Students tend to get the raw end of the stick in the UK when it comes to finding car insurance. It goes without saying that insurance companies are incredibly severe to students in the area of pricing.

Many students have given up altogether and decided to just drive without insurance, which is illegal. Plus, it’s not a good idea. If the police catch you driving without insurance (which invariably they will at some stage or another) they have the right to take your keys and impound your car. Your fine could cost you up to £315 and, if the police get their way, they will ask you to produce a valid insurance certificate within 14 days (while you pay fees for the impound). Failure to do so could result in your car taking a trip to the crushers and being destroyed.

Ironically, one of the main reasons why teens car insurance premiums are so high in the UK, especially for students, is because one in 20 people are reported to be driving without insurance. Altogether, this is costing over £500 million pounds a year in accidents as if someone uninsured crashes into you (assuming you are insured) then your insurance company will probably still come calling to you to pay an excess; and you’ll get a black mark on your record - whether it was your fault or not.

If you don’t have insurance and crash into someone else you’re going to have to pay their insurance company for the damages. Plus, you won’t have a car anymore. For a student, having that kind of debt could really cripple them for a few years, financially.

Is it fair that the law - and life - demands you have insurance and yet insurance is so expensive? Well, the fact of the matter is that you probably can get cheaper student car insurance. You just have to do some shopping around, spend a little money upfront, and maybe take a little longer to get on the road.

If you’re planning on studying next year now is a good time to get all of your things in order. Find a certified driving course in your area and see if they will offer you provisional insurance. Look at the advanced driving course called Pass Plus and see if you can do the course in your area - it can drive your overall premiums down eventually. Start getting an idea of the car market and do research to see which cars get lower premiums. Certainly, the safer and more conservative the car is on the performance side the better premiums you will get. You will also save on fuel and car tax, especially if you’re planning on living in the bigger cities.

If you can, or if your parents can help you, you may even want to take a look at the new car market. Many new car dealers are offering three years free insurance on their cars. When you do the math you may be, in fact, saving substantially.

When you’re still a learner driver stick to the laws and rules of the road applicable to you. Don’t drive on the motorways, and make sure you have a valid L-Plate (or D-Plate) displayed on the rear and front of your car. A mark against your name at any time can result in much higher insurance premiums for you in time to come. And, for goodness sake, don’t drink and drive.

Tags: car insurance

Label: Car Insurance for Students and Teens