Learner insurance

If you have an accident, you will need to claim through your temporary insurance company and they will arrange any repairs or payouts required.

If you do have to make a claim on a temporary learner driver insurance policy, you will need to declare this to insurers in the future. 

This may increase the cost of your insurance, but it’s crucial that you are honest. Otherwise, your policy could be invalidated and any future claims could be rejected.

No, temporary learner driver insurance is designed to cover drivers who have not yet passed their driving test or got their full driving licence. 

If you're looking for provisional driver vehicle insurance, it pays to compare car insurance quotes to see what deals are available.

It will be, pro rata, more expensive than standard car insurance. This is because learner drivers are considered more risky – accidents are more likely when you are learning to drive, and the excess – the amount you have to pay before any insurance claim is paid – can also be high.

Yes, you can keep costs down by practising in a friend’s or parent’s car – which is when you will need insurance. 

When taking lessons with a registered ADI (Approved Driving Instructor), you are automatically insured as part of the cost of the lessons.

Many insurance providers will let you take out temporary provisional car insurance for a day up to 140 days, which should generally be cheaper than an annual policy on someone else's insurance.

Learning to drive can be costly,  so you’ll need to weigh up which option best suits your needs.

Paying a professional driving instructor

• Pro: if you have regular lessons, you can cut out the need for learner driver insurance, as the lesson fees cover the cost of them being insured on your behalf.
• Con: the cost of getting professional lessons can add up quickly, with many instructors charging between £25 and £35 an hour.

Learning with friends and family

• Pro: if you have family or friends willing to accompany you in their car on a regular basis, you could save on driving lessons.
• Con: you will need to be added as a named driver on their insurance policy, and you may take longer to pass your test.

You may need to plan a few months in advance where you know you'll be available to take all of your lessons. Otherwise, there is the risk that if you don't keep up your driving lessons regularly, you'll fall behind in some of the things you've learnt.

Some car insurance providers are more willing to take on provisional drivers. If you have family or friends willing to help you, first check how much their insurer might charge to add you as a named driver.

Warning: Provisional car insurance and fronting. Some parents take out a car insurance policy and declare themselves as the main driver, adding a young driver as a named driver. 

This is despite the fact that the child will be driving the car more than the parent. This is known as 'fronting' and is illegal. If you’re caught fronting, you may get: 

• A criminal conviction
• A driving ban
• An unlimited fine
• Your car seized
• Added to the Insurance Fraud Register

If you're lucky enough to have your own car and want to get insured as a learner driver, you can simply take out an annual car insurance policy as normal, making sure to inform your provider that you are yet to gain your full licence.

• This will cover you for up to 12 months while you prepare to take your test
• If you pass within this time you will need to inform your insurer as they will amend your policy to reflect this – your premium is likely to rise once you have passed your test
• The cover is normally fully comprehensive, which will cover accidents as well as theft, fire and malicious damage
• You may even be able to build up your own no claims bonus while driving on a provisional licence

The best way to achieve long-term savings on your car insurance is to take out your own policy while you are still driving on a provisional licence.

• You will be able to start building your no-claims bonus even before you have passed your driving test
• Once you start building your no-claims bonus your premium should drop steadily each year as long as you don’t make any claims
• Taking out an insurance policy in your own name means you will also avoid the risk of damaging your friend’s or relative’s no-claims bonus as you might if you had to make a claim as a named driver on their policy

If you take out your own insurance policy, there should be no impact on the main driver’s insurance premium.

When you get your full driving licence, you may not immediately want or be able to afford to buy a car. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t drive at all. 

You can choose to take out a learner insurance policy using someone else’s car, as long as you have their permission. Compare quotes for learner driver insurance to get started.

When you do come to buy your first car, it may be worth taking out a group car insurance policy if members of your family drive and own cars.

This is called multi-car insurance, which might also be suitable:

• If you own more than one car
• If you’re a family with more than one driver
• If you’re a couple with more than one vehicle