The cheapest way to insure a learner driver

The cost to insure a learner will differ for everyone but there are things you can do to make it as cheap as possible. Don’t assume there is only one way to insure a learner driver - there’s lots of different ways, and each one will bring a different cost. It’s about finding out which is the most cost-effective option to suit you and planning in advance to keep the costs as low as possible.

What’s the average cost to add a learner driver to the main insurance?

Typically adding a learner driver onto an existing insurance policy is the most expensive way to get a learner on the road. Every insurer is different so whilst we can’t give you an exact figure, what we can do is give an average cost to add a learner driver to an existing insurance policy and the alternatives. Unfortunately, many insurers see young drivers as high risk meaning there’s a chance they may not even insure them and if they do, the prices can skyrocket. For parents looking to get their teen insured on their car, it may seem like the only solution. But it isn’t – there are better and more cost-effective ways to get insurance cover for learners. 

Here we've looked at the cost of insuring a 17 year old learner driver in 3 different areas. You can see how the costs compare - from putting a learner driver as a named driver, vs a separate insurance policy for the learner for 1, 6 and 12 months!*

How much is provisional insurance? 

Picking up a separate provisional insurance on a parent's or friend's car is a great way to save money, instead of adding them to an existing policy - but how much does learner driver insurance cost? Well, at Marmalade we offer cover for learner drivers on a parent’s or friend’s from £65.21² per month. This means learners can get behind the wheel and practise driving with a qualified driver whenever they like - getting much needed driving experience before taking their test. We think it’s a great, cost effective way of helping learners build their driving skill and confidence.

What are the typical costs for learner driver insurance on the young drivers own car?

If a learner driver is lucky enough to have their own set of wheels, they’re going to want the cheapest learner driver insurance possible - right?! The best way young drivers can save money on insurance, whether they’re a learner or not, is by getting a black box insurance policy. The average car insurance price for drivers under the age of 25 in the UK is £1795 a year¹. Provisional licence holders who purchased Black Box Insurance through Marmalade on average paid £1160 - a pretty big saving compared to the national average! Want to know the best part? The price won’t increase when you pass your driving test, which can often be the case with other companies. The price you start with is the price you’ll keep - whether you pass early on or you remain a learner for a little bit longer!

Everyone wants cheap learner insurance which is why it’s important to know what options are available, and what different types of cover will cost. Cheap learner driver insurance isn’t a myth – you can get it – but you need to know which cover is right for you in order to get it as cheaply as possible. There isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to cheap car insurance for learner drivers - it’s all about figuring out which car they’ll be driving, how long they’ll be driving for and how frequently they’ll be behind the wheel. Once you know these things, you can make an informed decision and get the best insurance quotes to suit the situation. If you're completely stuck on what kind of policy you need, you can use our handy tool which helps you narrow down the choice!

Insure the learner driver on a shared car

Getting a short term insurance policy for the learner on a parent’s car is a cheap and flexible option for learners who want to practice outside lessons with a driving instructor. The price of cover will depend on how long you have the policy (as well as a few other rating factors such as location) but generally the more days you choose, the cheaper it works out per day. We offer short term learner driver insurance which allows the learner to choose cover from 30 days to 8 months, and to renew from a week at a time until they pass. This is great for anyone learning to drive and also benefits the car owners. Should the learner need to make a claim, their No Claims Discount won’t be affected.

Insure the learner driver on their own car

If the learner wants cover on their own car, they’ll need an annual insurance policy. This is generally where prices can creep up as younger drivers are a higher risk. One of the best ways to keep insurance costs as low as possible is to get a black box. Not only will it help keep prices down, but it will help the learner improve their driving skills before test day, and beyond. The best part, we think, is that provisional licence holders who pick up our Black Box Insurance will save over £600 compared to the national average¹. You don’t need to worry about the price changing either - it will stay the same throughout the whole policy, so qualified drivers won’t suddenly be expected to pay more. If you're unsure, check out our guide which will help you decide if black box insurance is for you. 

Here’s our top 5 tips to make your learner insurance as cheap as possible

• Choose a car in a low insurance group will see you saving on all different policies
• Pick-up short-term cover and save money when practising to take the driving test with a friend or family member 
• You can save over £600 with Marmalade’s Black Box Insurance¹
• Add a parent or older, experienced driver onto an annual policy as a named driver. This can bring down the price of the premium
• Any annual insurance policy will help learners start to earn their own No Claims Bonus - which will see them saving in the future

In short – yes, in most cases it’s cheaper to get insurance as a learner driver than it is as a new driver. It sounds strange, right? Well, there’s a couple of reasons for this. Learner drivers are very cautious on the roads, driving slowly and with great care as they learn the ways of the roads. They also have to display L plates by law, so every other driver knows there’s a learner around. This, paired with the fact that an experienced driver is with them at all times to take over control of the car should they need to, means learners don’t make as many insurance claims as new drivers. 

Drivers who have just passed and are out on the roads by themselves don’t have the safety net of an instructor or parent, and aren’t legally required to display any plates (although P plates are ideal for new drivers who are less confident on the roads) so other road users may not be as cautious around them – which unfortunately leads to more claims and therefore, a higher insurance premium. Many insurers will increase the premium of a driver who goes from provisional to full licence because of this. At Marmalade, we’re not going to punish young drivers by increasing their premium after they’ve passed their test – that’s ridiculous! Learners who pick up black box insurance on their own car or annual learner insurance on a parent's car will pick up that early saving (because they’re still learning) won’t have to pay a penny more when they pass! Going from learner to full licence insurance with Marmalade is designed to take the hassle out of sorting insurance as a new driver - and is available on the young drivers own car or their parent's car! 

If you want to get a quote for short term learner driver insurance all you’ll need to do is pop in a few details on our online form such as the age of the learner, and the postcode. We’ll then be able to give you a price for cover from 30 - 240 days!