Have Your Say

Car insurance can be costly especially for teenage drivers who have just passed their tests.

Some families try to reduce premiums by registering cars that are really owned by young drivers in a parent's name.

They then list the teenager as a named driver on the insurance policy instead of the main one.

But if the young driver makes a claim and the insurer finds out, any damage to their own vehicle will not be covered and the insurer could try to get the full premium from a parent.

We asked for your comments, a selection of which are below. This debate is now closed.

MOST RECENT COMMENTS:

We insured our 17-year-old son eventually in his own name but we learned a couple of things on the way. We tried joint insurance with my wife but because she had use of another car the cost was higher as the insurer's assumption was that she would not be the main driver. However, the worst case was that we did find a company who would insure him for £1,500 however when I enquired what would happen when he passed his test they said it would rise to £4,800 but could then be reduced to £2,300 if it dropped from comprehensive to 3rd party fire and theft only. Our final choice apologised that it would not reduce once he passed as he would still be a high risk. I commented that that was not my concern!
Jonathan, Derby

My son is a named driver on my wife's car - it cost £1,800 for the insurance. In the first week he was hit by an insurance scammer. When next year's premium arrives I don't think he will be driving. Insurance scamming is a real problem in the North West.
Tim Murphy, Preston

I started insuring my eldest son in my name six years ago and am currently covering my youngest. The company know who the main driver is - but I am still the policy holder. They are happy with this and my son is covered. He also gains two years "no claims" when he is 21. We have calculated that the money he saves over the four years is over £1,800 and he is only 20% adrift in no claims (which is nowhere near £1,800). My eldest took the Pass Plus - but the only companies offering 10 - 15% discount were also the most expensive quotes. He felt he had wasted his £120 as he was saving barely anything.
Sheena Beech

I looked at a Renault Clio on a 1995 M Plate -it was worth about £200 at most - and I had a quote of over £2,000! I have a small van, worth around £500 and the insurance is down to about £1,400. Now I know that most teens do not want a small van as their mates all have these cool hatchback cars but believe me it is well worth looking into. I am coming into my second year of driving and have one year "no claims" and quotes for about £700 for exactly the same vehicle.
Simon, Bristol

We bought a little car for my husband and our daughter to share. We could not find a company which would take into account his good driving record and the premium was around £1,000. When we came to renew the policy we informed the company she had passed her test and completed Pass Plus, expecting a reduction in cost. Not a bit of it - they imposed a surcharge because "She is now likely to drive around on her own"! They also increased the premium for the next year. I feel we did the right thing in putting our daughter through Pass Plus, for her safety and our peace of mind. However this is not likely to result in a saving in insurance premiums. We did get some of the Pass Plus costs back through a safer driving scheme through Bexley Council and Transport for London, so many thanks to them.
Jan, Bexley

Can I suggest that an insurance company insures the car for a period of three months? After that time if the teenager hasn't had an accident this can be extended for another three months. If they have had an accident the premium would go up. After a couple of years with no accidents they could then be insured for a year. At the moment insurance companies are branding all young drivers as irresponsible. My two children now aged 24 and 26 were subject to these extortionate amounts and to date have not had an accident, so why should they pay for those who do?
Pauline Norton, Bath

When our son was 17 we lived in rural mid-Wales and every teenager needed a vehicle to do any activity. We let our son buy a Landrover. The insurance was reasonable and we felt safe when he was out driving. He could not go wildly fast, he could not turn handbrake turns in the village square and the petrol consumption was such that it curtailed him making long journeys. Moreover, he learned to completely strip down the engine and second hand parts were cheap and easily available. His greatest delight was towing cars out of the Severn floods. He even rescued the mobile fish and chip van from the rising water, resulting in free chips for months!
Ann Hirst, Ashford

We found that if you add an experienced driver (ie parent/guardian) on to the policy it lowers the premium. Also, we initially insured the learner driver with her two learner siblings on the same policy. When her brother passed his test, he had a year's Named Driver credit (for which you need proof) - this brought his premium down by over £400.
Sue Baker, Northampton

Insurers are exploiting young drivers. Having a two years no claims bonus despite having had no claims or points on my license I am still expected to pay £500 for cover on a car that has a 899cc engine! This has gone up from last year when my policy was cut from £750 to £350. It is quite frankly absurd that it should go up with more experience without any fault from myself. It would make more sense to reduce the cost of insurance so that extra money can be invested in a more reliable and safer car or a Pass Plus test. Something needs to change!
Austin, York

Insure a 17-year-old to drive a car? You have to be joking! Insurers know that as a risk under 21-year-olds cannot be trusted not to have an accident in their first year as a qualified driver. For any parent thinking of insuring a 17-year-old lad you'd better be ready for a premium of at least £1,500, if you are fortunate! As far posing as the driver of their car, that's wrong and your insurance would be invalid. Driving these days is no longer for children, it is for responsible adults.
Mike Hildrew, Uttoxeter

My previous insurer looked for a premium rise of £1,500 to add for my 18-yr-old daughter when she started learning, so I shopped around and found another that was only £500 extra. My two kids now have their own car - daughter is 19, son 18 - and the first premium was £2,500. Best point - no increase when they passed their tests. Do it properly - this way they build their own NCB. Insurance is competitive. I think the companies charge what they need to cover the risk. And as for the people who try and cheat it - that puts up premiums for the rest of us, the same as uninsured drivers.
Malcolm Turner, Belfast

Why are insurance premiums for young people so much higher in the UK than in France? Do young French men have more accidents than young British men? I doubt it. Why can we not shop overseas for our insurances?
John Archer, Bishops Stortford

My insurance company gave additional discounts for adding my name to the policy, and a further discount because I had recently passed my advanced driving test. A total saving of over £400.
Kim Bennett, Newport Pagnell

---

The comments we publish are not necessarily the views of the BBC but will reflect the balance of views we have received. It is helpful if contributors state if they work for any organisation relevant to an issue discussed. Readers should form their own views on whether messages published represent undeclared interests, or views prompted by a common source.

Occasionally Money Box or Inside Money may wish to contact Have Your Say contributors about future programmes. If you find this acceptable we ask you to include your e-mail address.