An exciting milestone in your life is when you are approaching your practical driving test or have recently passed, and it is time to start to look for your first car. Buying your first car is probably one of the most significant purchases you have made so far in your life, so of course, you want it to be everything you had dreamed about. With this big purchase there also comes a few worries, the main of which is trying to find low car insurance quotes.
What Are The Best Tips For Low Car Insurance?
It does seem very unfair that your first year of driving is most likely going to be the most expensive, but there are several different ways you can get around it and save as much money as you can. We have devised a list of our top tips for saving money on first-year car insurance to ensure you get the best deals!
1. Add a Second Driver
Adding a second driver to your insurance is one of the main hacks to cutting costs. Always put yourself as the main driver then add a responsible adult as the ‘occasional driver’. It means that it will still be your car, everything will still be in your name, but you just have a second driver able to use your car. If you add someone who is an older experienced driver with a good driving record, insurance companies will see your car as a lower risk of accidents. It is worth trying out different drivers in your family because surprisingly different people will alter the cost, you can keep trying until you find the cheapest quote. Also, having a second driver on your insurance is handy in case of emergencies.
2. Shop Around
It may sound obvious, but it is worth shopping around several different comparison sites rather than deciding on the first cheap quote you find. Being a first-time driver, you have more of an upper hand because insurance companies offer new customers their best deals. They want you to choose them over their competitors. Some of the best car insurance comparison sites are GoCompare, moneysupermarket.com and comparethemarket.com.
3. Black Box
A black box will be installed into your car and monitor each journey you make. Most people only have their black box for their first year, but you can have it for as long as you decide. As well as saving you up to £400, it can also be a handy tool to help to improve your driving, as your app will score your driving and tell you areas to improve.
4. Car Choice
As tempting as it is to get a flash first car, it is unlikely to be worth the huge fee you will have to pay out. Out of all of your driving years, your first year is likely to be the year your car will go through the wars the most. Insurance companies will raise prices for aspects such as engine size and cars that are known to be more popular. Vauxhall Corsa’s and Astra’s are easy to drive as your first car but are usually more expensive because they have bigger engines and are known for being ‘boy racer’ cars. The cheapest cars to insure as a first-time driver are small cars like a Ford KA and Peugeot 107.
5. Don’t Modify Your Car
Any modification to your car will raise the price of your insurance, even small changes like tinted windows. If you modify your car, you will have to declare the changes to your insurance company, failure to do so may result in your insurance policy being cancelled. One of the reasons why modifications add to insurance prices is because it is seen as making your car more vulnerable to being stolen or broken into.
6. Security
Where you claim on your insurance that you keep your car at night will also affect the price of your quote. If you say that your car is parked in a public car park or on the street, even if it is outside your house, your insurance will be more expensive. A garage or driveway will lower the price, as they are both more secure areas where your car will be safer.
7. Occupation
As crazy as it sounds, insurance companies every year will research the most accident-prone jobs. Never lie about your occupation, but how you write your job title can alter the cost. It is always worth playing about with the different ways, in which you can describe your job title, to see whether the quote price changes. For example, simply saying that you are a teacher will be cheaper than specifying the subject that you teach.
8. Less Mileage
The excitement of being able to drive independently does mean that you will drive at just about any opportunity. However, when organising your insurance, they will ask you to state the number of miles you want them to cover you for. The fewer miles you drive, the cheaper your insurance will be. However, always be realistic about how much you plan to drive, if you need to drive a long distance to go to places such as work, it is better to give yourself a little more to be safe. If you run out of miles and have to buy more, it will be considerably more expensive than the original price.
Our article proves how even the smallest alterations can provide you with low car insurance. It is unlikely that you only have to pay a small amount, as a first-time driver your insurance will always be a little higher than, for example, your parents’ quotes. An essential thing to always remember when driving is the safer you drive; the lower your insurance will be in the long run. No accidents, claims and points on your license will all be the main contributions to low insurance. Taking the right amount of driving lessons in London will help to make you a better driver, only take our test when you are completely ready and know you will be safe on the road.