something blocked by outrageous costs before you even touch the wheel.

 Has anyone else experienced this? 

That would appear to be a very extreme reaction. Is there something in that reaction that may indicate why the insurance cost is so high?

400ixl

Something is not right here. Even adding a 17 year old with a provisional license is likely to be 10% of what you have put. Either the main driver has a bad history and pays a significant policy amount, the named driver has a job that drives a high policy price or the license was put down as a full license which would have a much higher price than a provisional where supervision is required.

Whatever it is, either a mistake has been made or something more to this than being told.

Emmia

The company doesn't want to insure you, so look for another provider. I personally wouldn't have destroyed my provisional licence though, that's just throwing good money away.

Have you had some lessons with a professional instructor to get you going? 

Lorian

Well it's too late now you have burnt your driving license but you could have looked at a bolt on learners policy from the likes of wearemarmalade hugely cheaper than adding yourself to the car owners policy. Other insurers are available. 

WellKnownSid

Lorian said:

Well it's too late now you have burnt your driving license but you could have looked at a bolt on learners policy from the likes of wearemarmalade hugely cheaper than adding yourself to the car owners policy. Other insurers are available. 

Yep we used Veygo for both children - you pay by the hour.

Flugelhorn

I used marmalade for the offspring - very straightforward and didn't cost anything like the amounts you are quoting 

daveyjp

If you have a provisional licence adding yourself as a named driver under an existing policy isn't the only option.

My daughter was 17 when she learnt to drive and adding as an extra driver costs were indeed insane, many thousands.  We opted for a Marmalde learner policy for 6 months which worked out at about £1 a day.

A year after passing she now has her first car and insurance was £1500 for the year.  As a named driver on my wife's car it is £1,000, but we are taking her off that policy and it reduces to £250.

born_again

If they think that is bad wait till they pass their test...

But better to get aa few lessons with a instructor, under your belt. Then look at getting added to a ins policy. Although far better options on your own learner policy.

Would agree with others. There is more in the background that is causing the hike.

ButterCheese

I do hope you haven't literally destroyed your provisional license.  That's just throwing more money away.

Those "quotes" don't really add up - unless the main driver is particularly young and inexperienced and has points on their license and has made previous claims and you live in a high crime area.  If all of those things are true then it might explain up to £2.5k per year but not the rest.