Only using your car during breaks from uni? Or find yourself driving less now you live within walking distance of campus? Temporary insurance could be a handy way to keep your cover costs down.
Read on for all you need to know about how temporary insurance works for students, or get a quote now and find the cover you need in minutes.
Here's what 17-24-year-olds pay on average for their cover*.
One hour
£30.72
One day
£61.02
One week
£183.22
*Median price for drivers aged 17-24, Tempcover data April 2023.
While there isn’t any data to state exactly what you’ll pay for temporary cover as a student, those aged 17-24 (who are more likely to be students than older drivers) pay £30.72** on average for an hour’s worth of temporary cover, slightly higher than the all-age average of £21.92**.
There are a number of reasons why younger drivers pay more for their cover, but it mainly comes down risk. Insurers see younger drivers as riskier to insure than older, more experienced ones and charge them a higher price as a result. There are stats to back up their view too: 20% of all serious or fatal car accidents involve a driver aged 17-24, according to government research.+
Age isn’t the only factor that determines what you pay though: where you live, your car’s value and how long you’ve held your licence all have an impact.
For a deeper dive into exactly how your car insurance is calculated, see our guide.
**Tempcover data April 2023.
+According to Government research 2021
If you’re a student, temporary insurance can be a useful way to keep your driving costs down.
Our data shows that 17-24-year-olds pay £1,621.50++ on average for their car insurance. Government figures also show that 17-29-year-olds drive significantly less than those aged 30 to 69+.
According to student finance statistics, 9 in 10 students reported that their living costs had increased in comparison to the previous year.
Temporary policies give younger drivers, and especially students, a way to bring these costs down by only insuring themselves for the exact amount of time they spend behind the wheel.
Here are some scenarios where temporary insurance may be particularly handy for students:
You leave your car at home while at uni: Rather than taking out a full annual policy, which costs £1621.50++ on average for drivers 17-24, you could take out a temporary policy whenever you’re back home. With a week costing £183.21** on average for the same age group, this could be a way to significantly reduce your outgoings on insurance.
You drive less while at uni: If you’re within walking distance of campus, you might find yourself doing far fewer miles than before uni. A temporary policy could help you save by allowing you to only insure yourself for the time you spend driving.
You want to borrow your housemate’s car: If you have your housemate’s permission, you could take out a temporary policy on their car and be legally covered to drive it. You might assume you could drive their car anyway if you have insurance in place on your own car. But this isn’t the case! Driving Other Cars cover, otherwise known as DOC, is included with some insurance policies, but it’s usually for emergencies only. Unless it was a genuine emergency, driving your housemate’s car would be illegal without a policy in place to cover you. Temporary insurance could be a way to ensure you’re legally covered.
++Confused.com data, 24/02/2023 to 24/05/2023
+According to government figures 2021.
**Tempcover data April 2023
Our trusted partner Tempcover is a leading provider of short-term car insurance and has been helping customers find temporary cover for over a decade. All temporary car insurance policies compared through Confused.com are administered by them.
When you get a quote, we'll use the details you supply to compare a range of insurers who work with Tempcover, and we'll then show you a price based on your requirements. They compare comprehensive insurance policies from a range of insurers to help you find the cover you need.
While it can be handy for students, temporary cover does come with some drawbacks.
It can be less practical
It can be harder to get
It's more expensive overall
There may be better alternatives
"Temporary insurance can be a good way for students to save some much needed cash, but it isn’t the only alternative to full insurance that’s worth looking at. Pay-as-you-go policies can be worth a look at too. As can black box insurance. Make sure you’re considering all the options before committing."
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