Having a car at university is probably one of your biggest expenses but for lots of people, it’s a necessity.
There are a few ways you can keep your car costs down, including your insurance – one way could be black box insurance.
What is telematics or black box car insurance?
Black box insurance, or telematics, is car insurance which requires a small box to be fitted in your car.
The box records your driving style and measures things like braking, speed and the time of day or night you drive.
It allows drivers to show insurers they’re safe drivers and means they could get a better renewal price.
There are a few different types of black box insurance. For instance, our product is called LittleBox and we offer three different types:
- Little Box
- Little Box Plug and Drive
- Little Box Pod
Some of them you can install yourself, and some of them need to be installed by engineers.
You can’t choose which type you get – we decide which type you're offered based on the information you give us when you get a quote.
Who is black box car insurance for?
Anyone can take out black box insurance, but it can be especially useful for new and young drivers.
It means they can be rewarded for their good driving habits.
People in these categories are often considered ‘high-risk’ for insurers and may get a very high quote.
But with black box policies, safe drivers can be rewarded with discounts on their premium.
You’ll have a small unit fitted out-of-sight in your car which records your driving, and you’ll get regular emails with feedback and advice on how to improve.
Some black boxes also come with great extras. Our LittleBox insurance, for example, comes with theft tracking.
You can also use the technology to prove you weren’t at fault in an accident – if you were hit while stationary, you could prove it with a black box.
This doesn’t apply to our self-install products, like LittleBox Pod or LittleBox Plug and Drive.
How could black box car insurance save me money?
Most black box policies monitor how well you drive – they look at things like good braking habits and keeping to the speed limit.
If your score is consistently good, you may get a better discount at your renewal.
Monitoring how you drive with black box technology means that safe drivers can be rewarded with renewal prices that better reflect their driving habits.
How can I get cheaper car insurance?
There’s no denying students are often in the expensive insurance bracket, but no matter how old you are, there a few things you can do to help bring down your car insurance quote:
- Choose to pay annually – if you can afford to pay in one lump sum, you can avoid interest charges
- Stay on your parent’s policy – if you’ll be using your parents’ car, see how much it would cost to add you onto their policy as a named driver
- Voluntary excess is important – the higher the excess the lower the premium, but make sure you put a figure you can afford in case you ever need to make a claim
- Use a mileage calculator – if you work out your estimated annual mileage accurately, this can affect your premium
- Consider security features – things like alarms and immobilisers may reduce your premium
Overall, the safer a driver you are, the better your renewal price may be.
