Black box insurance

Also known as telematics insurance, black box policies are great for anyone who wants to take control of their insurance costs as they offer personalised insurance based on when and how YOU drive. You can find out more about how telematics technology works in our guide – telematics explained.

If you’re unlucky enough to fall into one of the groups that insurers deem ‘high-risk’, you’ll likely be looking at high premiums to insure your car. Telematics could be especially good for people such as:

• Young and inexperienced drivers
• Less frequent drivers with a low annual mileage
• Older drivers who want to prove that they're safe behind the wheel

If you fall into one of these groups, telematics insurance could help you pay cheaper premiums, and it's great for anyone who's a safe driver. Take a look at our quarterly car insurance price index to see how insurance premiums have risen and fallen for certain drivers in various areas of the country.

Instead of paying for insurance based on the average driver, black box insurance premiums are based on when and how you drive.

• Insurers know that serious and fatal accidents are most likely to occur late at night or early in the morning. With this in mind, you may be able to lower your premiums by agreeing to not use your vehicle during these hours. This doesn’t mean your car is uninsured for that time, it simply means you may incur a penalty if you do drive during this period.
• As well as high risk groups, black box insurance may be suited to occasional low mileage drivers who are paying premiums based on average figures. Having a box installed is a lot less ‘big brother’ than you think, and insurance providers treat data protection seriously. More information on how your premiums are calculated for black box policies can be found in our FAQs.
• If you’re frustrated at having to pay a high premium, black box insurance could be the answer to your car insurance problems. These policies often come with other benefits like free anti-theft tracking and personalised online records of your driving. Great for younger drivers or anyone who wants to take control of their insurance costs.