Quotezone Data Reveals Teenager Car Insurance Rates

It’s never cheap getting on the road in your teens, but what are the average premiums like? Quotezone has some answers;

Teenage drivers are paying less for their insurance – but data reveals many are still facing bills of over £2,500.

The insights are based on the latest data from comparison experts at Quotezone who analysed the most recent quarter of statistics to find exactly how much the UK’s youngest drivers are paying for their premiums.

Young drivers aged 17–24 are seeing a welcome reduction in car insurance costs, with the average premium for Q4 2025 now standing at £1,121. That’s a substantial saving of more than £998 compared with the same quarter in 2024.

Despite the overall improvement, the cost of getting on the road remains eye-wateringly high for the countries’ youngest motorists, as 17-year-olds continue to pay the highest premiums.

Teenage drivers in London face the steepest prices, with average costs reaching £2,798. Premiums begin to ease with age, falling to just over £2,500 for 18-year-olds in the capital and dropping further to £1,484 for 19-year-olds, highlighting the significant impact of even a few years’ driving experience on insurance costs.

The most expensive areas for the UK’s youngest drivers are London, the West Midlands, Yorkshire and North West England. In these areas, annual insurance costs 17-year-old motorists over £2,000.

Average car insurance premiums for young drivers, Q4 2025.

New drivers in South East England, East Midlands and South West England have the lowest insurance prices – but premiums are still costing 17-year-olds over £1,700 a year.

There are many reasons why the price of insurance tends to be higher for young drivers, with lack of experience and an increased risk of accidents being major risk factors for insurers.

In fact, young male car drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 or over. Involved in 24% of serious accidents, this young age group only represents 7% of licence-holders.

New motorists have a much higher risk of accidents, with statistics showing one in five drivers crash within a year of passing their test.

Young drivers can also be more susceptible to distraction, with research showing they are more likely to use mobile phones behind the wheel. They are also the age group most likely not to wear a seatbelt.

One of the costliest factors affecting these young drivers is their zero no-claims history, meaning they miss out on discounts more readily available to other age groups.

The good news for younger motorists is that with time, experience and responsible driving, they should see their premiums start to reduce as they build their no claims bonus and clean driving history.

In the meantime, there are ways to help reduce costs such as adding a more experienced driver to the policy, opting for a smaller, less powerful vehicle and avoiding modifications – all of which could help reduce premiums.

Greg Wilson, CEO and car insurance expert at Quotezone said: “Unfortunately, many young drivers are paying a staggering cost to simply get on the road. Driving lessons, tests and road tax are increasingly expensive, and insurance premiums for these motorists are the highest of all age ranges in the UK.

“With our latest car insurance index, we wanted to dig down into young driver premiums to see just how much teenagers are paying for insurance across the country and how that varies across their first few years of driving. Unsurprisingly, 17-year-olds are paying the most – with London and the West Midlands worst affected.

“Drivers in their teens are unlikely to see costs drop too dramatically given their lack of experience on the road and increased risk of crashing. However, the government is currently looking at measures to increase support for these drivers to help lower insurance premiums and improve road safety.

“On a positive note, premiums tend to fall quickly with age and experience, so hopefully these hefty premiums won’t follow new drivers for long. There are also other steps drivers can take to help keep prices down.

“We urge young drivers to pick their first car wisely and to go for one with a smaller engine and lower horsepower as both can hike up insurance prices. Steering clear of penalty points and opting for telematics products can also help make premiums more affordable – demonstrating safe and responsible driving to the insurer.”

The latest quarterly figures for the last three months of 2025 show the average car insurance cost in the UK is now down to £607 per year.

While insurance experts hope that prices will continue to taper off throughout 2026, it’s unlikely that young drivers will see a significant decline in costs – given their high-risk profile. It’s important for these drivers to realise there are steps they can take to help make their premiums more manageable.

As a price comparison site, Quotezone helps young drivers compare prices and find quality products for less.