When you’re looking for student car insurance, it can almost put you off wanting to own a car. Let us show you a few simple ways how you could save money on car insurance if you are a student.
Why So Expensive?
Firstly let’s look at why student car insurance is generally so expensive. Most students are generally under the age of 25 and are considered to be a higher risk on the roads compared to older drivers. Students are more likely to be new drivers too, meaning they have a lack of no claims bonus. Listing yourself as a student puts you in a high risk category, so mature students can be penalised with higher insurance quotes too. You’ve also got to consider that you might be based at a new address in a different city, possibly with only on street parking. Some university accommodation will flag up as in a high crime area so you might be hit with higher premiums based on this. Do despair though, there are ways you can save.
The Right Car
The make and model of the car you drive has a big impact on the cost of your insurance. Certain ones are considered to be high risk. Some are more expensive to repair if something was to happen. Consider smaller engines with improved safety and security features. Also look at basic models, rather than sports versions and steer clear of modifications. All cars on the market are categorises into 50 insurance groups. Find a car in a lower group as they will be cheaper to insure.
Add A Driver
Adding an older and more experienced driver to your policy can help reduce your insurance quote. If you are the one who will be using the car most of the time, make sure you put yourself down as the main driver. Adding someone else as the main driver when it’s actually you, is illegal.
Your Needs
Be sure to tailor your policy to suit your needs. The majority of insurance companies have a compulsory excess but you can lower your premium if you add a voluntary excess on top. Be sure you can afford said excess if you needed to make a claim and be smart with your excess. Is it worth having a £500 excess to get it repaired if you were to have an accident, if your car is only worth £500?
Similarly, work out your mileage. There’s no point paying for more miles if you’re not going to use them. What will you be using the car for? If you’re going to be walking to lectures and will only really be using the car for trips to the supermarket to buy noodles and beer, work out your predicted mileage. Maybe you’ll drive home once a term and head back for Christmas and Easter too. Take time to figure out how many miles you’ll be doing. Lower mileage equals a lower quote as you are doing less driving, so less risk.
Up Your Experience
You could also gain more experience behind the wheel. Advanced driving courses such as Pass Plus often help to lower the price of your insurance. Whilst they cost around £150, they could knock as much a 35% off your premium. They also giving you more time in the drivers seat learning how to be safer. You could even think about black box insurance which rewards careful driving.
Shop Around
Be sure to shop around and get a variety of quotes. Also be aware hat not all insurance companies are on comparison sites so you might have to go direct to a few of them. You could also see what insurance companies are offering cashback on cashback websites. These bonuses aren’t always a guarantee though, so focus on the lower priced quotes.
Remember, at the end of the day, be honest. Providing false information is fraud and you could find yourself not actually being insured. There are plenty of ways to get lower insurance premiums without resorting to being illegal.
