Driving Courses and Your Insurance Premiums

Taking an advanced driving course won’t just make you a better driver. There are a few ways in which they can actually lower your car insurance premiums.

There are several different types of driving courses or driving monitoring that may be worth considering:

Advanced Driving Courses

Some specialist insurance companies offer car insurance discounts to people who have taken advanced driving courses including many of the courses offered on this site. Other insurance companies offer discounts to people who are members of the Institute of Advanced Motorists or who have taken further driving courses with the AA.

Having taken an advanced driving course you will hopefully be a safer driver, have less accidents and therefore you should be getting cheaper car insurance if you go for this option.

Pass Plus

For younger drivers who have just passed their test you may find that taking what’s known as the Pass Plus, (a short course designed for new drivers) may result in cheaper car insurance. Some insurers offer discounts of up to 30%.

You can find out more about your Pass Plus course from your driving instructor. The best way of finding out whether a course you have taken or are planning to take is going to have an effect on your insurance is to ask your insurer.

Again this course will hopefully make you a safer driver and therefore reduce your insurance premiums accordingly.

"Pay as You Drive" Telematics

It’s getting more and more common for insurers to offer pay as you go insurance where a tracking box (telematics device) is fitted in your car and will allow the insurer to keep an eye on how many miles you drive, what times of day you drive and how safely you drive. This telematics based insurance may well be worth a look for any driver. Companies offering it include insurethebox, Cover Box, i–kube and Co–Op Insurance.

Speed Awareness Courses

Speed awareness courses are sometimes offered by local councils to people as an alternative to having points added to their licence. A driver in this situation will have to pay for their course which may end up costing more than a speeding fine. On the plus side the conviction and points will be wiped off your record. The fewer driving convictions you have the less your insurance will be. Bear in mind that a single speeding conviction could push up your insurance costs by about 20% for at least a three–year period.

Summary

As a better driver you have less chance of causing an accident. Insurance companies will offer cheaper insurance for people who haven’t had accidents as these people are seen to be lower risk – they offer a ‘No Claims Bonus’ (NCB) whereby you get an additional discount for each year you’ve been accident free.

So doing a driving course can help you get lower car insurance premiums either directly through some insurers or indirectly through making you a better driver.

Remember though that whatever your circumstances it usually pays to shop around using a price comparison website like Tiger.co.uk.

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This page was last updated
Wednesday, 10-Aug-2011

Driving Courses and Your Insurance Premiums