Avoid the black boxes! Good move
Insurance for a learner driver questions.
- Thread starter Skyliner33
- Start date
And easy way for them to cancel the policy if they don't like the way theyre driving, and once you've had a policy cancelled at a young age they'll be arse reamed in the future, if they can even get cover at all.
Happened to my ex neighbours lad after the box caught him speeding in a 30 zone three times. I dont recall the exact numbers, but it was high 30s.
Yes, he was a tit to be speeding, but if he'd had a regular policy no one would have known. It turned out to be a very expensive means over saving not very much on the cost of his first policy.
My eldest had a black box in the car.
The first time it was driven, we looked at the app and it was completely random. It looked like she had driven through a prison and gone around a play park.
I told her to contact them immediately so that they have it on record that the data isn't to be trusted, which she did.
Basically, if it works properly, once they reach a certain number of 'penalty' points their insurance is likely to be impacted in some way or premium goes up etc.
Could be emergency stops (which is sometimes quite a bad thing to penalise), or sharp cornering, or starting from a stop too quickly.
Seems any excuse.
Try and imagine putting a full glass of water on your head whilst driving. That ended up taking the safety aspect to such an extreme it became the aim not to upset the glass of water rather than the secondary mission of avoiding the child running out into the road.
Also, they sometimes charge for one to be put on, and more importantly, to be taken off afterwards. Luckily our one was just a couple of crocodile clips but with the proviso that if it wasn't connected (for any reason), she wasn't insured.
Luckily she is a careful driver anyway (now a blue light person as a passenger as she is too short to reach the pedals properly so can't drive the vehicles)
The first time it was driven, we looked at the app and it was completely random. It looked like she had driven through a prison and gone around a play park.
I told her to contact them immediately so that they have it on record that the data isn't to be trusted, which she did.
Basically, if it works properly, once they reach a certain number of 'penalty' points their insurance is likely to be impacted in some way or premium goes up etc.
Could be emergency stops (which is sometimes quite a bad thing to penalise), or sharp cornering, or starting from a stop too quickly.
Seems any excuse.
Try and imagine putting a full glass of water on your head whilst driving. That ended up taking the safety aspect to such an extreme it became the aim not to upset the glass of water rather than the secondary mission of avoiding the child running out into the road.
Also, they sometimes charge for one to be put on, and more importantly, to be taken off afterwards. Luckily our one was just a couple of crocodile clips but with the proviso that if it wasn't connected (for any reason), she wasn't insured.
Luckily she is a careful driver anyway (now a blue light person as a passenger as she is too short to reach the pedals properly so can't drive the vehicles)
It forced my neighbours lad to ride the bus for several years until he could get insurance again.
If you trust your offspring never venture a MPH or two over the speed limit then you go for it. If you've never ever strayed slightly in that regard theyll probably have learned your good habits...
Im not against the sentiment, but im not the new driver trying to get insurance.
I would pay upto 10, maybe 15% more not to have the box depending on the total.
However, if it was a teenage boy I would insist on a black box.
I remember being a complete t**t. Now I'm not a complete anymore, but still a t**t. Also, sometimes, a knight of the road. On weekends and bank holidays.
However, if it was a teenage boy I would insist on a black box.
I remember being a complete t**t. Now I'm not a complete anymore, but still a t**t. Also, sometimes, a knight of the road. On weekends and bank holidays.
Our lad didn't want to keep a black box, so after his first year with one learning for 4 months then 8 months driving alone in 'my' 2.0 TFSI Scirocco, he went on his own, bought a 730d and insured it himself with me and Mrs as named drivers for £800. Young lads don't tend to crash cars like that, so statistically it was a lower risk. It is possible to drive something a bit more interesting if you think outside the box. Granted, we do live in the sticks which helps matters.
Our daughter on the on the other hand is nearly 3 years into driving 'my' Polo with Marmalade. From memory that was the best part of £1000 for her last year with 2 years NCD and passed her test a year before.
Our daughter on the on the other hand is nearly 3 years into driving 'my' Polo with Marmalade. From memory that was the best part of £1000 for her last year with 2 years NCD and passed her test a year before.
Im sure he learned a very valuable lesson (I adtually bumped intomhis Dad thenother day who tells me hes a truck driver now.)
But theres not a single one of us here that has never done that, and we cant reasonably expect our children will behave any differently to the example we set.
My neighbours boy deserved the grief, a hard lesson. I woudn't diagree for a moment he deserved it. If you're happy for your children to risk spending all that time and money only to them be unable to get insurance for several years then go for a black box.
Whether theyre righteous or not, consequences are still consequences, and when it happens to one of yours its no longer an abstract exercise in smug disapproval.
But theres not a single one of us here that has never done that, and we cant reasonably expect our children will behave any differently to the example we set.
My neighbours boy deserved the grief, a hard lesson. I woudn't diagree for a moment he deserved it. If you're happy for your children to risk spending all that time and money only to them be unable to get insurance for several years then go for a black box.
Whether theyre righteous or not, consequences are still consequences, and when it happens to one of yours its no longer an abstract exercise in smug disapproval.
......just feel a black box is working for my daughter and giving my thoughts and experience to the OP's questions.
We used Veygo and Marmalade pay by the hour for our kids when they were learning. Costs a few quid per hour. Find somewhere quite and off the main roads (e.g. industrial estate on a Sunday) to start and don’t venture further until they have had a few proper lessons. As mentioned, once they pass the fun begins. For our lad we used Veygo (no black box). This was best value 7-8 years ago. For our daughter we used Marmalade which had a little GPS thing and she had to log in on an app when she was driving. Worked fine. They both earned their own NCB without any risk to our insurance/NCB. Both were about £800 for the first year in a VW Up!
Out of interest, what the mid 80s out of 100 mean?
She has a score out of 100 on her app for her driving style and needs to stay above 35. She had to fit a little square gps device that's fitted in the corner of the windscreen.
I don’t think so
Not far off what I did once to get a renewal price down.
Downloaded an app that worked as a black box and needed 200 miles of recording.
We were going on holiday, car fully loaded with bikes on the roof as well. I’m happy to admit I’m a smooth driver anyway with no pints or parking tickets ever and no claims for several decades - you’d never know though as despite having the maximum no claims my premiums are always ridiculous.
But that 200 miles driving with a heavy car as smooth as possible gained me maximum marks. The saving wasn’t mega impressive but a saving is a saving.
Deleted the app that day after ringing and getting confirmation they’d received the data. Privacy invasion leaves a bitter taste.
Seems to me that compulsory black boxes for new drivers should be brought in, there’s talk of banning new drivers taking passengers or having a curfew so black boxes seem to be the obvious first step, but the next step I guess will be everyone having a black box. If they stop people driving if they don’t use their indicators I’m in!
If I’m honest I was extremely lucky as a 17 year old not to kill myself or others, so many close shaves but the only casualty or any damage in my teenage years was a deer and and mangled wing.
I’m reading this with interest as my daughter in learning and has her test coming up in a month. I’m fairly confident that she will be sensible when she sets out on her own, my son on the other hand I would worry about but luckily he’s not interested in learning (I don’t understand that but very grateful!)
If I’m honest I was extremely lucky as a 17 year old not to kill myself or others, so many close shaves but the only casualty or any damage in my teenage years was a deer and and mangled wing.
I’m reading this with interest as my daughter in learning and has her test coming up in a month. I’m fairly confident that she will be sensible when she sets out on her own, my son on the other hand I would worry about but luckily he’s not interested in learning (I don’t understand that but very grateful!)
The insurer can amend the terms….perhaps based on driving style etc, perhaps based on not very much too!!! 32mph in a 30mph limit…..envelope drops on mat with £5 premium increase and £75 “admin fee”! Luckily, we all know that an insurance company would never gouge their customers, right?
Plod needs to be prepared to go in front of the beak….black boxes answer only to the company!
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That depends on the policy. Our lad had a years policy that just carried on as before when he passed his test. They give them the benefit of the doubt to begin with, but if they score badly, they get a bill or the monthlies go up.
Our daughter took into year 2 before she passed, but her second years policy was just the same.
I think difference is a learner policy or young driver one.
No, the terms are fixed at the inception of the policy and remain constant for the whole term of the policy. Any potential additional charges, restriction, fees and termination clauses will be set out in the Ts&Cs that you agree to, just like any other form of contract.
The issue is that most people don't take the time to read the Ts&Cs and then claim to have been blindsided when they're applied.
Always read the Ts&Cs and walk away if you're not happy with them.
