We often get asked this a lot with potential clients looking to do an advanced driving course. As much as we would love to say yes, virtually all mainstream competitive insurers will not reduce your car insurance after taking an advanced driving course. Here is why:

When an insurance company is assessing your risk and, subsequently, the price you will pay, they will look at a number of variables such as:

* Your age and gender
* Driving experience
* Claims and convictions
* No Claims Bonus
* Medical issues
* Where you live
* Make and model of vehicle
* Mileage
* Occupation
* Vehicle usage
* Type of cover (TPFF, Comprehensive etc)

There are some things you can actively do to reduce your car insurance, such as type of cover, vehicle usage, make and model of vehicle. There are some things which you can’t change, such as age, experience, No Claims, etc – these just come with the passage of time, which for a young driver can be incredibly frustrating.

Taking an advanced driving course to reduce insurance does not tend to lower your premium for two main reasons:

* Insurance companies may not fully understand the benefits of driver training
* Insurance companies may argue that you need to prove you’re a safer driver – i.e. how you drive after taking training.

Taking an advanced driving course with the sole aim of saving money is not going to work if you then just get back into your car and drive the way you always have done. Why, then, should an insurance company give a discount? You need to prove you are a good driver. This is why having a black box fitted can be so good for young drivers – insurance companies have real-time proof of how you’re driving.

With an advanced driving course, you are taught to become a safer, more skilful driver who should have a lower collision rate and, as a result, claim less. You become less of a risk to the insurance company. Making the conscious decision to take an advanced driving course, committing to it, and continuing to work on your driving after the training – following the points and tips the tutor gave- will have life-long benefits. Some of these benefits include improved vehicle control, increased forward planning, less wear on your vehicle and a lower probability of being involved in a collision. Safer drivers tend to claim less.

Advanced driver training is all about making you a safer driver, more than just immediate insurance cost savings.

Are There Exceptions?

If you’re a company looking to insure a large fleet of vehicles, then often putting your staff through an advanced driving course can save you money on your insurance. Fleet insurance is often done on a one-by-one basis, making negotiations for training much easier. Some fleet insurers also require that all staff do some form of driver training if they are to be covered.

Sometimes fleet insurers will insist on a higher-risk driver, such as a new driver driving a company van takes an advanced driving course as it provides a risk scoring they can review. Often, fleets do driver training as it forms part of their Duty of Care as an employer.

The only exceptions we have seen from a private insurance viewpoint are for ultra-high-risk drivers who intend to drive a high-powered car, where a course which carries a detailed risk assessment is required. Drivers for whom we have provided such a course are often professional sports people who have the means to purchase a high-powered car but are young and sometimes new to the UK.