Second Driver Insurance

There are times when becoming a 2nd driver on an insurance policy makes more sense than being the principal driver. This can sometimes lead to reduced premiums especially if the additional driver is female. Getting second driver insurance is an option which you can choose if you want to save money whilst still being able to drive legally.

If there’s just one car in the household and that’s going to be shared among family members who can drive, then only a single car insurance policy is sufficient rather having many car insurance policies for the same vehicle. For example, if you a car is used by both the husband and wife, then the person who use the car the most can become the policyholder (main driver) and the other the second named driver. Of course, because there’s just one car and two drivers, it is not possible for both drivers to use it simultaneously and having just one policy for the two is the ideal solution in this situation.

However, this is not the only reason to get 2nd driver insurance. It is not uncommon for new drivers to be quoted high premiums just after they’ve passed their driving test because they lack the necessary experience to be accident-free on the roads. In such situations, many choose to become a second driver on somebody else’s policy to build up their driving experience and in subsequent years, they will therefore be able to afford car insurance in their own names.
It might sound like a very good alternative to being the main driver but the problem with car insurance for second drivers is that should they have an accident and the need for making a claim arises, then the no claims bonus (NCB) of the policyholder is jeopardised. The main driver of the policy will lose no claims discount (NCD) for the mistake of the 2nd driver (provided the second named driver was at fault).

Although the second driver gets all the benefits that the main driver has, that is, if the main driver has comprehensive cover then it will be the same for any additional drivers, there’s one major setback with this type of policy though. Any second, third, fourth or any other named drivers on such policies do not build up any NCB except for the policyholder. Therefore if you stay as a named driver for 5 years or any number of years, you will earn zero NCD when you take a car insurance policy in your own name. It is recommended that you start your own policy as soon as you can under such circumstances. Note that some insurers give second drivers (or any named drivers) a certain discount when they get insurance for themselves with the same insurer but this cannot be transferred if you decide to move on to a completely different insurer.