Car insurance for 17-year-olds

If you’re looking for car insurance for 17-year-olds, it’s likely you or your child have recently passed their driving test. But while getting out on the road as a newly qualified driver can be an exciting time, it can also be expensive. 

The cost of car insurance for a 17-year-old will typically be far higher than insurance for an older driver with years of driving experience behind them. This makes it all the more important to try and find a cheap car insurance deal without scrimping on cover.

The average cost of car insurance for 17- to 19-year-olds is £1,268.54. That’s based on annual comprehensive car insurance policies purchased through MoneySupermarket between October and December 2023. 

How much will car insurance cost as I get older?

Fortunately, the rule of thumb for car insurance is that the older you get, the cheaper your car insurance will become. 

For example, when you get into your 30s, your car insurance should drop significantly – drivers in that demographic paid an average £872.41 between October and December 2023. And for drivers in their 50s, the average price is just over £480. 

Of course, the exact costs of your car insurance will depend on other factors, such as where you live (eg, if you live in an area with higher crime rates, you’ll pay more), the type of car you drive and your driving history. Building up a no-claims bonus will also help reduce costs; this gives you a discount for each year you don’t make a claim on your insurance.

Car insurance for 17-year-olds and new drivers is generally more expensive because insurance providers consider this category of drivers as higher risk. Young drivers have less driving experience on UK roads and are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident, so insurers offset this risk by charging more for cover.

As with other drivers, 17-year-olds usually have three types of car insurance to choose from: 

1. Third party: this is the legal minimum requirement for drivers and the most basic level of cover. Third party insurance covers you for injuries to other people or damage to their property, but won’t cover your vehicle or any injuries you suffer in a car accident 
2. Third party, fire and theft: if you take out third party, fire and theft insurance, you’ll be covered for all of the above but if your car is damaged by fire or stolen
3. Fully comprehensive: this is the highest level of car insurance you can buy and covers you for everything included in a third-party, fire and theft policy and more. Damage to your car, plus injuries sustained by you or your passengers, will be covered, and some policies also offer cover for vandalism and legal expenses

When comparing policies, it’s worth looking at the cost of all three types of cover, as fully comprehensive cover won’t necessarily be the most expensive. Statistically, drivers taking out third-party policies are more likely to claim, which means premiums can actually be higher compared to fully comprehensive policies.

Is telematics insurance good for 17-year-olds?

With telematics insurance – also known as black box insurance – a device is installed in your car that monitors your driving habits (some insurers record this via a smartphone app).

Insurers will be looking at how fast you drive, how sharply you brake, the time of day or night you drive, where you drive and how far you drive. Those who drive safely and within the speed limit will be rewarded with lower premiums than those who drive erratically. Some insurers might adjust your premiums monthly, while others will offer a discount at renewal. 

This can be a great option for 17-year-olds who are confident in their ability to drive safely, but haven’t got the experience behind the wheel to back that up to insurers. 

Can I get temporary car insurance as a 17-year-old?

If you only intend to drive infrequently after passing your test, you could consider temporary car insurance. This will allow you to drive someone else’s car for as little as one hour, normally up to around 30 days, and can be arranged in a matter of minutes. So perfect if you want to go away for the weekend, but don’t need car insurance full-time. 

Most temporary car insurance policies are fully comprehensive, and, were you to have an accident, the no-claims bonus of the car’s owner wouldn’t be affected. 

Can I be added to my parents’ insurance?

If you don’t have your own car and you live with your parents, it’s fairly straightforward to be added to your parents’ car insurance as a named driver.

However, while this can lower the cost of car insurance for a younger driver, it’s likely to increase the cost of the policy for the main driver (the parent).

Being added as a named driver also means you must drive the car less frequently than the main driver; otherwise, you could be found guilty of an illegal practice known as fronting.

Although car insurance for 17-year-olds is expensive, there are steps you can take to reduce these costs. It’s worth keeping the following in mind: 

• Consider a specialist policy like black box or temporary car insurance: as mentioned, telematics insurance and temporary car insurance can both be great ways of reducing the cost of your cover, depending on your needs as a driver
• Choose a car in a lower insurance group: if you’re buying a car, remember that, generally speaking, cars in lower insurance groups tend to be cheaper to insure than those in higher groups. Lower-grouped vehicles tend to have smaller engines, are less powerful and usually have more affordable repair parts. If you’re buying a pre-owned car, the insurance premium might be lower due to the lower value of the vehicle, but this won’t always be the case
• Add an experienced driver as a named driver to your policy: adding a more experienced driver (such as a parent) to your car insurance policy can help reduce premiums. That’s because the risk of a car accident is lowered if the younger driver is behind the wheel less often. However, you must be honest about who does most of the driving; in this case, it should be the main driver (the 17-year-old), not the named driver (the parent). Being dishonest to get lower premiums is illegal
• Register for an advanced driving course: insurers might reduce your premium if you have taken an advanced driving course, such as the Pass Plus course, as they’ll consider you a safer driver. The course takes at least six hours and teaches you advanced driving skills. However, you should still shop around and compare quotes elsewhere, even if you qualify for this discount, to be sure you’re getting the best deal
• Pay for your insurance annually: although it requires an upfront payment, which might not be affordable for a 17-year-old, paying for your car insurance in one go each year will be cheaper than paying monthly instalments, when interest is usually added
• Limit your mileage: the fewer miles you drive, the less chance of you being in an accident, which means your premiums should be lower. However, you must be honest when stating your estimated annual mileage on your car insurance application; otherwise, you risk invalidating your insurance

On top of this, you should avoid several tactics when trying to lower car insurance premiums for 17-year-olds. These include:

• Increasing the excess: car insurance policies come with both a compulsory and voluntary excess, which you must pay if you make a claim. Your insurer sets the compulsory excess, but you can choose how much you want the voluntary excess to be. Choosing a higher voluntary excess is an easy way to lower your insurance premiums, but increasing it too much could make it unaffordable for a 17-year-old in the event of a claim
• Making modifications to your car: many insurers will charge a higher premium if vehicle modifications are made. Adding spoilers, for example, can decrease vehicle safety if it’s involved in a crash, while fitting alloy wheels can make the car more attractive to thieves, so there’s a greater chance of making a claim. However, modifications that improve the safety of your vehicle, such as fitting an industry-approved immobiliser or tracker, can reduce your premiums
• Street parking: although parking your car in a private driveway or garage might not be possible, some insurers may charge a higher premium if your vehicle is always parked on the street as it’s at greater risk of theft or damage