Your guide to car insurance when you're over 60
As a car owner, you have the freedom of the open road, but there are some costs involved that you can’t escape. We’re talking car insurance, car tax, fuel costs, the yearly MOT, breakdown cover and repairs. They all add up and, if you’re over 60 and trying to top up your pension pot, you may be wondering if there’s a way you can reduce one of your biggest car related expenses – your car insurance. Here’s our guide.
Shop around
Take some time to get quotes from different insurers and compare the level of cover on offer.
People often presume that third party, and third party fire and theft policies are cheaper than comprehensive cover policies, but this isn’t always the case.
If you want to lower your premium, consider paying a voluntary excess in addition to the compulsory one set by your insurer, as this could bring your price down[1]. Bear in mind that the excess you choose must be affordable, as you’ll need to be able to pay it if you make a claim in the future.
Some insurers will ask whether you want to add breakdown cover and legal cover to your policy for an additional charge. If you already have breakdown cover, you’ll want to decline this offer or cancel the other one at renewal, as there’s no point paying twice. Car keys cover may be something you want to add as an extra, but again, you may already have standalone key cover.
Lower premiums
Insurers view drivers in the over 60s age group as safer drivers than those in the younger age groups, and may reflect this is the premiums they offer[2].
Being a more mature driver means that you’re statistically less likely to have an accident[3], and, therefore, less likely to make a claim.
Other factors that may help lower your car insurance premium include driving a car from one of the lower car insurance groups[4], parking your car in a garage overnight and having a decent no claims discount.
To get a quote for Rias for over 60s car insurance, and to find out more, please click here >
Taking a break
If you’re planning on not driving for a substantial period of time, and you don’t want to pay car insurance or tax on your vehicle, you need to move it off the road and declare it SORN. If you fail to do so, and your current policy runs out, you’ll be sent letters and fines through the post. You’re legally required to either insure or register your vehicle as SORN.