Learner driver car insurance is often a cost effective and potentially a financially safer option than altering your annual car insurance to accommodate the learner driver and is ideal for those learning to drive and taking the practical driving test in a private car, for example a friends, partners, parents or possibly your own car.
This section details the benefits of using learner driver insurance.
How Does learner driver car insurance Work?
Learner driver insurance is a separate insurance policy that is added on top of an existing policy. This type of insurance is ideal when teaching someone to drive, or to simply allow them to gain further driving experience alongside the lessons they receive from a driving instructor.
What are the benefits?
Anyone that drives needs to insure their vehicle in order to drive or park on a public road. In the event of a claim being made against that insurance policy, often any No Claims Bonus will be lost, plus the cost of the policy is likely to increase due to the claim.
Learner driver insurance avoids this as it’s a separate policy. So if the learner has an accident, the claim can be made against the learner driver policy and the main insurance policy will remain unaffected.
Which Type of Cars are COVERED?
This depends on the provider issuing the learner driver insurance policy, though most normal, typical road cars are covered. If the vehicle you intend to cover is a particularly high insurance group (over group 26 for example), or the vehicle is of high value, usually within excess of £20,000 upwards, you may have problems getting cover. Car insurance providers do vary considerably however on the car insurance group they accept and the the value of the car. The figures above are an estimate only based on the strictest criteria.
What does the insurance cover?
Learner driver insurance is fully comprehensive. There may be other extras that can be added onto the policy such as legal and medical expenses in the event of an accident, courtesy car, breakdown cover and various other extras.
This depends entirely on the provider you intend on taking the policy with, plus any extras they may offer. The policy will cover the learner driver while driving under supervision by anyone over the age of 25 that holds a full UK driving licence and has done so for three years or more.
What is the Policy Duration?
Again, this is dependent on the policy issuer. The longer the duration usually means it’ll be cheaper as per calculated on a daily basis. Policies can be renewed once expired. However, to give you an idea of policy duration that many providers offer, they range typically from:
- 24 hour cover (though not very common)
- 7 days cover
- 1 month cover
- 5 months cover
What if I own my own car?
If you own your own vehicle and are the registered keeper, some companies that offer learner driver insurance may not cover you (though some do). If you are the registered keeper, you may need to take out an alternative type of insurance for example, temporary car insurance or a type of insurance dedicated to new drivers.
Does Learner Driver Insurance cover me for the driving test?
Learner Driver Insurance covers the policyholder for learning to drive and for taking the driving test. Driving examiners who sit next to you during the test have their own specific insurance and does not require insurance from yourself to be covered.
Are there any Restrictions?
- You will not be able to drive the car on your own and must be accompanied by a qualified driver siting next to you aged 25 or older and holding a full UK, EEA or EU driving licence for a minimum of 3 years.
- The policy only entitles you to drive as a learner and will become void once you have passed the driving test.
- The policy only covers the policyholder and no other drivers, either learner or fully qualified cannot be added to the learner policy.
- Another learner can be insured for the same vehicle, though they will need a separate policy.
- You will need to be a minimum of 17 years of age and some policies may have an upper age limit (check with the issuer).
- Learner driver insurance policy issuers will specify an upper limit on the insurance group of the vehicle and the value of the vehicle that they are willing to cover. Limits are determined by the issuers.
- Other restrictions may apply but are specific to individual companies such as:
- the time of day that the learner is covered. For example cover may cease during the times of 10pm – 6am
- a limit on the amount of passengers carried
- As the learner driver policy holder, your insurance will only cover you to drive the vehicle specified on the documents. You may drive other vehicles though you’ll need a separate policy. This does not include a driving instructor’s car as they have their own special insurance that covers all learner drivers automatically.
Is there an excess to pay in the event of a claim?
As with any insurance policy there will be an excess to pay in the event of a claim made against your learner driver insurance policy. The amount of excess you’ll need to pay is determined by the company you go with and how much excess you agree to pay when applying for the insurance. This will typically be in the region of £250 – £300. for further information on what is car insurance excess and how it works, see:
What Happens when I pass the Driving test?
The very moment you pass the driving test your learner driver policy will cease as you are now a fully qualified driver. Unless you have insurance in place to cover you immediately after passing, ensure you have your passenger drive you home, provided they themselves are insured. If you are the owner of the vehicle, you’ll need to acquire a new driver insurance of which there are many types, some of which work very well at keeping prices low. For advice on the different types of car insurance, what and who they cover, see
If the vehicle is not yours but you intend on driving it after passing the test, the owner of the vehicle will need to add you as a named driver on the policy.
Ok, So What Are the Main Benefits?
The main and most important benefit of taking out a learner driver insurance policy instead of adding the learner to your existing policy is that it is a completely separate policy. Your main annual policy will remain unaltered and your no claims bonus will remain intact in the event of a claim. Prices can be reasonable starting from around £1.49 per day, though this price is of course determined by the provider in question, the duration of cover, the vehicle you intend to insure, where you live and any extras you take.