Cheapest Car Insurance for High-Risk Drivers in the UK?

If you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in the UK, you’d be out of luck. You could get more competitive quotes but it involves contacting several providers and shopping around.

I explain how you could reduce a premium and where to find a more competitive car insurance quote in my post!

How to find the cheapest insurance with a conviction

If you’ve got a conviction or points, getting insurance through a standard provider could be more expensive. 

You might find cheaper deals through specialist insurers.

I’ve partnered with Quotezone who can help you find the best insurance specifically for convicted drivers with points.

Fill out the simple form below to find great quotes for convicted drivers today. 

What is high risk in insurance?

High-risk insurance coverage is also known as specialist car insurance or non-standard insurance. It’s an insurance coverage designed specifically for motorists who are more likely to file claims. Some of which could be quite high!

When you take out high-risk insurance, it factors in several things whether it concerns you, the driver and/or the vehicle you choose to drive.

An example is when you’re a convicted driver, employed in a high-risk job, or because you drive an expensive, powerful vehicle. In short, you’d have to pay higher premiums on your car insurance.

What classes are high-risk drivers?

High-risk drivers fall into the higher end of an insurance scale. This is independently fixed and based on assessments by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

In short, vehicle groups are fixed on a scale from one to 50 with the higher end of the scale covering high-risk drivers.

Don’t get ripped off by insurance companies

Getting affordable car insurance with a conviction or points can feel impossible, especially if you’re using standard comparison websites. 

Luckily, there are some specialist insurers out there… you just need to know where to find them!

I’ve partnered with Quotezone to provide access to some of the best specialist convicted drivers’ insurance deals available.

GET A QUOTE

In partnership with QuoteZone

What makes you a high risk for insurance reasons?

There’s no exact science when it comes to why you’d pay a higher premium or you are refused insurance. However, you could be considered as a high-risk category driver if the following applies:

·         You’re a convicted driver or you have a history of driving offences and points on your licence

·         You’ve been disqualified from driving at some point in time

·         You have non-driving criminal convictions and driving convictions on your record

·         You have a history of filing claims following accidents whether you were at fault or not

·         You have an ‘unsettled’ insurance claim

·         You’ve only held a full licence for a short time

·         You’ve missed payments on your car insurance or your car finance agreement

Who is classed as a high-risk driver?

You’d be considered a high-risk category driver if you have any of the following driving convictions on your record:

If you’ve been banned from driving because you got 12+ points within 3 years, you’d be considered high risk. Moreover, if you’re a new driver, your licence will be revoked if you get 6+ points within 24 months of passing a driving test.

Check out this message posted on a popular forum about high-risk drivers getting a licence back:

Source: Moneysavingexpert

What is a high-risk policy?

A high-risk policy is also known as a non-standard insurance policy. You’d be offered this type of cover by a specialist insurance company willing to insure you.

However, you’d have to pay more than when you had a clean licence simply because you’re a convicted driver.

What is the highest insurance category?

As mentioned, vehicle categories are calculated on a scale from one to 50 with the higher end of the scale being the higher risk.

So if you’re deemed to be in the highest insurance category, you likely fall into the 50 mark because of the seriousness of the conviction.

For example, after a drunk-driving ban is convicted, drivers would find it hard to get a car insurance policy!

How do I know if my policy is considered high-risk?

You’d soon know if your policy is considered high risk because of the following:

·         You have at-fault or no-fault accident claims on your record

·         You’ve been convicted of traffic violations

·         You have multiple comprehensive claims on your record

·         You’re an inexperienced driver

·         You don’t have any insurance auto history

How can my car put me in the high-risk car insurance category?

You might be deemed high risk because of the vehicle you drive. The reason why falls into three categories which I explain below:

·         The vehicle places you at a higher risk of being involved in an accident

·         The vehicle is harder to repair

·         The vehicle is targeted by thieves because of its high value or because it’s a high-performance car

Do I need a specialist policy if I’m a high-risk driver?

Whether you need a specialist policy would depend on your convictions, the car you drive and the length of time you’ve held a full licence.

Chances are you may need to contact a specialist insurer if you’ve been disqualified from driving or have serious convictions on your record.

Their insurance quotes may not be the cheapest but they could be more affordable than those from other insurers!

What can I do to lower my high-risk car insurance premiums?

There are things you can do to lower the risk value you present to insurers. However, it’s worth remembering that over time the risk will decrease especially if you prove you’re a safe driver.

For example, this could be because of the following:

·         You don’t make a claim for a long time which could help you build up a no-claims discount

·         You go on an advanced driving course which could help lower a premium

Are there any quick ways to lower my high-risk car insurance premiums?

Yes. As mentioned there are things you can do to lower a high-risk car insurance premium which I’ve listed below:

·         Think about telematics (black box) insurance which allows insurers to monitor the way you drive

·         Do less mileage which means you’re less at risk of being involved in an accident

·         Consider increasing the excess on your policy

·         Drive a vehicle that’s in the lower insurance group and avoid a high-performance car

What else can increase my premiums?

Apart from having convictions, penalty points and endorsements on your record, other things could affect your premium and could put you in a higher-risk category.

For example, the following may affect how much you pay for car insurance:

·         Your age

·         Your driving record

·         Whether you have named drivers on a policy

·         Where you park your car at night

So am I stuck with high-risk car insurance forever?

No. Although certain driving offences will stay on your driving record for many years. This can be as long as 11 years but over time even the most serious conviction is spent!

It just means that for the time the convictions are unspent (still current), you may have to accept paying higher auto insurance premiums!

That said, you could think about taking out temporary car insurance if you have points on your driving licence which are due to expire!

Can You Still Get Insurance for High-Risk Drivers?

As a high risk driver, you can get insurance but you’ll have to pay more as compared to someone with a clean licence.

You have several options which are to:

·         Check out several comparison sites

·         Contact a few specialist insurance companies rather than a standard insurance provider

·         Speak to several car insurance brokers who deal with drivers in the high-risk bracket

Affordable Convicted Driver Insurance

To help you avoid some of the ludicrously expensive packages out there and actually find something reasonable I’ve partnered with Quotezone.

They bring together some of the best specialist deals for convicted drivers to make your search easier. 

Try it below.

GET STARTED

In partnership with QuoteZone

How can I become less of a high-risk driver?

As mentioned, you can do specific things to show an insurer you are less of a high risk for them to insure!

You could:

·         Drive a less valuable vehicle which is going to be cheaper to insure

·         Take out third-party insurance cover which is always less expensive than comprehensive cover

·         Go on an advanced driving course which includes a Pass Plus if you’ve just got a full licence

·         Think about taking out telematics insurance which shows insurers you are less of a risk

·         Instal a car alarm and immobiliser on your vehicle or park it in a garage

Am I Classed as High Risk?

You’d be classed as high risk by insurers when they believe there’s more chance that you’ll file an insurance claim.

No matter if you have claimed in the past or not!

Moreover, you could be classed as high risk if any of the following applies to you:

·         You live in a densely populated area

·         You just got a full licence because you only recently passed your test

·         You are under the age of 25 – young drivers are always a higher risk

·         Vehicle thefts in the area you live in are high

·         You recently filed an insurance claim

·         You’ve had car accidents before

·         You have multiple penalty points on your driving licence

·         You’ve had your driving licence revoked

·         You have criminal and/or motoring offences on your record

·         Your job is deemed high risk

Does having an HGV Licence lower car insurance?

Yes. You’re likely to get cheaper car insurance if you have an HGV licence. Why? Because if you drive an HGV, you’ll be seen as a ‘professional’ driver which could lower an insurance premium.

Need more advice about unspent convictions?

If you need more advice about cheaper insurance with unspent convictions, why not check out our recent post on the subject?