What drivers can do following warning to anyone who passed test with automatic licence
There is a crucial decision that faces all of us when we reach the right age - manual or automatic?
I am of course, talking about driving licences, and whether you chose to go through the grit of learning to changing gears, balance the clutch, do hill starts, or if you chose to do none of that so you could pass easily with no worries.
Well, I've got some bad news for you if you chose the latter.
Advert
Even though automatic driving licence holders live without the hassle of a manual gear stick, it does also mean that they are not legally allowed to be at the wheel of a manual car.
So passing your test earlier does come at a price in the long-term, despite maybe taking fewer lessons than the average manual car driver.
Manual licence holders can drive either type of car, and it looks like they may be the ones laughing now following the latest news.
It turns out that automatic drivers will have to fork out quite a bit more than manual drivers for their car insurance.
According to Compare the Market, automatic drivers could end up paying up to £760 more compared to their manual counter-parts.
The British price comparison website has outlined a 'concerning' rise for auto licence holders.
Under-25s are set to be hit the hardest, with insurance sitting at £2,803 on average for them, with a year-on-year increase of over £900.
But if you are one of the affected, there are ways you can lower your insurance, according to RAC.
Pay a higher excess
You will be asked to pick a level of excess when getting a quote for car insurance - this is basically how much you're happy to pay towards a repair if you were to make a claim.
Setting it low would mean your overall premium would be higher, compared to if you put it higher, as long as you make sure you can pay the excess you set.
Take out a 'Black Box' car insurance
Firstly, what is a Black Box car insurance?
It's essentially a way of helping young, new drivers save money on car insurance.
A black box is installed in your car and monitors your driving behaviours, meaning that the safer you drive, the cheaper your insurance could be at renewal time.
The only thing is that it may not make your first policy cheaper, but you could get a discounted rate the second time around.
Getty Stock Photo
Adding an older driver to your insurance policy
It actually turns out that a child adding their parent to their policy may reduce the cost of insurance.
The insurance provider will see a more experienced driver sharing the vehicle, and may offer a lower price.
But it is important that the older driver does use the car to avoid future invalidations of the insurance.
Get a cheaper car
It may seem like a no-brainer, but your choice of car has a huge influence on your insurance premium, especially if you're a new or young driver.
Faster, more expensive cars will cost more to own and maintain, and will also cost more to insure.
Cars are ranked by insurers in groups from 1-50, with group 1 being the cheapest, so you may want to carry out some research there and get yourself a little modest mobile.
Keep your vehicle safe
Insurance providers like to know that the car will be as secure as possible when it is not being driven.
Factors like an alarm or a security device will help your case.
According to Thatcham Research, the insurance group of a car is listed as a number (cheapest vs most expensive to insure as explained above) and a letter.
The letter refers to the security systems which come as standard with the car.
It's also important to disclose where you're parking it at home, will it be in the driveway? The garage?
Either of those will result in a better insurance policy, but if you park your car on the street, it won't help you much.
Joshua Nair