# Car Insurance



## Lynne Day (Apr 13, 2009)

has anyone got a good price for the car insurance i am look for insurance for my type 1 diabetic son who is 18 some of the prices are twice the amount his friends are paying just because he is diabetic at first just tought it was due to his age but it is his diabetes that is putting the price up


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## Einstein (Apr 14, 2009)

Hi Lynne,
I've never had an issue with my insurance, however, I can see from the insurers perspective that they'd see an 18 old as being less likely to check their levels before and during each journey.

Diabetes UK have a special deal on insurance, I think it might include motor insurance as well. Worth a look on their web site to find the contact details and see if you can get a better quote.

Hope you get a better figure soon.

Another thing you might want to do is take a look at the institute of advanced motorists web site, in the last couple of issue of their members magazine they have been promoting a scheme for young drivers, to teach them advanced driving skills, once you've become a member (by passing your advanced driving test) there are some good discounts available as you're considered a lower risk. Its also a good way of learning road craft and how to read the road and other drivers around you.


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## Copepod (Apr 14, 2009)

Hi Lynne 
Please pass on congratulations to your son on gaining his driving licence. I wonder if length of time since diagnosis also has a bearing on his premium? As well as Einstein's AIM suggestion, you could also consider putting him on your car insurance for a few years (age 25 years is when premiums drop considerably). He won't gain any no claims discount during those years, but premiums would drop anyway as he gets older and further from diagnosis. I guess that's not too practical if he is going away from home to work or study, but depending on location, public transport, bike and hitching might be enough - that's how I travelled between parental home in West Midlands to training in London and university in Tyneside. 

Finally, I'm moving this to Motoring / DVLA, as it fits there perfectly.


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## sofaraway (Apr 14, 2009)

I didn't think they were allowed to put the price up due to diabetes. Mine didn't change the price when i phoned to tell them that I had become insulin treated. 

David's suggestion of trying DiabetesUK is a good one, they may have some better deals.


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## janine19 (Apr 14, 2009)

Hi Lynne, I didnt think bein diabetic put ur insurance up. It didnt mine when I notified them. It mite be worth looking at putting him on ur policy. My dad did that for my sister and it was alot cheaper. There are some insurance companies now where if u are a named driver on a policy u can collect no claims bonus. It was great for my sister cos when she started her own policy was able to use no claims from being on my dads.


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## mikep1979 (Apr 15, 2009)

are his friends newly passed drivers?? even someone with 1-2 years no claims at the age of 18-19 will have a lower premium than someone who has never had insurance. if you feel it is due to his condition then ask his friends who they are using and get a quote from them to see if it changes. also you have to take into account your postal code and also if the car will be park on or off the road, what make and model it is, how big the engine is and also how much the car is worth. also it could be his friends are only 3rd party. i would defo look at the diabetes uk website as they do have deals for insurance but not sure if it motor cover to. when i became diabetic my premiums never went up. infact they came down a few months later when i re-newed my policy.


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## Admin (Apr 20, 2009)

This used to be the case - but I have found this no longer a problem. Personally, I have always found Admiral to be good - but I think that was more to do with  competitive London rates rather than diabetes being an issue! I am currenly insured by Tesco - but am about to move to Norwich Ubion - I got the quote and then remembered at the end to tell them i was diabetic (Doh!) but it made no difference to the price. Quotes from insureres can differ massively - so it is definitely worth shopping around.


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## mikep1979 (Apr 22, 2009)

thats funny admin as i used to be with admiral for years the switched to esure and have been with them for about 3 years now. its great when you have the number of years no claims i have cos they all seem to want to offer you a great deal lol


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## Vegman1441 (Apr 26, 2009)

*Getting cheaper car insurance.*



Lynne Day said:


> has anyone got a good price for the car insurance i am look for insurance for my type 1 diabetic son who is 18 some of the prices are twice the amount his friends are paying just because he is diabetic at first just tought it was due to his age but it is his diabetes that is putting the price up



Car insurance is a big money spinner for these people, dont pay through the nose.
Try this, Go to confused.com take a look at the prices, go to any one you fancy, DONT BUY IT, then go to another one, STILL DO NOT BUY ANYTHING, then a third one, AGAIN DONT BUY ANYTHING JUST LOOK.
Close down your computer and wait, yea wait, your phone will ring and someone willm  ask if you had any luck with your insurance and ask if they could put you through to another company who might be better, say ok, remember it`s there call at there expence, talk to the new company and when they ask if you have had a price say yes and tell them, BUT TAKE ?20 OF OF IT.
They will do there best to at least match it, there you already have ?20 discount.Ask for a ref number and take the number in case you want to call them back.Put the phone down and it will ring again, DO THE SAME ALL OVER AGAIN INCLUDING THE TAKING ?20 OFF.
They will keep ringing you untill you have a price which is a dam site better.
Good luck. Oh I got a price down from over ?800 down to ?280.
Also I belive car insurance are not allowed to increase the price unless they can prove he is a greater risk.
Vegman1441.


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## litto-miss-loz (May 17, 2009)

Hey all, 

Im 19 and still learning to drive but I got insurance from Kwik Fit and I pay ?109 per month and the woman on the phone said once i pass my test it will go upto ?120-?130 per month once I have my full uk license as I only got my provisional the now. I dont think my diabetes affected it, because she never mentioned that a medical condition would affect the price. I think its just to do with age and experience etc.


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## mikep1979 (May 18, 2009)

wow so yours is cheeper as a learner driver??? weird lol


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## Copepod (May 18, 2009)

Only "cheaper" because she's quoting amount per month, not per year! ?109 per month = ?1308 per year.


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## mikep1979 (May 18, 2009)

Copepod said:


> Only "cheaper" because she's quoting amount per month, not per year! ?109 per month = ?1308 per year.



yeah i noticed it was per month. what i ment was her premium is going up per month when she obtains her full license.


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## Anthony Neve (May 18, 2009)

I belive they are discriminating if charging more for being a diabetic. but i guess you wont know unless you get a qoute and ont tell them about and then get a quote and tell them...


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## litto-miss-loz (May 18, 2009)

yeah i guess its because im still learning.. like i cant go on motorways or drive myself so it will be cheaper until i get my full uk one. I think thats how it works, somethin like that anyway lol


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## litto-miss-loz (May 18, 2009)

that was the cheapest i could find.

Everywhere else wanted around ?150-?180 per month 

I was like 

lol


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## mikep1979 (May 19, 2009)

litto-miss-loz said:


> yeah i guess its because im still learning.. like i cant go on motorways or drive myself so it will be cheaper until i get my full uk one. I think thats how it works, somethin like that anyway lol



never known it to work that way lol

it was the otherway when i passed my test. was insured for my little fiesta on a provisional till i got a full uk. paid ?400 for the year (back in 1996) and then once i got my full uk license it went down to ?325.80 lol


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## litto-miss-loz (May 19, 2009)

ooo really??

but its all different now. there werent as many people driving back then than there is now. I may be wrong lol

When its time to change over to my full uk one I will ask them why the price goes up, im curious to know now lol


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## Einstein (May 19, 2009)

Copepod said:


> Only "cheaper" because she's quoting amount per month, not per year! ?109 per month = ?1308 per year.


 

And the two figures ?109 as a learner and ?120-?130 as a newly qualified driver are both per month - thats not for the year!


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## Einstein (May 20, 2009)

litto-miss-loz said:


> ooo really??
> 
> but its all different now. there werent as many people driving back then than there is now. I may be wrong lol
> 
> When its time to change over to my full uk one I will ask them why the price goes up, im curious to know now lol


 
I had mentioned in an earlier post that membership of the IAM offers discounts on motor insurance, what is now becoming apparent is that insurers have woken to the fact that the advanced IAM test is only taken once in a members lifetime and doesn't need to be repeated.

The preference for a number of insurers is to recognise silver and gold ROSPA drivers as being a much better insurance risk and thus offering additional discount.

There are two reasons for this. First, there isn't just a staged test structure with a pass or fail. The test for bronze, silver and gold is the same, the examiner will award your pass on how you drive.

Second, the test must be retaken every three years, as such your driving standard must be maintained.

With all (IAM or ROSPA) advanced tests it is unlikely that an average or poor driver could put on a level performance to gain a pass mark through the whole duration of the test. As such at the point of passing and on the build up to this stage all advanced drivers are of a good standard, however, just a you were good enough to pass your basic driving test 'n' years ago, you develop poor driving skills through your life, which need to be corrected, practiced and made part of your everyday driving life in order to pass.

If the IAM were to insist on re-testing every three years, watching most members doing the test cold and without any observer runs might provide some interesting results!

As for insurance on a provisional license being cheaper than on a full license, it does strike me as very odd, sure there is the situation that you are on your own once you've passed your test, however, there isn't anything to say what standard the person sitting next to you when you're a learner has, I think the current 12 months full license and over the age of 21 is unreasonable, and should be at least three years, over 25 and with no more than three penalty points on their driving license.

At least this way we know they have some experience and have successfully held their own license without excessive endorsement.

Clearly with 2 million cars on the UK roads with no insurance then insurance industry might well be shooting themselves in the foot by pricing young drivers away from affording insurance in the first place.


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## mikep1979 (May 20, 2009)

i agree with the 3 years and 25 with no more than 3 points part as i have been driving and riding motorbikes for over 10 years now and have never even had a penalty point. i do how ever think that iam test is fundamentaly flawed due to the fact they give you x ammount of lessons and will not let you take the test until they are sure you are able to achieve the highest pass mark. now in germany they have a great way of testing people, if you havent passed you normal test after 3 tries then you can never try again also if you fail or do not hit expected pass mark on adt (advanced driving test) then you dont get the qualification and are made to re-sit basic test again.


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## Einstein (May 20, 2009)

mikep1979 said:


> i agree with the 3 years and 25 with no more than 3 points part as i have been driving and riding motorbikes for over 10 years now and have never even had a penalty point. i do how ever think that iam test is fundamentaly flawed due to the fact they give you x ammount of lessons and will not let you take the test until they are sure you are able to achieve the highest pass mark. now in germany they have a great way of testing people, if you havent passed you normal test after 3 tries then you can never try again also if you fail or do not hit expected pass mark on adt (advanced driving test) then you dont get the qualification and are made to re-sit basic test again.


 
Mike, just a quick correction on the IAM and their test procedure.

With the IAM you buy a 'skills for life' package this is one years associate membership, your local group membership, as many observed runs as you need, the IAM handbooks (and I think the highway code ? could be wrong here), together with your test fee. And when you pass the remainder of the year is as a member.

You don't receive lessons, you have ?optional? observed drives, where someone who has passed their observers test will sit with you while you drive, noting observations on your driving skills. Then at the end of each run, or perhaps half way through they will go through any points. These runs are in your own vehicle and typically last a couple of hours, that time alone if you work out a driving instructor is ?25 an hour soon covers the skills for life cost!

You are free at anytime to apply for your IAM test, the application form is sent to you upon purchasing the skills for life course. You don?t have to do anything with your local group in terms of observed drives if you don?t want to, simply sign the form and pop it in the post. The examiner contacts you, arranges a suitable test time and date and you drive. If you meet his expectation (they?re always Police traffic drivers) then you?re invited to become a member of the IAM,  if you fail, then you need to pay a new examination fee to re-sit your test.

As it is a voluntary code there is no reference to your original driving test, except you need a driving license to drive on the road.

What is different with ROSPA is that there are three levels of pass and you have to retake your test every three years, and because you were a gold member last time, doesn?t mean you can?t drop to a silver member next time. It?s the retesting for advanced driving every three years that is critical.

The IAM advanced test is a test of good roadmanship, driving within the conditions, maintaining full control at all times and reading ahead and planning. It really should be obtainable by anyone with a driving license and 30,000 good miles under their belts.

Germany is of course different to the UK, their driving discipline has worsened I feel since I first drove over there, overtaking control and lane management wasn?t anywhere near a driving religion to them last December as it was 10 years ago.

I dare say driving in the US will have changed, do they still walk at 55 MPH? Oh, sorry drive, its incredible for the size of country, size of engines in their cars, that they have a speed limit of 55, however, American cars didn?t used to be too good at these things called corners


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## mikep1979 (May 20, 2009)

Einstein said:


> Mike, just a quick correction on the IAM and their test procedure.
> 
> With the IAM you buy a 'skills for life' package this is one years associate membership, your local group membership, as many observed runs as you need, the IAM handbooks (and I think the highway code ? could be wrong here), together with your test fee. And when you pass the remainder of the year is as a member.
> 
> ...



lol germany has always had its mad drivers. i remember my mate buying as brand spanking new imperza and taking out on the autobahn for a spin. he raced a copper in a porsche lol

yeah the yanks stilll do 55 and their cars still dont like corners hehehe


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## litto-miss-loz (May 21, 2009)

btw see because we only have a license for 3 years does that mean we need to sit a drivin test every three years? :O


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## mikep1979 (May 22, 2009)

litto-miss-loz said:


> btw see because we only have a license for 3 years does that mean we need to sit a drivin test every three years? :O



i never have. i have a medical and they say if i am still fit to hold my license and thats it.


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## rossi_mac (May 22, 2009)

As far as I understand it there's no need to retake test but they just use it to keep an eye one us special ones! Making sure we're under control, and our licence may get renewed for less than 3 years, if for example we have medical complications or are bad at controlling our levels!

When I sent my stuff off about being diagnosed and insulin dependant, I was told I must tell my insurers and they made a note of it but it didn't affect my premium. 

So make sure you do tell them litto-miss-loz as if you have the slightest incident your fault or not and they decide you haven't been open to them you will not have a leg to stand on! They're swines.


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## litto-miss-loz (May 22, 2009)

rossi_mac said:


> As far as I understand it there's no need to retake test but they just use it to keep an eye one us special ones! Making sure we're under control, and our licence may get renewed for less than 3 years, if for example we have medical complications or are bad at controlling our levels!
> 
> When I sent my stuff off about being diagnosed and insulin dependant, I was told I must tell my insurers and they made a note of it but it didn't affect my premium.
> 
> So make sure you do tell them litto-miss-loz as if you have the slightest incident your fault or not and they decide you haven't been open to them you will not have a leg to stand on! They're swines.



Yeah I have told them about my diabetes, my mum made sure i did lol she knows all the ins and outs


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## Einstein (May 23, 2009)

litto-miss-loz said:


> Yeah I have told them about my diabetes, my mum made sure i did lol she knows all the ins and outs


 
You don't need to retake your test, it is purely a medical renewal.

The only time I think they usually do an indepenant medical is if you're looking for a goods vehicle or public service vehicle license.

Sorry, just to add, the only area I mentioned about testing every three years was for the ROSPA advanced motoring examination. Not for the normal driving license.


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## mikep1979 (May 26, 2009)

my last medical (last year) lasted all of 5 minutes. the guy asked me if i was ok. asked if i had any changes to eyes etc and then said he would be in touc with my gp and dsn. then it was out the door and so long!!!!


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