What Happens If I Am Not The Only Driver On The Car?

The telematics device, installed by a specialist Black Box engineer hired by Think Insurance, works by monitoring how the car is driven. It does not actively monitor the actual person driving the car, and therefore it cannot distinguish between who is driving.

Unfortunately we are unable to offer an application or a service that allows you to tell us if you are driving or whether a named driver such as a parent is driving the car. It would give dishonest drivers the opportunity to get away with poor driving and therefore defeat the point of the black box monitoring system. 

If you do have a named driver on your Young Driver insurance policy, or someone else is driving your car on their own insurance policy, whether it is a Car insurance policy or a Mechanics insurance policy, then it is really important you emphasise that there is a telematics device installed in your car, so they know their driving is being monitored and it can have an impact on your insurance policy – including leading to it being cancelled if they drive dangerously or with excessive speed.

When taking your car into a garage or any other type of motor trade business, remember to inform them that you have the black box installed. Also, remind them that you will be negatively affected by their poor driving behaviour, and it could lower your driving score. It’s important that you maintain a good driving score because this is what will help you reduce your Young Driver insurance premium when it’s time to renew your Telematics insurance policy.

When handing over the keys for your car to another driver, it might be worth informing them about how the black box expects them to drive, so that they know exactly what is expected of them, and you can ensure that your good driving score stays intact. For example some people may think that a black box only monitors the speed the driver is doing, and therefore the speed at which you take a corner doesn’t matter, whereas this is not true; it is all monitored and contributes to your Driving Score. 

What Does A Black Box On A Young Driver Insurance Policy Monitor?

Speed – The telematics box will be able to monitor the speed you are going, and using location data it will be able to track where your car is and work out what speed you should be travelling at, to work out if you’re speeding or not.

Braking – Part of driving safely is giving yourself enough time and space to safely slow the car down. Harsh braking may indicate that you are driving too close to other motorists or road users and/or not leaving yourself enough time to slow down when approaching islands, junctions and traffic lights or any other part of the road where you may be required to stop such as a zebra crossing.

Cornering – Another important aspect of driving in a responsible manner is how you handle corners. Taking corners at speed can often be quite dangerous, as you may not be able to get as tight to a corner and could therefore hit a car coming the opposite way. In bad weather such as rain, snow and especially ice, taking your time whilst going around a corner is vital, as the road conditions will not be in your favour, and going too fast could mean you lose control of the car, causing a road traffic accident which would increase the premium of your Young Driver insurance policy and potentially lose your No Claims Bonus, if you’ve earned any.

These three elements are probably the most relevant bits of information monitored by your black box, that you need to tell other drivers of your vehicle about. Some of the other things that are monitored, but are probably less relevant for infrequent drivers borrowing your car, include the amount of journeys, the number of miles driven, and the rest period(s) on long journeys – these are probably only going to apply to the main driver of a car insured under a Black Box insurance policy. More information on what our telematics devices record as part of our Young Driver Black Box insurance policies can be found by reading the FAQ: What Kind Of Data Will The Black Box Record?

If you have any more questions about the Young Driver insurance policies that can be obtained through Think Insurance, then you may be able to find the answers in our Young Driver FAQ section. We’ve covered everything from the driving performance information and what you can and cannot do on a Black Box insurance policy. 

However if you are unable to find the answer to your Young Driver Insurance question then please feel free to give us a call on 0800 221 8077, where you will be put through to the Young Driver insurance department and a member of highly trained Telematics insurance team will be happy to talk you through our Young Driver policies.

You can also ring that number to get a quote for a Young Driver with a Black Box insurance quote, or click ‘Get a Quote’ below and a member of our specialist Telematics for Young Drivers insurance team will be in touch to discuss your needs.