Young drivers should shop around

Car Insurance - Young drivers should shop around

The Pass Plus driving scheme is usually taken by new drivers after passing their test. It is seen as a way to improve driving ability after taking the test and importantly to provide a message to car insurance firms and to result in lower car insurance quotes. The scheme is perceived to hone and improve certain driving skills and perfect a new driver’s technique on the road, thus giving insurance companies greater confidence in the driver’s abilities and consequently result in lower quotes.

Yet new research from experts now contend that young drivers are better off shopping around for cheap car insurance rather than taking an advanced driving test. They suggest that the scheme may not always result in lower premiums and that the only real way to cut costs of cover is to do relevant research and shop around online.

The Driving Standards Agency created the Pass Plus test to help improve driver performance and costs approximately £180 for the six-hour course and is marketed as a way for new drivers to cut the cost of cover. New research is now showing that young drivers are better off saving their money and using it to get the best quote for themselves and to ensure they shop around.Even though the course, which must be taken within 12 months of passing the driving test, is aimed at making young drivers more responsible, research shows that it will not necessarily result in cheaper premiums.

Insurance provider Swinton provides a good comparison. If an 18-year-old male student from Bramhope, Leeds, driving a Ford Fiesta valued at £1,500 and parked off the road at night would pay £3,448 for third-party cover with Swinton.

If the driver held a Pass Plus certificate, Swinton would cut this premium to £2,948. Yet the same driver could forego about Pass Plus and pay £2,890 with rival Admiral for comprehensive cover for ten months. The key to finding good car insurance is not necessarily based around certificates such as Pass Plus but to shop around and get as many quotes as possible using the internet or a broker. This is the best way to cut the cost of cover and to find variety of choice. This is even more applicable to young drivers who have just passed as insurance costs for young drivers are very high with many insurers no even quoting under-21s. The onus is then on the driver to do their research and survey the field and the wealth of choice available in the car insurance market.