Learner Driver Insurance

What is learner driver insurance?

The DVSA estimates it takes the average learner around 45 hours of lessons with instructors and 22 hours of private practice to pass their test.

If you’re a learner driver practising with friends or family instead of or alongside a qualified instructor, you will need your own insurance policy. But, when learning to drive, you probably won’t need cover constantly – instead, choose an insurance policy that’s flexible and that can suit your needs.

With our learner car insurance, you only pay for the cover you need, when you need it. You can choose to take out learner insurance for a day, a week, or a month. With cover available from 12 hours up to 28 days it’s easy to find a policy that fits around you.

With our learner driver insurance, you’ll get comprehensive cover as standard, giving you complete peace of mind while you hone your driving skills.

How much does learner driver insurance cost?

The price of learner driver insurance will vary depending on factors including the age of the learner and the vehicle they are driving in. It is often more affordable than adding a learner to an annual policy as you will only pay for the time you need. With Tempcover, policies can last between 12 hours and 28 days.

How does our learner insurance work?

Our short-term learner car insurance is ideal for learning to drive in your own car or in that of a family member. You can take out cover for the length of time that you need, and you’ll be fully covered to practice in the car of your choice.

As a provisional licence holder, you’ll need to make sure you have someone with you who’s qualified to drive and is eligible to supervise you. With our provisional insurance, there’s no impact on any No Claims Discount so any other policy won’t be affected.

It’s important to remember that your learner driver insurance won’t cover you once you’ve passed your test but it’s an affordable way of getting insured so you can practice driving as a learner.

What does learner driver insurance cover?

Comprehensive cover comes as standard on our short-term learner car insurance policies, so you’re automatically covered for any damage sustained to yourself, the vehicle, or any third parties.

Tempcover works with a panel of insurers to ensure we can provide temporary car insurance for as many drivers as possible. Because of this, the full details of cover may differ depending on the insurer. Please double-check the policy wording before purchasing to confirm what is specifically covered in your policy

Am I eligible for provisional insurance?

We’re confident that if you meet the criteria below, you will be eligible for learner driver insurance.

Each insurer on our panel has its own eligibility criteria. Please pay close attention to their Proposer’s Declaration.

How can I get learner driver insurance?

If you’re learning to drive in a private car, you legally need learner driver insurance. It’s easy to get the cover you need for private practice with Tempcover. Just follow these three simple steps:

• Enter a few details about yourself and the car you want to learn in.
• Confirm you’re happy with the price and details of your policy.
• Pay for your policy and get your documents emailed instantly.

That’s it! When your policy expires, we’ll send you a reminder in case you need another policy. If you do, it’s the same simple process every time. Get a quote today and start getting in some extra practice.

You can practise driving with family or friends. Anyone you practise your driving with (without paying them) must:

• Be over 21.
• Be qualified to drive the type of vehicle you want to learn in, for example they must have a manual car licence if they’re supervising you in a manual car.
• Have had their full driving licence for 3 years (from the UK, the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein).

You can be fined up to £1,000 and get up to 6 penalty points on your provisional licence if you drive without the right supervision.

Can I get learner driver car insurance on my own car?

Yes, any learner driver who has their own car will need insurance to learn to drive in it. There’s nothing stopping a learner buying a car before passing their test. This has some advantages as you can get comfortable in the car you’ll be driving long term.

Despite owning the car, you wouldn’t be able to drive it yourself without learner driver insurance. This policy will give you time to get used to your new vehicle. When you pass, you’ll just need to get an annual policy in place before driving independently.

With learner driver insurance, you need to be supervised by a driver who has held a full licence for at least three years.

How much does it cost to add a learner driver to an insurance policy?

Adding a learner driver to an existing annual policy can be expensive. This is because learner drivers are seen as a higher risk due to their lack of experience. Some insurance providers might not even allow learners to be added.

Adding a learner to your policy could increase your premium and it’s also likely you’ll have to pay an admin fee to amend it. You also face the risk of losing your no claims discount if the learner has an accident in your car. This could be an expensive short-term repair and increase your annual insurance premium.

Learner car insurance is an option that won’t impact an existing no claims discount. This is because it’s a standalone policy that lasts between 12 hours and 28 days. This helps learner drivers get private practice at a time that suits them.

Benefits of insurance for learner drivers on parents’ cars

If you get insurance on a parents’ car, you can get in this extra practice whenever you want to – and only have to pay for the time you need.

Another benefit is the owner of the car’s no claims discount will not be affected, so even if the worst does happen and the learner has an accident they can have the peace of mind that they’re fully covered.

The spiralling cost of tutored driving lessons means private lessons are a more affordable and increasingly popular way for newcomers to get some much-needed on-road experience. But you’ll need the right cover to do it. Here are some reasons why private practice could benefit you:

• To get some extra practice – Extra hours on the road before the test can be valuable, especially in a car and with people you feel comfortable with. Get that crucial extra time behind the wheel with learner insurance. Make sure you also check out our tips on passing your theory test.
• To reduce the cost of learning – Learning to drive is not cheap. For an average person it costs between £25 and £45 per hour-lesson. Provisional car insurance lets you get that extra practice to help you pass quicker and cut the cost of learning.
• To protect the owner’s No Claims Discount – Many family members can be nervous about letting a learner practise in their car. With short-term learner insurance, you get complete peace of mind because it does not affect any existing policy and there’s no danger of losing any No Claims Discount.
• To take your test in whatever car you want – Whether you prefer your own car or are more comfortable in Mum or Dad’s car than your instructor’s, learner driver insurance will let you take your test in the right one for you.
• Complete peace of mind on the road – All learner insurance policies from Tempcover come with fully comprehensive cover as standard, compared to third-party-only cover that most annual insurers offer. This means you can relax and focus on learning.

What happens to my learner driver insurance policy after I pass my test?

Your learner driver insurance policy will no longer be valid once you have passed your test. After passing, you will need to buy either temporary car insurance or an annual policy. Buying a temporary policy gives you the chance to research and find the right

Find out more about Learner Driver Insurance

From the cost of driving lessons to driving test tips and advice on who can sit with a learner driver and how to pass your theory test, Tempcover has so many guides to help you with every aspect of learning to drive.