Black Box Car Insurance For Young Drivers

Many young drivers today are faced with expensive insurance premiums, and as a result are looking to Black Box insurance companies for cheaper car insurance…but what exactly is a black box, how does Black Box insurance work and how much does Black Box insurance cost?

What Is Black Box Insurance?

Black Box insurance, sometimes called Telematics insurance, aims to make cheap ‘Car insurance for Young drivers with a black box’ available to drivers under the age of 25.

A black box is a device which is fitted in the car of the Black Box insurance policyholder. The device, which is usually fitted in a discreet and out-of-sight position, monitors how safe the car is being driven. It records a number of elements of your driving including your acceleration, braking and cornering. It may also study your mileage, driving location and the time of day you are driving, to determine your overall driving score.

This driving score then tells the Black Box insurance company how well the vehicle is being driven, and some ‘Car insurance with black box’ policies offer discounts (on renewal) for drivers that regularly receive good driving scores. This means that good drivers get rewarded for their good driving, and are given access to cheaper Young Driver insurance.

Who is Black Box Insurance for?

This type of policy was specifically created for new, young drivers under the age of 25 who have minimal experience as a road user. They allow better insight for the insurer as to how well a person is driving. This is due to their ability to monitor and assess it, using the information that the box provides. With young drivers involved in more accidents than any other demographic, it’s no wonder that insurers want an insurance scheme that promotes both safe driving and greater transparency of information, but also means young drivers can get more affordable cover.

What Are The Benefits Of Black Box Insurance?

Car insurance Black Box is there to help sensible young drivers (age 17-25) get on the road with a reasonable insurance premium, allowing them to prove they are responsible and safe drivers, which means they can build up their own No Claims Bonus. As well as bringing your insurance costs down, your black box can also act as a GPS tracker in the event your car is stolen. By tracking your black box, your insurance company would be able to pass the information onto the police, increasing the chance that you are reunited with your car. Lots of stolen cars can be broken down and sold for parts very quickly, and so the longer it takes for the vehicle to be found, the less likely it is of being recovered. With a black box, this can speed up the process, saving you and your insurer time and money.

How Can You Reduce Your Insurance Cost Further?

Insurance for young drivers can be expensive at first, but each year that you prove you’re a safe driver, the cost of cover can go down. However, you don’t have to wait until you’ve built up your No Claims Discount to start saving money; there are things you can do immediately to bring the price down before you take out Car insurance with a black box. Firstly, the type of car you drive has a tremendous impact on your insurance. If you opt to get a fast and powerful car, you may struggle to get a Black Box insurance quote at all, and if you do the cost will typically be higher. If you have a sensible car with less power, and you are able to add a family member who has a long and good driving history, you could help lower your insurance premium further. Committing to low mileage is also another way you can bring down your Car insurance with a black box premium, however make sure you don’t understate your mileage at the start of your policy, otherwise you may have to purchase additional miles and the cost can be higher than if you included them when taking your cover out in the first place. Also, failure to purchase additional miles can result in your policy being cancelled.

Should You Get A Black Box Insurance Policy?

If you’re a new-but-conscientious driver facing high insurance costs, then a Telematics insurance policy is designed for you. It will help you prove you’re a good driver and bring down the costs. Additionally, parents of young drivers may be interested in taking out Black Box insurance policy to give them peace of mind, and help monitor their son or daughter’s driving, especially if they are car sharing. If you think your driving could be improved then a black box might just be the thing to help you, as you can monitor your driving habits whilst saving money on insurance costs.

What Happens When You Get A Black Box?

Once you’ve got your telematics insurance policy in place, the next step is to get your box fitted to your car. As part of your policy Terms and Conditions, you will be required to have the box fitted within a certain time frame of taking out your policy. Each insurer’s rules will be different, so make sure you understand the requirements of your policy when taking it out, and most will still let you drive your vehicle while you wait for the box to be installed – though there will probably be a caveat in place such as your Policy Excess doubling until the box is in place. The box will be fitted by a specialist engineer who will contact you to arrange a suitable date and time for the installation to take place. The box will be fitted at the front of the dashboard so it won’t be visible; out of sight but hopefully not out of mind.

How Does The Black Box Measure Your Driving?

With Black Box insurance there will be a way for you to monitor your driving such as via an app or an online web portal so you should be able to avoid the pitfalls of a bad driving score, by regularly reviewing and making sure your driving score is the best it can be. However, if you have been driving poorly, your insurer will be notified and in turn they will let you know. They’ll contact you to warn you about your driving, but if you ignore these warnings you could risk being fined, or worse, having your insurance policy cancelled. If you drive safely and stick to the rules of the road then you will have nothing to worry about.

How Do You Get A Good Driving Score?

You can directly influence your own score by driving sensibly and safely, making sure you obey the rules of the road and sticking to the Highway Code. Don’t accelerate too fast, don’t brake too harshly and don’t speed around corners, and to avoid doing these things, make sure you pay attention to the road and what’s going on around you. It’s also important not to bow into the pressure of bad drivers, who may wish to break the speed limit and are driving in a manner that pressures you into breaking the speed limit. Restricting your mileage and avoiding driving at night when possible can be great ways of bumping your driving score up. A black box driving score may be different from insurer to insurer so it’s always best to find out how a policy works before taking it out, to make sure you’re comfortable with it.

Are There Restrictions With Having Black Box Insurance?

Some insurers will insist on a curfew when driving and some may want to put a set limit on your mileage, however at Think Insurance our New Driver insurance policies don’t set a curfew leaving you to drive when you need and want. We do prefer low mileage and in fact offer discounts for it, but there’s no restrictions. Additionally, there are no restrictions to how your car operates either as the black box won’t have any impact or control over your speed, braking or anything like that and it won’t interfere with your electronics such as your radio.

Never Lie to the Insurer

There’s one important thing that will cost you money, and that’s lying to your insurer! If you mislead your insurance broker about the condition or type of car you drive, where it’s kept overnight, or how many miles you drive then you could face having your insurance voided or cancelled. Don’t forget, your insurance broker will be seeing your car when the black box is installed, so it would be silly to risk lying as you’ll always get caught out.

Once you take out a Black Box Car insurance policy, most Young Driver insurance brokers will allow you to get on the road straight away, which means you don’t have to wait around for your black box engineer to install your black box – though be aware that your insurance excess will often be increased for the period until the box has been fitted (check your policy terms and conditions). 

Can I Get Cover If I Have A Conviction?

Many insurers won’t even quote on a young driver with a conviction, and those that will, generally want a significant premium for doing so, making it unaffordable in most cases. However, we have a product that is designed specifically for young drivers with convictions. Our product involves having a black box fitted to monitor your driving, but it does mean that you can get covered and get back on the road, and at a price that is more affordable.

Looking For A Quote?

So, if you need Black Box insurance in the UK, and are looking for cheap cover with no curfews, then you need Think Insurance. Contact our team of Young Driver insurance specialists to get an insurance quote with a black box, by calling 0800 221 8077 or click ‘Get a Quote’ below.