First Car Insurance

What can first-time drivers do to reduce the cost of their insurance?

We’ll be honest – your first car insurance policy will likely be more expensive than if you had been driving a while, but there are things that you can do that could decrease the cost of young driver insurance, even if it's your first time on the road.

First up, you need to know the types of factors that are taken into consideration by insurers when they decide how much your premium should be. Insurers look at how much risk you pose to them by calculating how likely you are to be involved in an accident, theft or damage. Keeping these factors in mind can help you make choices that could lead you to cheaper insurance.

What factors affect the cost of car insurance?

The age of the vehicle is taken into consideration, but it’s hard to say what’s cheapest to insure. While newer cars tend to have a higher value (which would cost an insurer more to replace), older cars often don’t have the safety and security features that modern vehicles do, meaning they may be more prone to accidents or theft. The size and power of the vehicle has an impact too with smaller, more economical cars with smaller engines likely being cheaper to insure. Then there are factors like which car insurance group the vehicle belongs to, its theft risk and Euro NCAP safety rating.

There are several personal factors relating to the driver that have an impact too. Your driving history is an obvious one – having points, penalties or driving offences on your licence is likely to increase your premium, for example. Where you live is another, as some areas are deemed to have a higher risk of theft or accidents, and your occupation.