Car insurance for daughter - what to do?

[phaedrus]

Get it arranged soon. The law could be changed under some EU gender directive in the next few weeks to stop insurance companies distinguishing between male and females. This will more than likely mean that young women will be paying the same premiums as lunatic young lads, bonkers I know, but that is European law for you.

Are you saying that there are no young female drivers who leave something to be desired? That's certainly not my experience. I don't think that bad driving is restricted to one gender.

 

[Bromptonaut]

We did this last year when our 17yo daughter started learning. Our cars are a ten year old Citroen Xantia estate and a 1.9D Berlingo of about half that age; load luggers not performance or posing tools.

Wife's insurers on the Berlingo, via brokers Swinton, would not quote. Changing policy might have got something around £2000. Mine on the Xantia, Elephant, were happy to quote. Premium went up from £300 to £850 and changed only slightly after she passed her test. On renewal this year Elephant sent me a flyer touting a multi car policy with their associate Admiral. Xantia coverd for all three of us at £350 and quote for £400 when the 'lingo falls due in June - again for three named drivers.

Having daughter on insurance meant she could practice in my car. For all of a weeks holiday in Scotland last year the mot de vacances was 'bagsiness driving' and she did lots of other family trips as well. Passed first time in July.

Sure, she sometimes borrows the car for her own convenience but it's also great not to have to run her around to places and to have a third driver for family errands.

And even better when Mum and I both want to drink!!

So, in short, try your current insurer and see what they quote. If silly money then try Elephant or Admiral.

 

[beanzontoast]

Thanks all.

Daughter is working, by the way - she is saving up too, but we would like to help her out a bit if we can or she will be saving for a year or more. Assuming we can find a way of getting her insured at something approximating a do-able figure, that is.

Bromptonaut - cheers for that. Quite a similarity in some ways. I'll certainly give them a try.

 

[beanzontoast]

All sorted.

As expected, our current insurer wasn't that competitive adding a 21-year old onto what was essentially a 50+ policy, but we managed to get a new policy for all 3 of us with daughter able to afford her share - £450 - from savings already set aside. I could have carried on shopping around, but this policy also keeps our breakdown cover, protected no claims bonus etc all intact. For her first year driving, I didn't think that was too bad.

 

[darkstar]

I must be the most horrible person in the world...
If she were she my daughter..she'd be driving when she was working, paying for her own car and insurance.. and not before.. not out of spite or anything, that's just the way I feel it should be.

When I was 17, I passed my test and although i had a part time job, it wasn't enough to pay for the car insurance, tax, services etc. So my parents paid. We lived in a small village with no bus service and the nearest town 10 miles away. At that age you want a lot more freedom and my parents certainly didn't want to have to drive me to parties/town all the time.

 

[Night Train]

All sorted.

As expected, our current insurer wasn't that competitive adding a 21-year old onto what was essentially a 50+ policy, but we managed to get a new policy for all 3 of us with daughter able to afford her share - £450 - from savings already set aside. I could have carried on shopping around, but this policy also keeps our breakdown cover, protected no claims bonus etc all intact. For her first year driving, I didn't think that was too bad.

That's not too bad, my renewal has just come through at £920. I'm going to shop around too but I need fully comp and work cover.

I was going to suggest finding out how much more it would cost to add your daughter to your insurance and then spend that much on a bike for her instead!

 

[Sleeping Menace]

When I was 17, I passed my test and although i had a part time job, it wasn't enough to pay for the car insurance, tax, services etc. So my parents paid. We lived in a small village with no bus service and the nearest town 10 miles away. At that age you want a lot more freedom and my parents certainly didn't want to have to drive me to parties/town all the time.

There's no argument that at that age you want more freedom..etc..etc.. at the same time, I think it's completely valid that if a 17/18 year old has to pay their own way with a car, they're likely to have much more respect for the privilege of driving, much less likely to drive like an idiot and risk losing the license, and too, I'd suggest they're much more likely to take care of the car itself. -- I stand by it.


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[darkstar]

There's no argument that at that age you want more freedom..etc..etc.. at the same time, I think it's completely valid that if a 17/18 year old has to pay their own way with a car, they're likely to have much more respect for the privilege of driving, much less likely to drive like an idiot and risk losing the license, and too, I'd suggest they're much more likely to take care of the car itself. -- I stand by it.

Fair enough, but I've been driving 5 years, no accidents, no speeding tickets etc. Though I now only drive when I'm home from Uni. I just don't think it's possible for a 17 years old to fully pay their way, including lessons, payment of the car, mot, tax, insurance, tires, replacement parts (very likely to cost money if they can only afford an old car) etc and on top of that afford to grow up having fun, learning how to be social and maintain a girlfriend/boyfriend. Just my opinion though.

 

[srw]

Fair enough, but I've been driving 5 years, no accidents, no speeding tickets etc. Though I now only drive when I'm home from Uni. I just don't think it's possible for a 17 years old to fully pay their way, including lessons, payment of the car, mot, tax, insurance, tires, replacement parts (very likely to cost money if they can only afford an old car) etc and on top of that afford to grow up having fun, learning how to be social and maintain a girlfriend/boyfriend. Just my opinion though.

There's a very easy answer to that...

(in the interests of full disclosure - I got my first car when I was about 24.)

 

[Bromptonaut]

There's a very easy answer to that...

(in the interests of full disclosure - I got my first car when I was about 24.)

When I was a teenager nearly forty years ago nobody owned their own car. If they were lucky, and I was, they might get permission to borrow Mum or Dad's car occasionally. I've tried to replicate that for my daughter but very few of her friends are permitted the same facility.

 

[darkstar]

Things have changed a bit since then though, don't you think?

 

[Bromptonaut]

Things have changed a bit since then though, don't you think?

But what's really changed? I just don't understand parents buying their children cars when, as soon as the kid goes to Uni, it's no longer needed.

 

[srw]

Things have changed a bit since then though, don't you think?

The only thing that's changed is that teenagers think they have a right to own a car.

When I was still at school only a couple of my friends had cars. When I went to university only one of my school-friends took a car with him (it was a mini and he drove on the motorways at a constant 56mph to minimise fuel consumption). I was very unusual in that my parents lived less than 10 miles away and didn't use the car regularly, so I had access to a car which I could drive myself to take me to and from university each term.

That was a private school and a "top" university.

 

[Chrismawa]

There's no argument that at that age you want more freedom..etc..etc.. at the same time, I think it's completely valid that if a 17/18 year old has to pay their own way with a car, they're likely to have much more respect for the privilege of driving, much less likely to drive like an idiot and risk losing the license, and too, I'd suggest they're much more likely to take care of the car itself. -- I stand by it.

I agree

Fair enough, but I've been driving 5 years, no accidents, no speeding tickets etc. Though I now only drive when I'm home from Uni. I just don't think it's possible for a 17 years old to fully pay their way, including lessons, payment of the car, mot, tax, insurance, tires, replacement parts (very likely to cost money if they can only afford an old car) etc and on top of that afford to grow up having fun, learning how to be social and maintain a girlfriend/boyfriend. Just my opinion though.

It is possible. I grafted from the end of school to afford my first car(s) and insurance when I was 18. Wasn't cheap but it was all mine

 

[marinyork]

It is possible. I grafted from the end of school to afford my first car(s) and insurance when I was 18. Wasn't cheap but it was all mine

I'm all right Jack. What a wonderful attitude some people on this forum have.