As a young driver, it can be a huge expense when you first begin driving. Once you’ve paid all of that money to learn how to drive and take a test, you then have to spend even more buying a car. And it’s not just that, you also have to take into account car tax and possibly the biggest outgoing, car insurance.
Luckily, in the UK we have something called black box insurance. This is a type of insurance specifically targeted at first time and young drivers to help bring their insurance premiums down. With a black box, you can drastically cut down the price of your car insurance.
What is a black box?
When you opt to have black box insurance (or telematics insurance) you are agreeing to have small black box installed in your vehicle. This will track a number of things to see how safely you drive on a daily basis. From this, it works out your insurance priced based on how you drive and then gives you a price.
There are several things that the black box monitors, such as your driving speed, acceleration, braking and how much you drive. From this it can assess the standard of your driving and calculate whether or not you should receive a discount.
Contrary to what many believe, the rules are not as strict with black boxes as they used to be. Although it is recommended that you drive safely, there are less restrictions now on when you drive. However, some insurers ask that you do not drive late at night and in the early hours of the morning when an accident is most likely to happen.
Why should young drivers have a black box?
A black box can have a wealth of benefits for a young driver. First things first, it encourages them to drive safely. If the drivers know their driving is being assessed, they are more likely to be aware of their driving style and less likely to pick up bad driving habits that might ramp up their premiums.
As well as this, getting a black box can save you a lot of money. Most insurers will have a reduced price compared to normal for drivers that opt to take out a black box. This is because the company can directly view their driving style and how many miles they do instead of estimating. Additionally, if you drive well then this means that your insurance may be reduced the following year. Drivers are rewarded for good driving with cheaper insurance.
What happens when you have a black box?
Now most insurers will send you a small black box that can be fitted to your vehicle via the cigarette lighter, if not someone will be sent out to fit one. Once this is done there is nothing you need to do except drive. You may get regular notifications to let you know how you’re driving. If necessary, you will be sent pointers on ways to improve. Be aware, if you do not drive in a suitable manner your insurance premiums might go up, or worse your insurance could be cancelled. Therefore, it is essential that you drive in a safe and controlled manner, not only to be responsible on the roads, but to help save as much money as possible.
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