Car Insurance - Additional Drivers

Additional Drivers
A large number of the additional drivers in the UK are young drivers and teenagers who are included on their parents car insurance policy. Inexperienced motorists under the age of 25 and possibly first time drivers are often quoted very expensive premiums because they are regarded as high risk by insurers.

In most cases it will be cheaper to add your son or daughter to your motor insurance policy than for them to purchase their own. If they are going to be driving their own car, it makes sense to insure it with your (car insurance) provider so that you can get a multi-policy discount. As soon as your teenager begins to drive, make sure to notify your insurance company that there will be an additional driver in the house. This will, always be reflected in higher insurance premiums.

If you are new to the challenge of finding a competitive quote for adding an additional driver, make sure you shop around to get the best deal. Also encourage your additional driver to undertake a recognised driver development training course and try to ensure they are driving a smaller engine, safe vehicle.

Up until recently however there was always one major drawback of this approach. Additional drivers insured on policies could not build up any no claims bonus unlike the main driver or policyholder. Therefore, additional drivers looking to take out their own car insurance policy in the future would effectively start with zero no claims bonus.

Direct Line Policy Initiative
In January 2006, Direct Line announced all additional drivers named on its policies would be allowed to build up no claim bonus entitlement allowing them to transfer this to their own car insurance whenever they choose to do so. Direct Line is the first major insurance company in the UK that recognises named drivers’ No Claims history.

Direct Line see this strategy as a positive step for named drivers and in the process hope to sell more policies in the future to additional drivers who were once regarded as named on their policies.

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