What is the Best Way to Insure a Learner Driver?
31 October 2024 | 
Phil Evans
Learning to drive is an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience, often raising questions like whether they should learn to drive automatic or manual, what’s the best way to insure a learner driver, or even how to insure a learner driver. We understand that finding affordable insurance is crucial—driving lessons aren’t cheap, and no learner wants to overspend on insurance for driving practice.
While long-term insurance options are available, short-term learner insurance is often one of the best ways to insure a learner driver. Long-term policies can become wasteful if a driving supervisor isn’t always available. Short-term insurance allows you to get cover as needed—in under two minutes—so you’re only paying for when you’re actually driving, making it one of the cheapest ways to insure a learner.
This guide covers the best ways to insure learner drivers, so you can hit the road confidently, knowing you’ve chosen the ideal insurance for your driving practice!
The Importance of Insuring a Learner Driver
Practice makes perfect when learning to drive. According to the government’s Ready to Pass Campaign, it typically takes 45 hours of lessons plus 22 hours of private practice to pass the practical driving test. Insurance is a legal requirement for learner drivers—except when driving with a qualified instructor, as they’ll already have the necessary cover in place.
Learners are also more prone to minor accidents due to inexperience, making insurance essential for financial protection. Our temporary learner insurance protects the vehicle owner’s no-claims bonus, ensuring added peace of mind if you’re letting a learner practise their reverse parking in your car….
How to Insure a Learner Driver
There are two main ways to insure a learner driver:
- Short-Term Learner Insurance: Quick, flexible, and often the cheapest option. You can get learner insurance for an hour, all the way up to 24 weeks. This is a great option for sporadic practice sessions. The car owner’s no claims discount will also be protected in the event of the learner having an accident.
- Adding to an Existing Policy: The policyholder of the car being used for practice can contact their insurer to add the learner, though this may involve higher annual costs and could put their no claims discount at risk.
What to Look for in a Learner Insurance Policy
When insuring a learner driver, consider these key factors:
Flexibility
Look for policies that let you purchase insurance by the hour, day, week, or month. Short-term insurance is ideal for learners whose practice time is limited by the availability of a supervisor, work schedules, or unpredictable weather. This flexibility makes it easy to arrange cover for last-minute practice sessions, and doesn’t leave you paying for cover when you don’t need it.
Affordability
Finding the cheapest way to insure a learner driver is essential, as insurance premiums for new drivers are typically higher. Opting for a policy without unnecessary add-ons and practising in a modest vehicle (not a luxury car) can help keep costs down. Temporary cover is usually more affordable than traditional policies and avoids the financial commitment of an annual plan. You just need to pay when you actually need the cover.
Comprehensive Cover
Comprehensive insurance is recommended, as learner drivers are more likely to have minor accidents. While comprehensive cover may cost more than third-party options, it provides greater protection by covering both your vehicle and any others involved in an accident. All of our learner insurance options are comprehensive, giving the car owner and learner extra peace of mind on the road.
No-Claims Discount Protection
Make sure the policy protects the car owner’s no-claims discount. Without this protection, any accident could lead to increased premiums for the vehicle owner. All of our temporary insurance options, including learner policies provide this protection, which can reassure parents, partners, or friends who might be lending their car for practice sessions.
Comparing Learner Driver Insurance Options
The best way to insure a learner driver is to compare available options and choose one that matches your needs. Here’s an overview of popular learner insurance options:
Temporary Learner Insurance
Temporary insurance allows learners to pay for cover only when needed. You can quickly add more cover in minutes if you want to practise for longer, so there’s no need to put practice sessions on hold. Simply log into Your GoShorty account and purchase a new policy in seconds. Temporary learner options keep costs low compared to long-term insurance. Our specialised learner insurance, for instance, offers quick and easy setup and protects the car owner’s no-claims bonus, adding peace of mind for everyone involved.
Traditional Insurance
Some insurers offer long-term cover that remains valid until the day you pass your test. This is useful if you have regular access to a supervisor. However, traditional policies often have strict regulations and can become costly if it takes a while to pass the test.
Adding a Learner to an Existing Insurance Policy
Adding a learner to your policy is another common way of insuring a learner. If you’re learning in a family member’s or friend’s car, you might consider being added as a named driver on their policy. This option allows flexible practice, but it may increase the policyholder’s premiums or impact their no-claims bonus if there’s an accident. Additionally, this approach may require paying for insurance longer than actually needed.
The Cheapest Way to Insure a Learner Driver
For flexibility and affordability, temporary learner insurance is the cheapest way to insure learner drivers. And with the cost of learning to drive rising by 47% since 2023, the best way to insure a learner driver does come down to cost…
- Hourly Rates: From just £15.01 for one hour, short-term insurance lets you practise with a supervisor without instructor costs, whenever works for you.
- Weekly and Monthly Options: Four weeks of cover starts at £56.46—roughly £14 per week—making it significantly cheaper than adding a learner to a traditional policy, which could increase annual premiums by hundreds or even upwards of £1,000 in some cases.
Short-term insurance ensures you only pay for cover when you actually need it, allowing you to practise driving without the high costs of long-term policies. Get a quote in under two minutes with our learner driver insurance options and start practising today!
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