What is the Best Way to Insure a Learner Driver?

When learning to drive, there are plenty of different things to consider, and it can often be pretty stressful. Preparing for your theory and practical driving tests takes a lot of time and effort, so you already have a lot to remember.

One thing you simply can’t forget about is car insurance, which is a legal requirement for all drivers in the UK. This includes people learning to drive, and there are many different options out there to choose from.

In this guide, we’ve laid out the key facts and tips to help you find the best learner driver insurance for you. So, if you’re wondering how best to insure a learner driver, we’ve got you covered. This should ease your mind so you can focus on passing that test!

Does every learner driver need to have car insurance?

If you have a provisional driving licence and you’re only learning to drive in an instructor’s car, then you’ll be covered by your instructor’s insurance policy.

If you’re learning or practising in your own car, you’ll need to purchase a learner driver insurance policy before you get behind the wheel.

Learner drivers learning in someone else’s car will either need to be added to the car owner’s policy as a named driver or take out a separate learner driver insurance policy.

What does learner driver insurance cover?

Provisional driver insurance covers learner drivers to drive their own or someone else’s car.

This means they can take lessons in that car or practice for their driving test, but they must have another qualified driver in the vehicle to supervise them. This supervisor will need to be over the age of 25, have had a full UK driving licence for at least three years and be qualified to drive the car they’re supervising in. 

For some insurers, the minimum age for supervising learner drivers is 21, so make sure to check this before purchasing your policy. 

The learner insurance policy acts as a separate policy to the supervisor’s insurance, so their premiums and no-claim bonus won’t be affected if you do get into an accident driving the car. 

For more information, discover whether you need insurance to supervise a learner driver.

Although learner driver insurance will cover you for your driving test, it won’t cover you once you’ve passed your test, so you’ll have to get a qualified and insured driver to take you home from the test centre. 

Comprehensive, third-party fire and theft or third-party only?

There are three types of cover to choose from:

• Third-party only car insurance – this type of car insurance policy only covers damage you cause to other vehicles and any injuries you may have caused to another person. It tends to be the cheapest option, but it means you’ll have to cover the costs of your own damages.
• Third-party, fire and theft car insurance – this includes the same cover as third-party only insurance but will also cover you if your car has been stolen or has fire damage.
• Comprehensive car insurance – this is the highest level of insurance and will cover you for any damage or injuries caused to a third party, damage caused to your car and injuries that you or your passengers sustain.

How long does learner driver insurance last?

How long learner driver insurance lasts will depend on the type of policy you choose:

• Temporary learner driver insurance – if you only need short-term cover whilst practising for your driving test, you can choose between hourly learner driver insurance, daily learner driver insurance and monthly learner driver insurance.
• Annual learner driver insurance – this type of policy will cover you for the entire year, and unless you cancel it, the policy will automatically renew for another year.

What is the most expensive type of learner driver insurance?

Often, the most expensive way to insure a learner driver is adding them as a named driver to an existing insurance policy.

Each insurance company has their own policies when it comes to learner drivers, but most charge more for adding a learner driver as a named driver onto an existing policy. For more details on this, take a look at how much it costs to add a learner driver to your insurance. 

This is because learner drivers are usually young drivers with little experience, meaning that insurance companies see them as high risk. 

The other problem with being added as a named driver is the lack of protection for the main policy holder’s no claims discount. 

What is the cheapest type of learner driver insurance?

Many factors will affect the cost of a learner driver insurance policy, such as how often the learner will be driving, what type of car they’ll be driving and how long they’ll need cover.

The best way to find cheap learner driver insurance is to get several different car insurance quotes so that you can compare the different options and decide the best type of cover for you.

Learner driver insurance on your own car

For learner drivers who want to take out an insurance policy on their own car whilst preparing for their driving test, they’ll need to get an annual policy or take out temporary car insurance. 

By taking out an annual insurance policy on your own car, you can build up your no-claims bonus whilst learning to drive. This will give you a head start before you pass your driving test, as your insurance premiums will steadily reduce each year you don’t claim.

Purchasing temporary learner driver insurance for your own car is often a cheaper option. This way, you can take out temporary insurance right up until you take your driving test, without the hassle of cancelling or transferring an annual policy once you’ve passed.

Learner driver insurance on someone else’s car

Often, the cheapest way to get insured on someone else’s car is by taking out a temporary car insurance policy. This is also the most flexible option as you can choose between hourly, daily, weekly or monthly learner insurance.

This is ideal if you want to get in some last-minute practice before your driving test or simply just want to save money. 

It’s also beneficial for the car owner as the premiums on their policy won’t go up, and their no-claims bonus won’t be affected if the learner driver has an accident.

Is learner driver insurance more expensive than new driver car insurance?

It may seem strange, but learner driver insurance is usually cheaper than car insurance for new drivers. This is because learner drivers tend to be cautious, careful and slow while learning to drive. Learner drivers also require a supervisor who can guide them while on the road. 

New drivers who have just passed their test will be out driving on the roads for the first time by themselves. Unfortunately, this means they’re more likely to be involved in accidents and make more insurance claims, which is why insurers give new drivers high premiums.

Tips for saving money on learner driver insurance

• Choose a temporary learner driver insurance policy as this is usually the cheapest option and will give you flexibility.
• Get learner insurance on a car that’s in a low insurance group. Cars in Group 1 are the cheapest as they have small engines and good safety features.
• If you choose to get annual learner driver insurance, then consider black box car insurance. This should lower your premiums over time.
• Many learner driver insurance policies will include the option to voluntarily pay a higher excess. Although this will be more expensive if you make a claim, it should reduce your premiums.
• Compare different car insurance quotes and see who has the best offers for learner car insurance.

What do I need to do once I’ve passed my driving test?

Once you’ve passed your test, you’ll need to tell your insurance company as soon as possible so that they can cancel your learner car insurance policy. If you want to stay with the same insurer as a new driver, then you can ask them to convert your learner driver policy into a standard one.

If you haven’t used up all of the cover on your policy, then most insurers won’t reimburse you for this. You’ll often be charged an administration fee for cancellation, too.

Learner driver insurance FAQs

Can a learner drive on their own?

Learner drivers are legally required to have a supervisor with them at all times whilst driving. The supervisor must be at least 25 years old and have had a full driving licence for at least three years. If a learner driver is caught driving alone, they could be prosecuted.

Can a learner driver have children as passengers?

A learner driver is not allowed to have a child passenger in the front seat as this is where the supervisor will need to sit. However, they are allowed to have children as passengers in the rear of the car.

How old do I have to be to get learner driver insurance?

You must be at least 17 years old to take out learner driver insurance and hold a provisional driving licence. 

Get temporary learner driver insurance with GoShorty

There are lots of different types of insurance for learner drivers, and there are numerous factors that will affect the cost. You can make big savings by only insuring the car when you need it with temporary car insurance or choosing a car in one of the lower insurance groups.  

Why pay for insurance when you don’t need it? Temporary learner driver insurance from GoShorty allows you to take out a policy for a matter of hours, days, weeks…however long you need!

So, get yourself insured and out on the road to help build confidence when driving and prepare for your practical test.