[Closed] Car insurance for a learner vs just passed driver - will I need to change co?

Neither have my two has passed yet- covid delays, going to uni etc. so it soon won’t be my problem, but with the younger one I could add him as named driver to my direct line for any amount of time, a week, a month, the whole year. Obviously more expensive to do short term but gives flexibility to just buy enough cover then when passed sort out the best policy which may or may not be with existing insurer..
Dunno if that helps

You could go with a specific learner only policy which is effectively an add-on to your existing policy (i.e. it cannot be used on its own).
It gives flexibility in how long the policy runs for and becomes void the moment your son passes his test.
Veygo is one that we've used but there are others.

will I need to change co?

More than likely - as a 'just passed' driver they are a much bigger risk than a learner.

All that freedom goes to their head! 🙂

An added complication is that we are currently with quotemehappy who don't insure drivers under 21, so I'm going to have to buy a new policy anyway - just trying to work out the path of least resistance.

Yeah, the algorithm makes quite a change to just passed drivers! Basically, they see them as higher risks, you will have to change the policy anyway when he passes to get adequate coverage, otherwise he could lose his license very quickly if pulled over without valid insurance!

It's also part of the dance that you'll more than likely have to change insurers to get a decent deal, you'd think in this day and age insurance would be easy, but it's not, you'll find that some of the cheaper quotes will not offer what you and your wife want either, so expect a real hunt to find the right one!

When my son was going through his test, had the same problem. The insurance that was the cheapest, was the most expensive when they passed.

So i used one of those 'pay as you go' learner insurances. Pay for 28 days at a time. That way didnt take out a full years insurance to only cancel it when the price skyrocketed and pay a penalty for it.
It wasnt an add on to my insurance or car. As id bought him a car for his 17th.

Took From June to November to pass his test.

It's looking like that depending on cancellation costs and how long it takes him to get his test, it might be easiest to just go with Hastings from the off.

Another vote for Veygo, been using it for the teenager whilst he's on a provisional. Mostly to just get experience. When he passes he can pay to be insured on the family car if he wants to.

We used Marmalade while my daughter was learning. Had to switch to LV when she passed.

https://www.wearemarmalade.co.uk/

And does your Hastings insurance quote stipulate a Black-Box to get it so cheap? They where very restricting when I looked so we didn't bother.

We had to change when no.1 passed - the price difference was crazy. Some companies just do not want a newly passed driver.

We are with Admiral now who are very competitive for both learner and just passed. We have been with them for three years, as the renewal keeps getting cheaper than other quotes even as we add a second or third learner or new driver.

Same position here, was recommended Marmalade for the insurance before passing the test.

Haven't set it up yet, as we're still at the retail-park-car-park stage while he waits for his first lesson, won't take him out on the road until he's had a lesson or two.

Resigned to the fact it'll be a tedious hunt for the least ruinously expensive policy to add him to once he's passed. Looks easier to just buy them their own car and insure that, but don't want to add another vehicle.

I put none of my 3 on as learners, and when they passed their tests we got them their own cars.

Unless you've a dual-control car and/or you're a driving instructor I'd be doing the same as we did. Reduce the risks and save the money to spend on their lessons.

@sharkbait and @sss thanks. I've just had a look at veygo and it looks like that's a good option.

Jnr insured the car we share with Admiral when he was learning, then stayed with them when he passed as while it wasn't the cheapest they didn't require a black box or have a curfew.

As he's away at uni I'm the main driver anyway, which reduces the premium.

You could go with a specific learner only policy which is effectively an add-on to your existing policy (i.e. it cannot be used on its own).
It gives flexibility in how long the policy runs for and becomes void the moment your son passes his test.

This - can't remember who we used as there are plenty of firms. Main advantage to me was that any claims were on the learner insurance and not mine, so no issues losing NCB etc. Could add a week or two every time they were home so they could drive and let it lapse when they weren't

Unless you’ve a dual-control car and/or you’re a driving instructor I’d be doing the same as we did. Reduce the risks and save the money to spend on their lessons.

You don't need dual controls or driving instructor qualifications to take your children out for extra practice - you need the patience of a saint and nerves of steel!

There will come a point (perhaps after 6-10 lessons with an actual instructor?) where the basics are mastered and what they need is lots of practice. If you aren't going to do that every day (e.g. friends literally made son do every trip they could, including dragging him on trips to the shops etc) then marmalade (or similar) is a good option. Don't assume that they'll be super quick passing - not all teenagers in 2022 are that bothered about driving, and there's massive backlogs for tests and instructors from Covid.

Some of the day insurance places will cover people who have recently passed. If they are students living away from home that may be a far more cost effective way to do it than having a policy in place 365 that actually only gets used for a few weeks of the year - especially if it saves you cancelling a policy mid year.

Our situation is a bit odd. He's not had any instructor lessons yet, but I've taken him out in a dual control car from Arnold Shark 3 times (6 hours). He's going to start instructor lessons, but I also want him to get some road awareness. Unfortunately both our cars are electric, so it can only be about road positioning, anticipation etc., but after 6 hours he's pretty good with the gears and clutch control. At least as good as me, who hasn't driven a manual car in anger with any regularity for nearly 10 years 🙂

If you think the learning period is stressful, wait for the day they drive off in a car without anyone else..

(Fwiw, we were really strict when they first passed. No passengers, no darkness or bad weather, local and familiar routes. Over a few weeks and months we eased off. They are also on a 'one strike and you're off the insurance' - from a bump to a complaint. They're very respectful of the car and the privilege, more so than the friends who've written off the car parents bought them, or been accused of speeding by neighbours, or known at school as a 'don't get in that car'....)

you need the patience of a saint and nerves of steel!

Anyone else push hard on the non-existent brake pedal in the passenger footwell? 🙂

My two (top tip: don't have twins!) started with a learner policy via Adrian Flux. Post test, a black box policy with one of the young-driver specific firms, not marmalade though. They ended up not offering to renew the policy despite a year of immaculate driving (according to the black box). So I had to put the car back in my name with them as additional drivers.

but after 6 hours he’s pretty good with the gears and clutch control. At least as good as me, who hasn’t driven a manual car in anger with any regularity for nearly 10 years

Sounds familiar - our cars are autos as MrsMC has a disability, so we got a manual for him to learn in, which took some adjustment, not driven one for 3-4 years by then.