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Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - Simba217

I've just renewed my insurance on my 67 registered car and wanted to remove the one additional driver on the policy, a friend who's moved away. The resulting premium would have increased from £218 to £288 (checked with two different call centre employees), so I made no change. Where's the sense in that pricing? My friend is of similar age to me, and, like me, with no history of offences or accidents, or relevant medical conditions. The call centre people (as for the insurer, think bulldog) hadn't got a clue either. Has anybody out there had a similar experience, or can you help, Honest John?

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - daveyjp

Pricing of insurance isn't difficult, it is based on risk from claims profiles.

If fewer people with an additional driver on a policy have claims the premiums will be lower.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - _

I am retired, North essex postcode, 70. no claims maximum.

With swmbo premium £200 ish without (either of us £400 ish.

Weird and wonderful.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - RT

It's long been known that adding a mature driver with good claims history will reduce the premium - clearly the opposite is true if you take them off.

Now we're retired I drive everywhere as SWMBO isn't keen on driving while I am - but she stays as a named driver to reduce the premium.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - Ethan Edwards

Insurance companies move in a mysterious way. Like God but far less generous.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - badbusdriver

A few years ago my Mother in law wanted to put my wife on her insurance policy for a couple of days. This was going to cost around £50 (if memory serves), but out of curiosity, she asked how much it would cost to just have my wife as a permanent named driver. No charge!

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - edlithgow

It's long been known that adding a mature driver with good claims history will reduce the premium - clearly the opposite is true if you take them off.

Now we're retired I drive everywhere as SWMBO isn't keen on driving while I am - but she stays as a named driver to reduce the premium.

I assume one is limited to one additional named driver otherwise people would be recruiting all the residents in the local rest home, but can one be a named driver on multiple policies?

Could be a little earner for the right kind of old roadie.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - RT

It's long been known that adding a mature driver with good claims history will reduce the premium - clearly the opposite is true if you take them off.

Now we're retired I drive everywhere as SWMBO isn't keen on driving while I am - but she stays as a named driver to reduce the premium.

I assume one is limited to one additional named driver otherwise people would be recruiting all the residents in the local rest home, but can one be a named driver on multiple policies?

Could be a little earner for the right kind of old roadie.

Yes you can be a named driver on several policies - I have two cars, each insured with me as the main driver, as I am, and my wife as named driver on both.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - Gibbo_Wirral

Its the same with mileage. I used to put down 12,000 a year.

When I upped it to 14,000 it went down by £20. And kept doing so right until 20,000 miles, when it started to creep back up.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - KJP 123

A greater mileage would seem to indicate an increased risk of accidents but it would also lower the value of the vehicle; that does not seem to be an adequate explanation though.

Maybe insurance company statistics show lower claims for higher mileage drivers: more motorway miles and fewer local roads.

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - Xileno

And also higher mileage = more experience. Possibly...

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - _

A greater mileage would seem to indicate an increased risk of accidents but it would also lower the value of the vehicle; that does not seem to be an adequate explanation though.

Maybe insurance company statistics show lower claims for higher mileage drivers: more motorway miles and fewer local roads.

The computer decides....

Skoda Fabia Estate - Illogical insurance premium re additional driver - RickyBoy

Ditto... although she's never, ever driven the more expensive one in the four years that I've had it! Never asked to, never needed to, but there could always be a first time...

...I dropped the mileage down by 1000 in March as I seemingly do no more that 5K a year these days. Premium reduced by £35.00. Don't pay more than £300 as it is.

Note to self: I wonder if the same principle applies to home insurance, i.e. would a joint policyholder contract be cheaper than single policyholder one (which is what I've always gone for)? I'll give the keyboard a whirl as renewal is due in a couple of months. Might be more pragmatic, particularly if, say, I croak mid-term...