Prepare for a shock!

You're 17, just passed your driving test and you are looking forward to having your first car! Sadly, you may well be able to find a decent car which is well within your budget but you are likely to have a huge shock when you find out just how much it is going to cost to insure it! You are up against one major problem; the accident rate for new drivers under the age of 21 is very high indeed; in fact there is at least a one in five chance, statistically speaking, that you will be involved in an accident before this year is through and since insurance companies are there to make a living they will look at you in a very suspicious manner and either refuse to deal with you at all or charge you what they consider to be a realistic premium, bearing in mind the considerable risk that a young person with little or no driving experience presents them with.

You might well of course be a very careful and conscientious person who will as safely as you can and well within your capabilities; the problem is that the insurers have to assess you as a risk and the main information they have about you is that you are in an age/experience category which gives them a lot of problems and expense so just what can you do about this? The answer; plenty.

The biggest risk factors with the most powerful and expensive cars so dispense with that part of the equation straightaway! Buy yourself a cheap little runabout, making sure of course that it is in good running order with satisfactory brakes and tyres. The odd dint of scratch shouldn't bother you too much, there is a fair possibility that you will get a few more before the year is through and it is very, very important indeed that you do not make any claims unless it is absolutely essential to do so, which means that the odd cosmetic problem should be ignored. Find out which insurance group your proposed wheels belong to; the lower the rating the less you will have to pay for insurance (and says that you are likely to be, to!). See if you can persuade an older friend or relative with some driving experience to be listed as a second driver on the policy; a number of insurers like to see this. A word of caution; don't do this the opposite way around and have yourself named as second driver and an experienced person as the main driver; insurance companies have been wise to this for a long time and you could risk not only having a claim disallowed but also find yourself prosecuted for fraud! The next thing to do would be to very seriously consider taking a Pass Plus course; this is a series of driving lessons which build up on top of the lessons you have already taken before your driving test, and which are designed to give you knowledge and experience of the real life driving hazards that you will be facing in the future on motorways, fast country roads, in bad weather or poor visibility, etc. These may well be expensive but a lot of insurance companies value a willingness in their clients to spend their own time and money making themselves safe drivers so you could well get a substantial discount off your insurance policy which could, in many cases, cover or even exceed the cost of your lessons. Finally, shop around; a good insurance price comparison site could save you a great deal of money. In the UK you could try here for cheap young drivers insurance or it you don't like comparison sites try Direct Line Car Insurance. If you are female you have, statistically, a better chance of avoiding accidents so try here for female car insurance or insurance for family home.

All of this hard work could be completely destroyed if you were to get a driving conviction! Insurance companies do not like covering young and inexperienced drivers who break the law by speeding, driving with insufficient care, or, heaven forbid, driving after drinking or taking drugs. Any of these offences could put your next insurance quotation straight through the roof, make it impossible for you to get insurance at all!