It’s always exciting seeing someone navigate a path to greater independence. But before you welcome a learner into your driver’s seat, there are a few things you might want to consider about your car insurance.
How much does it cost to insure a learner driver?
Your premium is influenced by a number of factors including the listed drivers on a policy. At AAMI, you are not required to include a learner driver as a listed driver. However, you should know that additional excesses will apply if the learner driver is inexperienced or under 25 years of age.
For example, if you make a claim after a car accident, you'll need to pay an ‘age excess’ or ‘inexperienced driver excess’ on top of all other applicable excesses including the standard excess and AAMI Flexi-Premiums Excess.
It’s best to check your policy, so you know what to expect. You can do that easily online by accessing your AAMI ‘My Account’.
How are learner drivers covered under my car insurance policy?
If a learner driver is using your car and you have insurance, many comprehensive or third-party insurance policies will cover you.
With AAMI Car Insurance, learner drivers are automatically covered under your insurance policy. A listed, appropriately licensed driver just needs to be in the front passenger seat while they’re driving.
If the learner driver is under 25 years of age or inexperienced (with less than 2 years of driving experience), you may have to pay an additional excess in the case of an incident. It’s best to check your policy documents to find out which excesses apply to your cover.
Once they move to their P-plates, the learner driver may need to be listed as an additional driver on your car insurance policy if they are a regular driver. This might affect things like your premium and excess.
Choosing the right insurance
If you anticipate having a learner driver in your car soon, it may be a good idea to consider which type of insurance is right for you.
At AAMI, we offer two types of car insurance:
- Comprehensive Car Insurance, which covers accidental loss or damage to your car, as well as damage your car causes to other people’s vehicle and property.
- Third Party Car Insurance, which can help cover the cost of loss or damage to another person’s vehicle or property caused by the use of your car.
- You can also include cover for Fire and Theft for an additional premium.
It’s worth checking the policy documents to get an idea of what is and isn’t covered.
How can I manage my car insurance premium?
Vary your excess
If you have an AAMI Comprehensive Car insurance policy, you can lower your premium with AAMI Flexi-Premiums®. AAMI Flexi-Premiums® lets you choose to increase your excess to lower your premium which means you will contribute more at the time you make a claim.
With younger drivers, it’s important to factor in any potential additions to your standard excess. If a listed driver on your policy is under 25, an age excess applies. There’s also an excess for inexperienced drivers (with under two years of driving experience).
Consider your cover type
The type of insurance you chose affects your premium and what you’re covered for, but it’s important to understand the trade-offs before making a decision. To compare prices, it’s always best to get a quote.
For example, AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance covers accidental loss or damage to your car as well as damage to other people’s vehicles and properties. Our Third Party Car Insurance covers only damage your car causes to other people’s vehicle or property. So if your car is damaged in an incident and you’re at fault, you’d need to cover those repair costs yourself.
The best choice depends on personal circumstances, including the value of your car and your ability to cover repair costs out of pocket.
Think about your optional extras
If you have AAMI Comprehensive Car Insurance, you can add optional covers to your policy for an additional premium. These include:
- Roadside Assist
- Hire car after an event, and
- Windscreen and Window Glass cover.
While optional extras can add value, they also add to the cost of your premium. It’s worth reviewing what’s included in your base policy first, then deciding whether any add-ons suit you.
Who is responsible for an accident with a learner driver in Australia?
Whether they’re driving in your car, a parent’s or legal guardian’s, learner drivers must always be supervised by a fully licensed driver when they’re on their L-plates. Otherwise, they’ll be in breach of their learner’s license conditions, which could affect an insurance claim and lead to legal penalties.
It’s important to remember that having a supervisor doesn’t exempt a learner driver from responsibility in case of an incident. However, it does ensure they were meeting the legal requirements of their licence when the incident happened.
Always check the rules in your state or territory before you get on the road with L-plates.