Insurance Cost/Decision - Advice needed

[TNGL]

Why won't your parents be named drivers?

This issue seems to come up a lot, it's usually because they think their driving record is at risk if he has an accident. Surely it's entirely useful and sensible for them to be insured on the car incase they need to move it or use it?

Yes, well my Mum does not drive and my Dad is very risk averse and so there really is no convincing him. A large part of his job relies on driving (yes I know, me having an accident really isn't going to affect him) and so the idea of putting his name on any policy associated with me is a complete 'write-off'.

In response to the replies about having him as a named driver I really was interested to see what the difference would be. Having typed his info in the quotes really aren't that cheaper, which I found surprising. I'm going to try and run it through a few more comparison sites just out of curiosity, however, it will all be in vain.

Have you already got the Audi? Maybe a change of car for the first year or so?

First time drivers usually have a crash in their first year anyway.

I've already committed to buying it and I don't want to drive the Corsa anymore It isn't as though the extra £1,000 or so makes it unaffordable but it's the principle of it and the fact that £1,000 is still a substantial sum of money.

 

[Semple]

Recently the whole lot seem to have skewed right towards black boxes, hundreds of pounds more to get it without.

This seems to be the way insurance is moving, telemetric boxes collect a lot of data that can be used to judge how 'safe' a driver usually is. It wouldn't surprise me if these eventually became more widespread and weren't targeting just young/old drivers are were targeting everyone. Heck if it slashed 50-75% off my renewal quote then i'd seriously consider one, anything less than probably 30% wouldn't even be worth the hassle.

I've already committed to buying it and I don't want to drive the Corsa anymore It isn't as though the extra £1,000 or so makes it unaffordable but it's the principle of it and the fact that £1,000 is still a substantial sum of money.

I think this is just going to be one of those times that you buy a higher-end of the market car at a young age, you're just going to have to suck it up with the additional costs involved wrt insurance.

 

[Nasher]

This seems to be the way insurance is moving, telemetric boxes collect a lot of data that can be used to judge how 'safe' a driver usually is. It wouldn't surprise me if these eventually became more widespread and weren't targeting just young/old drivers are were targeting everyone. Heck if it slashed 50-75% off my renewal quote then i'd seriously consider one, anything less than probably 30% wouldn't even be worth the hassle.

Problem is for people other than young drivers, they never make the insurance cheaper. You won't get the highest rating on them unless you drive everywhere at 20mph under the speed limit, never accelerate or corner quickly. It's practically impossible to get the highest rating in normal driving and that is the only way your getting any discount.

It costs the insurer a lot of money to install the devices in the first place. Obviously they want their returns.

 

[Haze]

Why dont you buy a car you can afford to insure, like normal people do??

 

[Snookums]

100% go for a black box. Don't drive like a tool and you'll be fine.

Or better yet get one like I did, directlines black box doesn't have any effect on inusuramce they do it simply to gather data. You can drive how you want and it won't get cancelled.

 

[TNGL]

I think this is just going to be one of those times that you buy a higher-end of the market car at a young age, you're just going to have to suck it up with the additional costs involved wrt insurance.

Yes, definitely.

Why dont you buy a car you can afford to insure, like normal people do??

Affordability isn't an issue at all. The principle of the matter is the issue, that is a £1000 (or 100%) increase in price. Being a "normal" person, I am considering the principle of the matter and not the absolute figures involved.

100% go for a black box. Don't drive like a tool and you'll be fine.

Or better yet get one like I did, directlines black box doesn't have any effect on inusuramce they do it simply to gather data. You can drive how you want and it won't get cancelled.

That is very interesting. I'll look into that.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

The girl who works next to me in the office has a box fitted and she gets scored by how she drives. They send her a cheque every few months if she behaves (basically some money back off the high premium shes paid, shes 19) I don't think there's a risk they'll cancel the policy if she drives badly but if she consistently scores badly and decided to renew with the insurer next year, it can affect the price they quote. Annoyingly she gets marked down if she speeds, drives in rush hour, late at night or on motorways.

 

[grudas]

The girl who works next to me in the office has a box fitted and she gets scored by how she drives. They send her a cheque every few months if she behaves (basically some money back off the high premium shes paid, shes 19) I don't think there's a risk they'll cancel the policy if she drives badly but if she consistently scores badly and decided to renew with the insurer next year, it can affect the price they quote. Annoyingly she gets marked down if she speeds, drives in rush hour, late at night or on motorways.

usually they have things like "if you're under 40% we'll be investigating your driving and might cancel your policy" etc

which is why I'd rather never get tracked. I don't want some algorithm deciding that I'm a bad driver because I accelerate or brake heavily when I'm on a nice country lane.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

usually they have things like "if you're under 40% we'll be investigating your driving and might cancel your policy" etc

which is why I'd rather never get tracked. I don't want some algorithm deciding that I'm a bad driver because I accelerate or brake heavily when I'm on a nice country lane.

Not much chance of that in her 15 yr old Corsa

 

[Puzzled]

100% go for a black box. Don't drive like a tool and you'll be fine.

Or better yet get one like I did, directlines black box doesn't have any effect on inusuramce they do it simply to gather data. You can drive how you want and it won't get cancelled.

What do you think they'll use the data for come renewal time?
Won't be long (may even be happening already) until all this telematics profiling data is shared between companies so things could get interesting.

Personally after having my time as a company driver analysed to the nth degree I've been put off black boxes for life (even though I'm a boring slow driver) . Plus the insurance companies are only doing this to increase profits in some form and I'm sure having all that data that could possibly get them out of paying for a claim is mighty useful for them.

Play with job description, mileage and other names drivers (teachers, company directors and others are usually cheap if you know one).
Also try going through quidco, quotes from their referral were always cheaper for me plus you get cashback.

 

[Nasher]

Yep, people are kidding themselves if they think it will lead to cheaper insurance. It won't, they will pick up on every minor thing as an excuse to charge you more. Maybe if you do a handful of miles per day at 25mph and never go near a busy road.

 

[Semple]

Problem is for people other than young drivers, they never make the insurance cheaper. You won't get the highest rating on them unless you drive everywhere at 20mph under the speed limit, never accelerate or corner quickly. It's practically impossible to get the highest rating in normal driving and that is the only way your getting any discount.

It costs the insurer a lot of money to install the devices in the first place. Obviously they want their returns.

I don't think they're *that* strict... I've seen some aimed at younger drivers which penalise you for late night driving etc.

Whilst not a black box, i did have a go with the aviva drive time app to see if it would offer up any discounts, and scored reasonably high on that.

And the black boxes these days seem to be self-install made_in_china thingies that you just plug into the cigarette port and away you go. Shouldn't be too costly for insurance companies to be providing these.

 

[TacticalFish]

Don't listen to them OP.

No black box = speeding. Speeding = Child Killer.

Don't be a child killer OP.

 

[ShivP]

Yep, people are kidding themselves if they think it will lead to cheaper insurance. It won't, they will pick up on every minor thing as an excuse to charge you more. Maybe if you do a handful of miles per day at 25mph and never go near a busy road.

Last year I had admiral black box at £1198

This year come renewal time, ran some comparison sites, they came out cheapest at £800, admiral quoted £870ish originally and after ringing them they fell to £750 so I went with them for a second year with black box

And this was using the car 5 times a week on dual carriageway sometimes hitting 80/85 and still "gold" on the online thing

 

[peige]

Problem is for people other than young drivers, they never make the insurance cheaper. You won't get the highest rating on them unless you drive everywhere at 20mph under the speed limit, never accelerate or corner quickly. It's practically impossible to get the highest rating in normal driving and that is the only way your getting any discount.

It costs the insurer a lot of money to install the devices in the first place. Obviously they want their returns.

She's on month 2 and has a £30 reward for her driving. When she looks a the breakdown its not all perfect, some low points for smoothness and even a couple for speed.

As cynical as I am it does seem to be giving money back.

 

[Nasher]

Point for smoothness...so basically you loose money if you have to stop quickly to avoid a crash