Car Insurance: Should Children With A Learner License Be Listed On Your Insurance Policy?

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Getting a licence is a huge milestone in any teenager’s life, for parents, it can be a stressful and unnerving time. It’s the undeniable life moment that confirms your baby isn’t a baby anymore, and you might also be wondering how your child who can barely stack the dishwasher is ready to get behind the wheel and join the other 20.1 million registered motor vehicles but alas – this is growing up.

At Stella Insurance, we know how important it is for you to be able to navigate the world of learner’s driving insurance and according to RAC, the average learner driver requires 20 hours of additional practise outside of their driving lessons, so we’ve debunked some of the myths associated with learner drivers and answered the questions you need to be reassured that both you and your children are covered if things don’t go exactly to plan.

Do I need to add a learner driver to my Stella policy?

In short – no. There’s no need to update your policy to include a learner driver. Did you know with Stella they’re automatically covered under your insurance policy, as long as there’s an insured, licensed driver in the front passenger seat with them when they’re driving. Though it’s worth mentioning if a learner is driving at the time of an incident, an inexperienced driver or age excess may also apply though we don’t apply that excess if you are insured with Stella Insurance.

Will my child’s policy be cheaper if I insure their car under my name?

The practise of “fronting” describes parents who take out insurance for themselves and a teenage driver, pretending they will be the main driver of the vehicle, when in fact their child will be behind the wheel most of the time. While fronting provides a premium saving, drivers can be left out of pocket if a claim happens and the insurer discovers it was given inaccurate information.

“When your kids get older and start driving, it’s important they get their car insurance sorted. As a parent, it’s only natural that you want to help. However, while they’re still Learner drivers who display L plates, they are covered under your Stella Comprehensive Car Insurance policy’s terms without being listed on your policy, so long as they comply with their licence conditions and are supervised by a properly licensed driver.” – Renee Cosgrave, GM Stella Insurance

If I want to insure my children’s policy separately how much does car insurance cost for under-25s?

Generally, the younger your drivers are, the more expensive their insurance will be. Why? Well, unfortunately, young drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident, and according to statistics from the National Road Safety Partnership Program the road fatality of young men aged 17 to 25 has historically been three times as high as women of the same age. So, we want you to have hard chats with your children about these statistics when they start to drive and educate them on the importance of road safety. This conversation could save their life, or the life of someone else.

In addition to gender and age, there are other contributing factors that might affect the cost of your child’s premium:

  • What kind of car do they drive
  • Where they live and where they park their car
  • Their policy details, such as their nominated excess, and any optional extras they have added to the policy (eg roadside assistance)
  • Whether they are taking out their own policy or being added to your insurance

How long can your children stay on your policy?

Unlike other types of insurance policies, such as health insurance that allows a child to stay on until they turn 26, there is not a cut-off age for auto insurance.

If your adult child has a driver’s license and is living in your home, then normally your car insurance company will mandate that your child or children are listed on your policy -whether they are 18, 24 or 45 (you might not want to tell your children this though – we get it)

Any advice provided is general advice and does not take your personal circumstances into consideration. Please read the Stella product disclosure statement (PDS) available at stellainsurance.com.au for the terms, conditions, and exclusions before purchasing this insurance. Stella Underwriting (ABN 72 633 811 319) is an Authorised Representative (AR 001282046) of Allstate Insurance Pty Ltd (ABN 82 073 267 053, AFSL 239010) which is acting under an agreement on behalf of the product issuer, QBE Insurance (Australia) Limited (ABN 78 003 191 035, AFSL 239545

 

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