New learner insurance reduces no-claims risk

When you are learning to drive, it’s often difficult practising away from the confines of the dual-control driving instructor’s car when you want to get out there and get some road sense.

Well, now that has been made a little easier with a new insurance scheme having been introduced for learner drivers, allowing them to practise in borrowed cars, with lower associated costs and risks.

RED Driving School have combined with Provisional Marmalade to announce a partnership that enables new drivers to add a temporary supplementary insurance policy to a friend or family member’s car, avoiding any risk to the main policy’s no-claims bonus. But not for 12 months as many policies insist!

It works like a short-term insurance policies month-to-month, but is specifically designed for provisional driving licence holders and costs from just over £85 per month. The cover includes all cars up to insurance group 32, which includes most entry-level and mid-range prestige saloons like the Lexus GS 300 and the BMW 3 Series.

All that a provisional licence holder needs to know is their postcode, which when input at www.redmarmalade.co.uk provides an immediate price.

“Adding a young driver to an existing insurance policy significantly increases a person’s annual insurance cost,” said Ian McIntosh, CEO, RED Driving School. “Not only do they have to pay for the young driver to be on the policy for a minimum of 12 months, they are penalised because of the age, and therefore high risk, of adding a young driver. If parents, for example, wanted to add their child onto an existing policy, they’d have to pay a hefty price and, if the young driver did have an accident, their no claims bonus would suffer.”

“With RED Marmalade, you avoid this. It can be taken out on a pay as you go monthly basis, for as little as £85, and, if an incident occurred, this would be against the RED policy and not an existing, long term policy. It’s beneficial to both the car owner and those keen to get some experience under their belt.”

Commenting on the partnership with RED, Nigel Lacy, marketing director of Provisional Marmalade said: “The Driving Standards Agency recommends over 20 hours of private practice alongside professional tuition and this insurance policy has removed one of the biggest concerns facing parents when helping their children behind the wheel – the risk to their no-claims bonus.

“It also significantly reduces the cost of helping young drivers to become experienced, skilled motorists.”

In the long run, it is hoped that private tuition, as this is what this policy basically covers, will help ensure that young drivers are more responsible on the roads with practice, and other learners get the benefits of trust.

And, if there is an accident, the car owner is covered.

Double win!