Car insurance for new drivers
The annoying theory is over and after passing the Car insurance for new drivers practical test you now have your well-earned driving license in your hand. Now it’s time to hit the road and enjoy your new-found freedom! Before the driving fun can begin, however, novice drivers should think about what they need. After all, accidents in road traffic can lead to enormous amounts of damage, so the right insurance is an absolute must. But which insurance policies should young drivers have? And what is the best way to save money with the high insurance sums?
These are the most important car insurance policies
After attending driving school and buying their first car, young people are not yet fully prepared for the roads. Finally, they still need the right car insurance. One or two policies are a must. But the insurance market is large and the choices are endless. So that you don’t have to go into the insurance jungle alone, we have a clear summary of the most important car insurance policies and the services they should offer.
Everything new drivers need to know about car and liability insurance
Nobody can avoid having liability insurance when driving on public roads. Every vehicle that drives on public roads must have liability insurance. If you have an accident, this will cover the costs of any damage to property or personal injury caused – making it particularly important. After all, the person responsible for a car accident can quickly face enormous costs.
A high sum insured is therefore essential for every policyholder. If the damage exceeds this amount, the person responsible must dig into their pocket to pay the remaining amount. If the amount of compensation for pain and suffering is high or if there is a claim to a lifelong pension, this can quickly lead to ruin, especially for young people. Although the statutory minimum sum insured is far below this, we recommend a sum insured of at least 100 million euros.
For more protection: fully comprehensive or partially comprehensive insurance?
Unfortunately, the motor vehicle liability insurance does not cover damage to your vehicle (caused by yourself). If you protect yourself against these costs, you must take out additional comprehensive insurance. A distinction is made between insurance with partial and fully comprehensive cover, with the difference being in the scope of the tariff. We will therefore now explain which insurance is particularly useful for young drivers:
Partial comprehensive insurance: With partial comprehensive insurance, you are covered against damage to your vehicle that you cannot influence or prevent yourself. This includes, for example, the theft of the car or individual parts, as burglary damage and broken glass. The vehicle is also insured against fire, explosions, and short circuits. Storm damage, accidents with wild animals, and bites by martens are also covered by partial comprehensive insurance. When taking out partial comprehensive insurance, you should also make sure that consequential damage from bites or accidents with wild animals of all kinds is included in the contract.
Fully comprehensive insurance: Fully comprehensive insurance extends your car insurance to cover damage caused by yourself. This also pays for repairs to your car in the event of an accident caused by yourself – at least if you do not crash intentionally, through extreme negligence, or, for example, under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Fully comprehensive insurance also provides good protection against hit-and-run drivers or vandalism. Small problem: This comprehensive protection requires deeper into your young wallet. On average, the fully comprehensive extension of a car insurance policy costs 325 euros, as calculated by Stiftung Warentest. This means that it is often only useful for new and expensive vehicles – or in other words: if the car is worth around 15,000 euros or more, you should not do without fully comprehensive insurance.
In addition to third-party vehicle insurance, and partial and fully comprehensive insurance, it is also worth displaying at the following extensions.
Mallorca policy
This covers damage caused by a rental car abroad. If you prefer to explore everything on your holiday by car, this policy is really useful.
Traffic legal protection: Anyone who wants (or needs) to enforce their rights in court after an accident should consider this additional module. Traffic legal protection covers the legal, procedural, and court costs incurred.
Driver protection insurance: Particularly useful for inexperienced drivers, as it covers compensation for pain and suffering and accidents caused by the driver’s fault.
How to save on car insurance
Comprehensive protection is essential for every driver. However, new drivers often have to dig deep into their pockets when to insurance premiums. The reason is the so-called no-claims classes (SF), into which insurers classify drivers when taking out motor insurance.
These are based on the individual risk of damage. This is significantly higher for novice drivers than for experienced drivers. New drivers therefore automatically start in SF class 0 and can only expect a better classification with each accident-free year. Car insurance is correspondingly expensive in the first few years.
Nevertheless, there are some ways to be placed in a higher no-claims class as a new driver and thus get a cheaper rate. We will now show you these and other tips for saving money on your (first) car insurance.
Get your driver’s license as early as possible!
When it comes to driving school, the earlier the better – and ideally at 17. This is possible in the form of accompanied driving. This gives new drivers additional practical experience before they venture out on the road alone at 18. This is particularly worthwhile in terms of safety. What’s more, driving automatically means freedom, so let’s get started!
