As a new or young driver, finding good insurance at an affordable price can be difficult. With little experience on the road, insurers are likely to consider you as high-risk — at least for the first couple of years while you build your driving history.
And, you guessed it — with that higher risk comes higher insurance costs.
This is especially true for new private hire drivers. That’s because your insurance has to cover not just you and other road users, but the passengers you’re carrying, too.
So, is there a way to pay a fairer price for private hire insurance as a new driver?
Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Choose the right car
The type of car you drive can make a big difference to the cost of your private hire insurance.
Insurers typically work out the price of your policy using insurance groups, ranging from 1 to 50. Vehicles that are more powerful and expensive to repair or replace tend to fall into a higher group, which means a higher cost to insure.
By choosing a modestly priced vehicle, with a smaller engine and good range of security features, you can help to lower your insurance risk and the cost of your cover.
(Thinking of driving for Uber? Check out our guide to the best cars for Uber drivers in the UK.)
2. Add an experienced named driver
If you’re able to, try adding an older, more experienced driver to your policy.
If you’re a young driver, this could be a parent or family member — someone you know and trust, and who is likely to use your car from time to time.
By adding a more experienced named driver to your policy, you can help to lower the overall insurance risk, and therefore lower the costs, too.
Just be sure that the person who drives the vehicle the most (you) is listed as the main driver. If a named driver is found to be the primary driver, it could invalidate your insurance and land you in some trouble.
3. Choose a smart telematics policy
Telematics is a type of technology that measures how well you drive. By driving safely, you can prove to your insurer that you’re a good driver, which helps to lower your insurance risk. And that means lower insurance costs, too.
As a young driver, it’s a clever way to start paying less for your insurance sooner, especially while you build your driving history and no claims discount.
Zego Sense is our app-based telematics policy. Unlike similar policies, you don’t need to install a black box device in your car — everything is done through our easy-to-use app on your smartphone.
First of all, we give you 10% off* upfront, because we trust that you’re a good driver. Then we measure how well you drive over time. You’ll even get a driver score to show how you’re doing.
By driving safely, you’ll build a high score — and a higher score means better discounts when you renew. Clever, right?
In fact, drivers with a Zego Sense policy can get up to 32% off** the price before a Sense discount is applied at renewal.
Want to see how much you could save?
Get a quote now. It only takes a minute, and we’ll give you a price right away.
*When you buy a Sense policy, your upfront payment is 10% cheaper than a standard policy, as of 01/05/23.
**32% discount is the maximum that can be achieved by Sense policyholders who have a driver score of 95 and above, as of 05/09/23.
