Young Driver Car Insurance
Drivers aged 17–24 pay an average of £1,099 a year — more than double the UK average of £619. It's the most expensive age bracket there is, but it's also the one where the right choices save the most. Compare quotes below, then see exactly what drives the price and how to bring it down.
- 130+ UK insurers compared
- Q2 2026 premium data
- Insurance group free by reg
Premium data: Quotezone Car Insurance Price Index, Q2 2026 · updated July 2026 · quotes via Quotezone (FCA FRN 313860)
A year, UK-wide
Q2 2026 median fully comp premium for 17–24s — vs £619 across all ages.
February 2024
Where young-driver premiums peaked. They've fallen hard since — good time to compare.
South West England
Young drivers in the South West pay ~38% less than in London (£1,362).
The cliff edge
The 25–34 average drops to £845 — insurers' risk models step down sharply at 25.
Why young drivers pay more
Insurers price on claims data, and the data on new drivers is brutal — it's nothing personal.
Claims frequency
Drivers aged 17–24 are involved in a disproportionate share of serious collisions — around a quarter of all fatal and serious crashes involve a young driver, despite them holding a small share of licences. More claims, and more expensive claims, feed straight into the premium.
No claims history
A no-claims bonus is the single biggest discount on a policy — often 30–60% after a few years. A new driver starts at zero, so they pay the undiscounted price everyone else has earned their way off.
Inexperience compounds everything
The first two years of driving carry the highest risk regardless of age. A 40-year-old new driver pays an inexperience premium too — a 17-year-old pays for youth and inexperience together.
The cars young drivers buy
Older, cheaper cars often sit in higher insurance groups than you'd expect (weaker security, pricier relative repair costs). A £1,500 hatchback can genuinely cost more to insure than the car itself.
Nine ways young drivers actually cut the price
Ignore the folklore — these are the levers that consistently move quotes, roughly in order of impact.
Pick the car by insurance group, not price
Groups run 1–50 and a group-3 city car can halve the premium vs a group-20 hatch. Check any car's insurance group free with a Motorscan reg check before you buy it.
Consider a black box (telematics) policy
Telematics rewards smooth, low-mileage, daytime driving with discounts at renewal — typically the single biggest saving available at 17–19. See our black box guide.
Add a named experienced driver
A parent with a clean record as a named driver (who genuinely drives the car sometimes) reduces the average risk on the policy. Never reverse it — insuring the car in a parent's name with you as the "occasional" driver is fronting, and it's fraud.
Pay annually if you possibly can
Monthly instalments are a loan with APRs often over 20%. If the annual figure is impossible, a 0% purchase credit card paid off over the year is usually far cheaper than the insurer's finance.
Set the right mileage and use
Don't guess 12,000 miles if you'll do 5,000 — but don't understate it either. "Social, domestic and pleasure plus commuting" only if you actually commute.
Raise the voluntary excess — carefully
A higher excess cuts the premium, but only set what you could genuinely pay on the day of a claim, on top of the compulsory young-driver excess.
Park it where you say you park it
Driveway vs street can move a quote meaningfully. Answer accurately — a wrong parking answer can void a claim.
Do Pass Plus or an advanced course
Some insurers discount for Pass Plus or IAM RoadSmart courses. The discount is modest, but the safer-driving habit compounds with a telematics score.
Quote 3–4 weeks before you need the cover
Prices are consistently cheapest around 22–26 days before the start date and dearest on the day itself — insurers read last-minute buying as risk. Diarise it: the same policy can cost hundreds more at the kerb than three weeks out.
Get the small details right
Be on the electoral roll at your address, add your driving licence number to the quote, and pick the truthful job wording that prices best (a "student" who also works part-time can honestly quote both). Small verification signals genuinely move young-driver quotes.
Compare properly at every renewal
Loyalty is expensive at any age and ruinous under 25. Quotes vary by hundreds of pounds for the same driver — compare 130+ insurers every single year.
Comprehensive vs third party for young drivers
The counter-intuitive truth: the "cheapest" level of cover is usually the most expensive quote.
Years of drivers picking third party only (TPO) to save money taught insurers that TPO buyers claim more, so TPO is now priced higher than fully comprehensive for most young drivers. Always quote comprehensive first — you'll usually pay less and be covered for your own car too. See fully comprehensive vs third party explained.
Compare young driver car insurance quotes
One short form, quotes from 130+ UK insurers through our comparison partner Quotezone — and the reg box below starts it with your car's details already filled.
Young Driver Car Insurance — frequently asked questions
How much is car insurance for young drivers?
The UK average for drivers aged 17–24 is £1,099.57 a year (Q2 2026, Quotezone price index — median fully comprehensive premium). It varies hugely by region: from £847 in South West England to £1,362 in London, and single-age prices are steeper still — a 17-year-old in London averages £2,929.
Why is car insurance so expensive for under-25s?
Because claims data shows young and newly qualified drivers have more crashes, and more serious ones. Add zero no-claims bonus and the higher-group cars many first drivers buy, and the premium multiplies. The good news: it falls every claim-free year, with big steps at 21 and 25.
Is a black box worth it for a young driver?
Usually, yes — at 17–19 a telematics policy is very often the cheapest quote on the table, and a good driving score earns further discounts at renewal. The trade-offs are mileage limits and your driving being scored. Most modern policies no longer impose night curfews.
Can I go on my parents' insurance instead?
You can be added as a named driver on a parent's policy if you genuinely drive their car occasionally — often cheaper than your own policy, but you build little or no no-claims bonus. What you must not do is "fronting": a parent insuring a car that's really yours as if it were theirs. That's insurance fraud — policies get voided and claims refused.
When does car insurance get cheaper?
Each claim-free year helps, with noticeable drops at 21 and a big one at 25 — the 25–34 average is £845 vs £1,100 for 17–24. By 65+ the average is £431. Building no-claims bonus without interruption is the fastest route down the curve.
What's the cheapest car to insure for a 17-year-old?
Look for insurance groups 1–5: think Volkswagen Up/Skoda Citigo, Kia Picanto, Hyundai i10, Toyota Aygo, Fiat Panda and similar city cars. Before buying any car, run its reg through a free Motorscan check — the insurance group is shown free, along with tax, MOT history and mileage.
Can I build my no-claims bonus faster?
A few insurers sell accelerated no-claims products that grant a year's bonus after 10 months, and some count claim-free named-driver years towards your own policy if you stay with the same insurer. Both are worth asking about — but the reliable accelerator is simply an unbroken run of claim-free years on your own policy, which is why starting your own cover (even on a black box) beats staying a named driver forever.
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