What is temporary insurance for new drivers?
Temporary car insurance can be the perfect insurance option for new drivers. As a new driver, you might find it difficult to get insurance – and if you do it’s likely to very expensive. With temporary car insurance from Tempcover, you only pay for the time you actually need. From just 1 hour up to 28 days, you can find a policy that’s right for your situation.
Whether you’re driving to university, home for the summer and borrowing your parent’s car, or just want to drive occasionally and need insurance that’s more flexible – Tempcover has options to suit.
As a new driver, being safe on the road is the most important thing. As you gain experience and get more confident on the road, you’ll want an insurance policy that’s there for you should the worst happen. With short term car insurance for new drivers, you get the highest level of cover, fully comprehensive as standard for complete peace of mind on the road.
Can a new driver get temporary car insurance?
New drivers can get temporary car insurance with Tempcover quickly and easily. Many traditional insurers and annual insurance providers won’t offer cover to new drivers, but with temporary car insurance for new drivers, you can.
Because temporary insurance was designed to help drivers who struggle to find insurance elsewhere, new drivers can often find that short term insurance is the best insurance option.
To get temporary car insurance from Tempcover, you just need to be at least 17 years old and held a full licence for at least 6 months. If you meet our basic acceptance criteria, we’re confident we can find you cover.
Is temporary insurance for new drivers expensive?
Unfortunately, new drivers will find that all car insurance is more expensive including temporary insurance. Because driving experience is one of the most important factors when calculating the cost of insurance, new and young drivers will always pay more.
The unfortunate reality is that new drivers and young drivers are more likely to be involved in an incident and therefore make a claim. That’s why they’re charged more by comparison.
Although it can be difficult to get cheap insurance as a new driver, temporary car insurance can be a great way to cut costs and get value for money from your insurance.
As you only pay for cover when you need it, you don’t have the big expense of an annual policy. There are no long-term contracts, so if your situation changes, you’re free to change how you insure your car.
How can I get cheaper car insurance as a new driver?
The cost of car insurance depends on a range of factors about you, the vehicle and even where you’re driving. Unfortunately, one of the key factors that insurers consider when calculating the cost is how much driving experience you have.
Most new drivers are also young drivers which means they are inexperienced. This will often result in them having accidents and making claims. Because of this, the cost insurance goes up to cover the increased chances of you making a claim.
While new drivers will almost always pay more, there are several ways to get cheaper car insurance as a first-time driver:
- Get a sensible car. When getting your first car, pick something that’s smaller and less powerful and you could see your insurance costs drop.
- Add another driver. By adding a more experienced driver to the policy, you could find that you’re premiums drop, but make sure to avoid fronting.
- Increase your excess. If you can afford to do so, offer a higher excess upfront to reduce the overall cost. But be aware you will have to pay this in the event of a claim.
- Limit your driving. It’s a fact, if you drive less, you’re less likely to be involved in an accident, so if you are going to be driving less, make sure to tell your insurance provider.
- Pick the right insurance. There are a few different insurance options for new drivers from short term insurance to telematics insurance and even pay as you go insurance. Pick the right one for your situation and save.
One of the most important things to consider when looking for cheap insurance for new drivers is how often you’re going to be driving.
If you’re only planning to drive a few days a month, paying for a whole years’ worth of insurance can be a big waste of money. If this sounds like you, you could save a lot of money with new driver insurance.
It can be the best insurance for new drivers who don’t want long term commitments and need something more flexible and affordable.
What type of new driver insurance do I need?
As a new driver, you need to have car insurance that has at least third-party cover. This is the minimum level required by law and will cover the cost of any damage to a third party, including their car or property.
There are other options for new drivers. You could pick third party, fire and theft, which will cover the above, as well as any damage to your vehicle caused by fire or if the car is stolen.
Finally, the highest level of cover available is fully comprehensive. This protects against the same as the other two types of cover plus it will also cover for medical expenses, repairs, your own property, and sometimes even include a replacement car.
As strange as it may seem, despite offering the highest level of protection, fully comprehensive cover is usually cheaper than even third party insurance.
This is because historically drivers with high risk would choose the lowest level of cover to save money, however as they still made claims, many insurers increased the cost of third party insurance and reduced the cost of fully comprehensive.
When you choose temporary new driver insurance, you’ll get fully comprehensive cover as standard, so you know that even as a new driver, everything is covered.
Can I get temporary new driver insurance?
Temporary car insurance can be the best insurance for new drivers, but there are some restrictions on who can get a policy. To see if you can get temporary new driver insurance, check out the table below:
To get new driver insurance, you must
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To get new driver insurance, your car must
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Be aged 17 and older and have had your full licence for a minimum of 6 months |
Be valued between £1,500 and £65,000 |
Hold a UK driving licence, an EU or International driving licence |
be in a roadworthy condition with a current and valid MOT (unless you are using the insurance policy to take the vehicle to a pre-booked MOT) |
Have been a permanent UK resident for the last 12 months or a British expatriate |
The vehicle must be taxed (unless you are using the insurance policy to obtain tax for the vehicle immediately after purchase) |
Have no more than 7 licence points in the last 3 years |
Not be modified in any way except for those designed to aid disabled drivers |
Have not been disqualified from driving for the last 2 years |
Be a right-hand drive car |
Have no more than 2 fault claims in the last 3 years |
Have no more than 8 seats |
Have no criminal convictions |
Not be declared SORN |
Not have had a previous policy of insurance declared void by an insurer |
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Please be aware that each insurer on our panel has its own eligibility criteria and so you should pay close attention to their Proposer’s Declaration.
What does new driver insurance cover?
As a first time driver, you want to ensure you have the right cover. With temporary insurance, here’s what’s covered as standard:
What’s covered with first time driver insurance
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What’s not covered with first time driver insurance
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Fully comprehensive insurance on policies from 1 hour to 28 days |
The excess you agreed to pay |
Accidental and malicious damage to your car |
Release from an impound (unless you buy a specific temporary impounded vehicle policy) |
Accidental and malicious damage to your car |
Additional drivers – we can only cover the driver named on the policy |
Legal liabilities for injury or damage to another person or their property |
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Driving in the UK, and in some instances driving in the EU |
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Tempcover works with a panel of insurers to ensure we can provide temporary car insurance for as many drivers as possible. Because of this, full details of cover may differ depending on the insurer. Please double-check the policy wording before purchasing to confirm what is specifically covered in your policy.
When might I need temporary insurance as a new driver?
Whatever point you’re at in your driving journey, temporary insurance can be the ideal way to save time and money without compromising on the level of cover. Here are just some of the many everyday situations when you might need temporary insurance as a new driver.
- If only driving occasionally. Not quite ready to drive all the time? Don’t worry you can find flexible cover so you can drive as and when you need to.
- Borrowing a car for a holiday. If you’re planning a staycation, visiting friends, or heading to a festival, share the drive or borrow a car without impacting their No Claims Discount.
- Using a parent’s car before getting your own. While picking out your perfect first car, use your parent’s car to get around. There’s no risk to existing policies and with fully comprehensive cover, everyone can relax.
- Want to test drive a car. Once you’ve found your first car, it’s crucial to test drive it first. With policies starting from just 1 hour, you can get the cover you need for just the time you want.
- Waiting for a new car to arrive or driving it away. If you can drive your new car home, let temporary insurance fill the gap while you arrange your on-going insurance. If you’re waiting for it to arrive, just get covered to borrow a car for a day or two until it arrives.
- Student visiting home. Back for just a few weeks over summer? Don’t worry about buying a whole years’ worth of insurance – get cover for up to 28 days at a time with Tempcover.
Benefits of temporary insurance as a new driver
New driver temporary car insurance is the perfect insurance choice for new drivers for so many reasons. Rather than the tired, traditional insurance that sees all drivers as the same, temporary insurance is built to work for you. As a new driver, temporary insurance gives you more than just cover, it gives you control.
Not convinced? Here are just some of the benefits of choosing short term car insurance as a new driver:
- It will save you money. If you don’t need to drive year-round, why pay for 12-month insurance? With temporary insurance, you only pay for the cover you need.
- It’s flexible to suit your situation. Life can change pretty quickly as the last few months have shown us. With temporary insurance, you’re not tied in to anything, just choose when you need cover and when the policy ends, you can buy another one there and then if you need or wait until you’re driving again.
- No impact on No Claims Discount. Letting a new driver use your vehicle can be a concern for some drivers, but with short term insurance, there’s no adjusting existing policies and no impact on their No Claims Discount. It provides complete peace of mind for everyone involved.