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Whether you’re 19 or 89, what car insurance covers doesn’t change. However, when taking out over-80s insurance, you may notice that your premiums are more expensive than when you compared car insurance quotes in your 60s and 70s.
Nevertheless, there are still ways you can try and get cheaper car insurance for over-80s. This guide explains how you can cut the cost of your premium, what medical conditions you’ll need to declare and what is included in specialist over-80s car insurance.
As you entered your late 70s, you likely noticed the cost of your car insurance started to increase from the low rates you’d seen in prior years. That trend only continues in your 80s, where the price of your premium might even increase at a slightly faster rate.
Put simply, insurance providers view older drivers as more of a risk. Data from the Association of British Insurers suggests that the cost of the average car insurance claim in your 80s jumps up to levels not seen since your early 20s.
The good news is that the cost of your car insurance shouldn’t reach the same price as those in their 20s would pay. This is because, unlike that demographic, you’ve likely got decades worth of driving experience under your belt.
The average cost of car insurance for 80- to 84-year-olds is £416, based on fully comprehensive annual policies bought through MoneySuperMarket between November 2022 and February 2023.
As you enter your late 80s, however, the price of insurance jumps significantly. For 85- to 89-year-olds, the average is £519.
In comparison, the average for someone aged between 75 and 79 is £338.
The price of car insurance is only increasing. According to Consumer Intelligence, premiums for drivers over 50 rose by 57.2 per cent in the year to November 2023. So you should expect to pay more than the above when you next renew your policy.
Over-80s car insurance is no different to standard car insurance. This means you’ll still be choosing between third party; third party, fire and theft; and comprehensive cover:
In addition to choosing between the three main types of car insurance, you’ll also have a range of optional extras to consider.
For example, as you get older, adding breakdown cover might be a sensible option to provide assistance if anything goes wrong with your vehicle.
Similarly, you may want an enhanced personal accident add-on to cover a wider array of services, such as physiotherapy, if you were to be in a motor accident.
Other add-ons include:
To get car insurance in your 80s, you’ll need to provide exactly the same documentation and information as a younger driver, including:
While the process of getting car insurance is the same, the rules for renewing your driving licence change as you get older.
After the age of 70, you must renew your licence every three years rather than every 10.
You’ll need to keep your insurer and the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) up to date with any new medical conditions that may affect your driving.
These medical conditions can affect the cost of your car insurance. This is because providers consider you at greater risk of having an accident.
You must declare the following to your car insurance provider and the DVLA:
You can find a full A to Z list of conditions and the guidance around them in regards to driving at gov.uk. Alternatively, you can use the online service to search for a condition. You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t inform the DVLA of any medical conditions.
If you inform the DVLA of a medical condition, it may have to carry out medical checks to assess whether you can renew your licence. During this time, you won’t be able to drive.
You’ll also need to meet the minimum eyesight requirements when renewing your licence. You must:
While you don’t need specialist over-80s car insurance, the benefits that such policies include mean they’re worth looking into. Specialist over-80s car insurance may provide the following benefits:
There are several things you can do to try and bring down the cost of your over-80s car insurance.
Depending on your driving profile, you may find it cheaper to take out one of the following instead of standard car insurance:
Aside from choosing a specialist policy, there are some classic tips and tricks you can employ to try and reduce the cost of your premium, including the following:
You don’t require a health assessment to take out over-80s car insurance. However, you need to declare any medical conditions that affect your driving to your insurer and when renewing your licence.
When renewing your licence, the DVLA may require you to undergo medical checks to ensure it’s still safe for you to drive.
It is possible for a driver over the age of 80 to insure an older car. However, it may increase the price of your premium.
Depending on the age of the vehicle and your attachment to it, you could consider specialised classic car insurance. Although the DVLA and HMRC have their own definitions of a classic car, it’s at the discretion of the provider to determine its classic car age limits.
While there is no maximum legal age at which you have to stop driving, some car insurance providers may set age limits.
However, regardless of your age, you should still be able to find a provider that’ll give you cover, even if your options may shrink slightly as you get into your 80s.
If you choose to stop driving because you don’t want to anymore, you don’t have to tell the DVLA. But you can choose to voluntarily surrender your licence.
However, you must surrender your licence to the DVLA if:
It is possible to apply to get your licence back if the above situations are resolved.
