Insurance for learner

[theoriginalpaul]

I'm a bit confused about the finer details of insurance for a leaner driver so hoping others might have some knowledge they can share.
We've bought a car for my son to learn to drive in, which he will ultimately have sole use of when he passes his test (for a couple of years, then it'll be shared with his sister).
He's not 17 until September so won't heed his own insurance until then.

I want to insure it now, so I can drive it to some private land for him to practice before he starts formal lessons.

So....
- if I insure it in my name now, can I add him as a learner to this policy, or do learners need their own specific policy?
- is it worth him taking out his own insurance as soon as he starts learning, so he can start building up no claims?

Thanks in advance.

[w8pmc]

Surely if you're only planning on using the car for your Son to learn on private land, then for now he doesn't need to be on the policy.

You'll need insurance for the obvious theft & 3rd party cover as well as you driving the car to/from the private land, but your Son for now i don't see has any need to be insured on that car.

Edited to say you can add A N Other driver to your policy at any time. What it would cost in the expected Admin fees & how much your premium would rise adding a learner driver, only your Insurer would know, but that's certainly something you can do with i'd assume any Insurer.

[QuartzDad]

theoriginalpaul said:

So....
#1 if I insure it in my name now, can I add him as a learner to this policy, or do learners need their own specific policy?
#2 is it worth him taking out his own insurance as soon as he starts learning, so he can start building up no claims?

1 Yes. No.

However when I was in the same position it was cheaper to insure him whilst learning via a separate insurer than add him to the main policy. I used Marmalade.

2 Depends. We knew that our sons were planning to go to Uni where they wouldn't have a car so building up one year's worth of NCB and then losing it over the next three years was pointless.

[S11Steve]

Slightly off topic - but be careful with the "private land" - if it is publicly accessible, like a supermarket car park you will still need insurance.

We've had a few customers over the years with an IN14 on their licence - aiding and abetting an uninsured driver - and each one has said it was from letting their kids drive on retail car parks.

[chopper602]

If you do go along the route of a new policy for him - they can be quite inexpensive for learners as they're always accompanied. Always check how much it will rise when the test is passed as it can be a huge increase. First year with my son was quite expensive (about £1200), but didn't change when the test was passed.
Three years no claims now and down to around £450 . . .

[98elise]

I've just insured my daughter on a learner specific policy on a Aygo, and it's £350 for the year. I just put her details into a comparison site.

When she passes we will need to cancel the learner insurance and buy a normal policy in her name, which is about £1400.

[Tiggsy]

S11Steve said:

Slightly off topic - but be careful with the "private land" - if it is publicly accessible, like a supermarket car park you will still need insurance.

We've had a few customers over the years with an IN14 on their licence - aiding and abetting an uninsured driver - and each one has said it was from letting their kids drive on retail car parks.

And I imagine the kids learnt more in the first hour with a proper teacher on the road that all that prating around outside Argos!

[Sheepshanks]

Tiggsy said:

And I imagine the kids learnt more in the first hour with a proper teacher on the road that all that prating around outside Argos!

Bit sexist, but it was handy for my daughters to be able to spend some time figuring out clutch control with no other traffic to worry about - it's useful if there's a bit of a slope to deal with, rather then just a flat car park.

I'd imagine a lad with anything about him, would be OK for 15 mins, then think "OK, I can drive now".

[S11Steve]

Sheepshanks said:

Tiggsy said:

And I imagine the kids learnt more in the first hour with a proper teacher on the road that all that prating around outside Argos!

Bit sexist, but it was handy for my daughters to be able to spend some time figuring out clutch control - it's useful if there's a bit of a slope to deal with, rather then just a flat car park. I'd imagine a lad, with anything about him, would be OK for 15 mins, then think "OK, I can drive now".

I learned clutch control on a barracks parade ground aged 15 or 16 - that probably saved me about £30 in lessons!

[Black_S3]

S11Steve said:

Slightly off topic - but be careful with the "private land" - if it is publicly accessible, like a supermarket car park you will still need insurance.

We've had a few customers over the years with an IN14 on their licence - aiding and abetting an uninsured driver - and each one has said it was from letting their kids drive on retail car parks.

Agree, there’s also stories of kids getting banned the second they apply for a licence that’s waiting to collect 6 points - not sure in the truth of the points waiting until a licence is applied for though?

[Wingo]

Went through this mularkey recently. Looked into various options and this was the least expensive that suited what we wanted to do.

Car registered in Juniors name, and insured in his name with both me and the handbrake as additional named drivers. All insured a a few weeks before his 17th when we picked up the secondhand car. The fact that he was not yet old enough to drive didn't come into it apparently with Flux direct. £350 for the year while he was on a provisional.

As soon as he passed his test, even with over 7 months left to run on the policy he got £13 back.

Now on his own policy still with me and the handbrake as named drivers £700 with a black box.

So now I don't drive his car unless I have to as I don't want to affect his saintly driving record.

Oh and he learn't to "drive" offroad doing autotests with a local motor club, you can do that from 14 years old and its not just young lads that do that from what I've seen.

Driving instructor said from the off, controlling the car was not problem, just needed to get used to being on the public road and having other vehicles around.
I was surprised how cautious he was on the public road.

There are a good few organisations that youngsters with no driving licence can have a go with.

Under 17 car club
Young driver .EU
etc.

In some cases not cheap but it sets them off in the right direction and hopefully saves some kangarooing down the road on that first proper lesson

Wingo.

Edited by Wingo on Tuesday 4th June 16:50

[Pinkie15]

Can't answer your Qs, but doing this now for our daughter, beware price rise with some insurers even when they're a learner

Went to add her to Mrs' policy (Aviva), wanted £958 !!!!

Now looking to cancel the policy and take out a new policy, can get for about £450, but all of those want an extra £1200 when she passes her test. So will be cancelling it at that point and looking for someone cheaper elsewhere, quotes at mo can get her on as a 'passed' driver for about £900

[TwigtheWonderkid]

S11Steve said:

I learned clutch control on a barracks parade ground aged 15 or 16 - that probably saved me about £30 in lessons!

1 lesson then.

[S11Steve]

I think it was around £10 per hour, or 4 lessons for £30 back in the early 90s when I learned.

[NotBenny]

Sheepshanks said:

Tiggsy said:

And I imagine the kids learnt more in the first hour with a proper teacher on the road that all that prating around outside Argos!

Bit sexist, but it was handy for my daughters to be able to spend some time figuring out clutch control with no other traffic to worry about - it's useful if there's a bit of a slope to deal with, rather then just a flat car park.

I'd imagine a lad with anything about him, would be OK for 15 mins, then think "OK, I can drive now".

yep useful for girls, because boys are born expert drivers.

[theoriginalpaul]

Thanks for all the helpful responses

S11Steve said:

Slightly off topic - but be careful with the "private land" - if it is publicly accessible, like a supermarket car park you will still need insurance.

We've had a few customers over the years with an IN14 on their licence - aiding and abetting an uninsured driver - and each one has said it was from letting their kids drive on retail car parks.

Wow, I hadn't realised this. The place I have in mind isn't a car park, it's a small network of roads around a large country hotel so I guess the same could apply?

[theoriginalpaul]

Wingo said:

Went through this mularkey recently. Looked into various options and this was the least expensive that suited what we wanted to do.

Car registered in Juniors name, and insured in his name with both me and the handbrake as additional named drivers. All insured a a few weeks before his 17th when we picked up the secondhand car. The fact that he was not yet old enough to drive didn't come into it apparently with Flux direct. £350 for the year while he was on a provisional.

As soon as he passed his test, even with over 7 months left to run on the policy he got £13 back.

Edited by Wingo on Tuesday 4th June 16:50

.

That's great, really helpful.
The key point (which neither insurance broker I've spoken to managed to point out) is that we can get him insured on the car now i.e. Before he's 17. That pretty much sorts out the issue.
I was trying to avoid taking out a policy myself for 3 months until his birthday, then cancelling it.

Thanks for the other good tips too.

I really believe it's an advantage to have confidence in basic car control before raking to the road, just need to find somewhere 'legal' for him to practice now!