Several factors affect how much you’ll pay for your car insurance, but one that can have the biggest effect on the cost of premiums is your age.
As a general rule, your car insurance is likely to get cheaper as you get older and build up years of driving experience, but once you reach your early 70s, they often start creeping up again.
Here we explore how age affects your car insurance premiums, what over 50s cover is, who offers it and some of the ways you might be able to reduce your premiums.
How much do different age groups pay for their car insurance?
It will be no surprise that younger drivers normally have the highest car insurance premiums, as they are considered highest risk by insurers due to their lack of experience, but you might be pleasantly surprised by just how much your premiums could fall by as you get older.
According to data from comparison website Uswitch.com, once drivers reach 31 years of age, the average cost of car insurance annually drops below £1,000, with premiums continuing to decrease for each subsequent age group. The largest decrease in cost comes between the age group 51-55 and 56-60, where the average price of annual insurance falls by £109.33.
Motorists aged between 71-75 typically pay the lowest car insurance premiums of all age groups, with average annual costs of £367.96, a massive £1,877.27 more than average annual premium for those aged between 17 and 20.
However, from here, average prices begin to rise, with 76 to 80-year-olds paying around £44.39 more. Those aged 81 and over pay £148.47 more than those aged 78-80.
Of course, these figures are averages, and the amount you’ll actually pay for your premiums will depend on a number of other factors such as your claims history, the type of car you’re insuring, where you live and so on.
Compare cheap car insurance quotes
Car insurance renewal premiums have a habit of increasing every year, even if you haven’t made a claim. Compare car insurance quotes from over 110 UK providers – you could save up to £530* per year.
*51% of consumers could save £529.95 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next five cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from February 2024 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
Why do car insurance premiums usually get cheaper in your 50s and 60s?
As with any type of insurance, premiums reduce when insurers think you’re lower risk, and generally the longer you’ve been driving, the less likely insurers think you are to have an accident.
Statistics show that people in their 40s, 50s and 60s are safer drivers than those in their 20s, as they’re less likely to drive at high speeds or get into collisions and therefore less likely to make expensive claims. It’s for this reason that some insurers have created over 50s specific policies.
However, as you reach your late 70s, premiums begin to rise again as drivers in this age group and above are statistically at a higher risk of having an accident. This may be perhaps because they no longer feel as confident behind the wheel, or have medical conditions which could affect their driving.
What is over 50s car insurance?
Over 50s car insurance is exactly as it sounds – car insurance which is designed specifically for drivers over the age of 50. It includes all the main types of car insurance, including third party, third party fire and theft and comprehensive cover. You can find out more about the different types of car insurance in our guide What are the different types of car insurance?
Some over 50s specific policies offer additional policy features such as no upper age threshold, but this will vary from insurer to insurer, so it’s always important to check the fine print. We explain more about some of the extras you might be offered in our article What are the best car insurance extras and add-ons to have?
It’s worth knowing though, that specific over 50s cover isn’t necessarily cheaper than standard cover, and as nearly all insurers will provide cover for people over 50 as part of their core offering, it’s always best to shop around to find the most cost-effective policy to suit your needs.
Who offers over 50s car insurance?
Pretty much all insurers will offer cover for drivers over the age of 50, but some offer specific over 50s cover, including Saga, Sterling Insurance and The Post Office.
For the majority of people, however, the best way to find a good car insurance deal is to shop around. You can use this tool to compare car insurance quotes from over 110 UK providers – you could save up to £319* per year.
How to reduce your over 50s car insurance premiums
There’s a good chance you might be able to reduce your car insurance premiums by taking some of the following steps:
- Pay annually rather than monthly for your insurance – paying for your insurance upfront could save you nearly £60 a year, according to Comparethemarket.com. You can read more about this in our article Should I pay my car insurance premiums monthly or annually?
- Reduce your mileage – If you know you aren’t using your car as much, making sure this is reflected in your policy could drive down the cost
- Agree to a higher excess – like any type of insurance, the higher excess you’re willing to pay, the lower your premiums are likely to be
- Choose a car that’s cheaper to insure – If you’re buying a new car, it’s worth knowing that the type of car you choose will make a big difference to your insurance premiums. Have a look at our article 16 cheapest cars to insure to find out more.
One of the best ways to reduce your insurance costs is to compare quotes from a variety of providers and find out which ones offer the best deals. Don’t automatically renew with the provider you’re currently using, especially if you’ve recently turned 50 – it’s likely that there will be better deals available to you.Learn more in our guide Car insurance: why loyalty still doesn’t pay.
You can use this tool to get started and compare car insurance quotes for people over 50 from over 110 providers.
You can also use this tool to compare quotes from providers covering all age ranges.
For more ways to keep your premiums down, check out our article 10 practical tips to reduce your car insurance premiums.
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