All learner drivers need to be insured on any vehicle they drive, so if they will be learning in the car of a family member or friend, or if they will be having valuable 'private practise' in between lessons or to help them prepare for their driving test - that will mean paying for additional insurance cover.
There are 2 main options to cover a learner who is learning to drive or practising their driving in a car owned and insured by a family member or friend - potentially with very different costs.
Keep reading to make sure you understand the differences between the 2 options, and to access discounts including £50 off or a £20 avaCARgo voucher when you take out an annual policy using one of our unique codes!.
Adding a learner to the current car insurance policy as a 'named driver'
The traditional way to insure a learner driver is for the person who took out the current car insurance policy to contact the insurance company and request to add the learner as a ‘named driver’ - this is often a more expensive option.
Not all insurers will accept a learner driver being added to a car insurance policy - if they do the cover will continue until the policy end date.
A fee will usually be charged to update the details on the policy in addition to the extra amount to cover the learner to drive the car.
Pros:
- A separate policy is not needed.
Cons:
- it may be a more expensive option
- there is no flexibility re: the period of cover
- if the learner has an accident while driving the car this may affect the NCB (no claims bonus) of the person who took out the insurance - even if it is protected.
Taking out a separate insurance policy in the name of a learner driver
The more modern way is to take out an additional policy in the name of the learner driver.
These are specialist insurance policies which provide additional full car insurance cover while the learner is driving, and which run alongside the main policy - this is often a less expensive option.
These can be either be a short term / temporary policy - running for months, weeks, days or even hours which could be useful if they are only driving occasionally, or an annual policy.
Some will also give the learner the opportunity to start to build their own NCB (no claims bonus) entitlement if they stay accident free - so they can receive a discount off their insurance in future years.
Some of these specialist learner driver policies will finish the moment the learner passes their driving test, some will continue to provide cover until the end of the period of cover with no additional charges.
That is an amazing benefit!
Car insurance for learner drivers is often cheaper then for new drivers - learner drivers have to be supervised while driving and so are generally seen as less of a risk to insure, as soon as the learner driver passes their driving test they can drive unsupervised and so are generally seen as a higher risk to insure.
It's potentially possible to take out an annual insurance policy as a learner driver immediately before taking a driving test, pass the driving test that day, and then drive for a year before needing to take out a new policy as a 'full licence holder' - at which point if they haven't made any insurance claims they could also have 1 year NCB (no claims bonus) to use for their new policy.
Having this type of separate specialist insurance in place should help to reduce any concerns family members or friends have about their own car insurance and / or NCB (no claims bonus) being affected if an accident should happen while their car is being driven by the learner.
Pros:
- it may be a less expensive option
- there is lots of flexibility re: the length of the policy
- if there is an accident while the learner is driving the NCB (no claims bonus) of the main policy holder should not be affected
- the learner can start to build their own NCB (no claims bonus) entitlement.
Cons:
- not all insurance companies offer specialist policies for learner drivers - see below for some that do.
Car insurance companies which offer insurance for a car OWNED by a FAMILY MEMBER or FRIEND
MyFirst - Named Young Driver Insurance
- via Marmalade insurance: cover BEFORE, DURING and AFTER passing the driving test
- fully comprehensive cover: a separate policy to protect the NCB (no claims bonus) of the main policy holder
- annual policy: start to build own NCB entitlement from day 1
- £50 discount: code 834168 - use on the online form or at the start of your call: 0333 305 5116
Summary
There are 2 very different options when it comes to insuring a learner to drive the car of a family member or friend - and understanding the differences is essential to ensure the learner gets the cover they need and at the best price!
Policies will vary from company to company, so make sure you compare the relevant details and are clear it provides the cover needed before deciding which quote to accept - for example: some insurers may specify a minimum age for the supervising driver, or a maximum age for the learner.
Learner Driver Insurance - an introduction
Learner Driver Insurance - driving a car owned by the learner
*summary of car insurance cover details taken from the business websites - last checked / updated: September 2024
*following links may / may not generate an 'introduction fee' to be credited to avaCARgo - this will not affect any insurance quotes you receive