Convicted Driver Insurance
Young drivers with convictions can find it difficult to find affordable car insurance, so if you're struggling to find a good deal, get in touch with us for a quote. Whether you have motoring or non-motoring convictions, our specialist help for hard-to-cover young drivers could get you back on the road, fast.
Car Insurance for Young Drivers with Penalty Points
All Young Drivers specialises in helping young drivers find affordable car insurance, including drivers with points on their licence. That includes drivers whose licence has been revoked, and learner drivers with points on their licence from range of motoring convictions, including:
- convictions for driving without insurance (IN10)
- careless driving convictions (CD10 to CD90)
- penalty points for speeding (SP10 to SP50)
- previously been banned or disqualified from driving (BA10 to BA60)
- penalty points/convictions for drink driving (DR10 to DR70)
- penalty points/convictions for drug driving (DG10 to DG60)
- convictions for dangerous driving (DD10 to DD90)
- convictions for failing to stop after an accident (AC10 to AC30)
- traffic light offences (TS10 to TS70)
- mobile phone offences (CU80)
- non-motoring convictions
Why is insurance so expensive for convicted drivers?
Statistically, young drivers are more prone to convictions than older drivers with more experience. Even minor convictions can mark you as a higher risk to an insurer because you are deemed more likely to be involved in an accident and make a claim. This can make it difficult for a convicted young driver to get insurance at all.
What convictions must you declare to an insurer?
It’s not only driving convictions which must be declared when you apply for car insurance. You must be open about any “unspent” criminal convictions. Not doing so could invalidate your insurance in the event of making a claim.
A conviction becomes spent and can be ignored after a certain period, the length of which depends on your sentence. This government document provides details about The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and tells you when your conviction is deemed spent.
After this time you can ignore your conviction and don’t need to mention it when you contact an insurance company.
How convicted drivers can get lower insurance
Once you’ve found an insurer willing to cover you there are a few options for convicted drivers to lower their insurance
Higher Insurance Excess
The excess is the portion of an insurance claim which the insured must pay themselves. There is usually a compulsory excess set by the insurance company themselves but a convicted driver can sometimes reduce their premium by offering to pay a higher, voluntary excess. Be realistic though; don’t agree to have an excess that’s so high that you wouldn’t be able to pay it in the event of a claim.
Lower Mileage
Drivers with higher annual mileage often pay higher premiums. Convicted drivers might be able to reduce their car insurance if they restrict their annual mileage.
Black Box
You may want to consider installing a black box (also known as telematics), which can lead to cheaper insurance for some drivers. Your insurance costs would depend on:
- How many journeys you make
- How far you drive
- Your speed, acceleration and braking
- And more
About the points system
Your driving licence could be endorsed with penalty points for a wide range of difference offences, such as speeding, driving without due care and attention, driving without insurance and many more. You'll find a complete and up-to-date list on the UK Government website.
How many points for motoring offences?
The number of points can vary from offence to offence, depending on how seriousness it is. For example, a driver can expect a fixed fine of £100 and three penalty points for a minor speeding offence, but up to six points for more serious speeding offences.
At the other end of the penalty points scale, you could get up to 11 points for "aggravated taking of a vehicle", "racing on the highway", "reckless /dangerous driving", incidents involving fatalities and drink-driving or drug related offences.
Other consequences could be fixed fines of varying amounts, disqualification from driving or even imprisonment if your case goes to court.
How long do points stay on your licence?
It varies from offence to offence. Even for minor offences, points will stay on your licence for four years. For more serious offences, points remain for 11 years.
Can learner drivers get penalty points?
Yes, learner drivers with a provisional licence can be convicted of motoring offences just the same as drivers with a full licence. A learner driver with points will have a harder time finding cheap insurance, but if you do need your own insurance policy, read about the short-term learner driver policy we offer in partnership with Choose Your Insurance.
The "totting up" system
Although an individual conviction could result in a driver being disqualified from driving, you could also lose your licence if you tot up 12 or more penalty points within a three year period.
Young drivers need to be even more careful - if you get more than six points within two years of passing your test, your driving licence will be revoked.
How do penalty points affect insurance?
Do penalty points affect insurance? Quite often, an insurer will accept up to three points without it affecting the premium too badly, if at all. In many cases, though, affordable insurance for young drivers with points is going to be harder to find.
The reason for the increased cost is simply that drivers with points are more likely to be involved in an accident resulting in a claim, making them a higher risk.
The more points you have, the more difficult it will be to get insurance companies to quote at all.
Do you have to tell an insurer that you have points?
Yes, you do. You'll be committing insurance fraud if you don't divulge, if asked, any "unspent" convictions on your licence.
Car insurance for young drivers with points
We're here to help you find the best possible car insurance, at the best price. No judgement or lectures, just great cover, flexible payment options.