Car insurance is a pain in the neck for any driver, but it can be particularly problematic if you’re new on the roads. When car insurance providers are figuring out how much they should ask someone to pay for their policies, they look at a range of different factors, including how safe someone is on the road, what kind of car they drive, and how many years they’ve had without any accidents.
Unfortunately, if you’re a new driver, your insurance provider won’t have a lot of evidence proving that you’re a good investment. This means that until you’ve been on the road for long enough to prove that you’re not a risk, you’ll need to be extra creative if you want to reduce the costs of your car insurance premiums.
The good news is that there are things you can do to bring your fees down a little.
Choose a Higher Excess
One of the easiest ways to reduce the cost of your car insurance is to opt to pay a higher excess. The excess in your car insurance is the amount that you’re willing to pay towards things like repairs if you need to make a claim. If you set your excess for lower for instance, your premiums will generally be higher than if you were willing to pay an excess of a higher amount.
The important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t set your excess so high that you can’t really afford to pay it. Make sure that you’re cautious with your excess, but that you use it to your advantage where you can.
You shouldn’t set your excess so high that you can’t really afford to pay it.
Try Black Box Car Insurance
Another way to reduce the cost of car insurance if you’re a new driver is to opt for black box car insurance. This simply means that you add a box to your car that tracks how well you drive over time. Your insurance providers will see that you’re a safe and responsible driver and reward you for that with reduced premiums.
Obviously, there are some risks involved with adding a black box to your car – as if you make any mistakes your insurance provider will see that, and your premiums may change. However, it’s a great way to convince insurance providers that you aren’t as risky as they think.
Add another Named Driver
Adding another name driver to your car insurance policy could be another good way to reduce the cost of your car insurance. The key to success here is making sure that the named driver you bring onto your policy has a good history of safe driving. Your car insurance provider might see their history as evidence that you can be trusted, and thus reduce the premiums on your insurance.
Importantly, you will need to make sure that the other driver you add to your policy does plan on using the car – even if it’s just once or twice a year. This reduces the risk that you end up in trouble for lying to your insurance provider.
Keep your Car Secure
Car insurance providers like to know that the vehicle they’re insuring is going to be as secure as possible to help them avoid the risk of theft. The good news is that you can prove to your insurance provider that you’re not a risk by fitting your car with an alarm or an immobiliser. It also helps if you can park your car in a locked garage overnight, or out of the way of any roads so that it’s less likely to be stolen or damaged.
When you’re applying for car insurance, your provider will ask you to fill out a form explaining things like where your car will be left, when the car is being driven and so on. The more you can show that you keep your vehicle out of harm’s way, the better.
Choose a Cheaper Car
Finally, as tempting as it might be to choose the most expensive car you can afford so that you can show off your new wheels to your friends, if you want cheaper car insurance, then you’re going to need to invest in a more economical car.
Driving a faster car with a powerful engine puts you back into the “risky” category with your insurer. Make sure that you check out what kind of group your car shows up in before you buy it, to determine how much you’ll need to pay for insurance.
Driving a faster car with a powerful engine puts you back into the “risky” category with your insurer.
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