Why is van insurance for young drivers so expensive?
Insurers use lots of different details when working out insurance prices - two of which are age and driving experience. These are used alongside other details to understand how likely you are to have an accident or make a claim.
Driving experience can be difficult to measure but insurers look at things like the type of licence, how long you’ve held it and any previous accidents, claims or driving convictions you’ve had.
Unfortunately, statistics show younger drivers are at a greater risk of having an accident. According to the road safety charity Brake, 1 in 5 new drivers has a crash within a year of passing their test1. This means they’re more likely to make a claim.
Insurers protect themselves against the increased risk, by making prices more expensive until young drivers build up their experience.
It’s not all about you as the driver though. The type of van you drive can also affect your insurance price. The best vans for young drivers are often smaller or less powerful than an average van.
1 Brake’s report on facts about young drivers.
How do I get cheaper van insurance as a young driver?
We understand that as a young driver your insurance is likely to be higher than average. You might be tempted to bend the truth about how you use your van day-to-day, but you shouldn’t. Especially if it compromises your level of cover, just to save in the short term.
The details you give insurers about you, your van and how you use it should be accurate. If not, you risk your policy being void and could run into problems if you make a claim. For example you shouldn’t say you only use your van for private use if you use it for work as well.
Surprisingly, a comprehensive policy is often cheaper than a third party policy, even though it offers the most protection.
Here are some other ways to get cheap van insurance:
- Choose a black box or telematics policy
- Add more security to your van
- Increase your voluntary access
- Use a dashcam while you drive
- Buy a van that’s cheap to insure
A black box or telematics policy collects data on your speed, braking, cornering, mileage and time of day you drive. If you prove to be a good driver the insurer may offer a cheaper price.
Add more security to your van such as an extra alarm, upgrade immobiliser or locking your van in a garage overnight. This shows you’re taking extra steps to keep your van secure.
Increase your voluntary excess if you can afford to put more towards any future claims.
Use a dashcam while you drive. Insurers could offer a discount if you’re able to supply footage following an incident.
Buy a van that’s cheap to insure if you haven’t bought one yet. Smaller vans with less powerful engines usually cost less to insure.
Need more ways to save? Read about how you can cut the cost of your van insurance.
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Types of van insurance
Temporary van insurance
gives you cheap, short-term cover from 1 to 28 days for social and business use.
Commercial van insurance
protects your van and its cargo if you use your van for haulage or business use.
What our van insurance expert says
When working out their insurance prices, insurers use van insurance groups to categorise different vans. As a young driver, choosing to drive a smaller, less powerful, or expensive van in a lower insurance group could be a good way to find cheaper van insurance.
Daniel McCulloch
Head of van insurance
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