We all want the cheapest car insurance we can get, but when you are a young driver it can seem impossible to get anything that is not absurdly expensive.
There is no escaping the fact that insurance for young drivers will cost more than it will for more experienced people.
This is not just vindictiveness on the part of the insurance companies, but is based on statistical evidence.
Insurance companies have to operate at a profit and they know from the statistics that young drivers are far more likely to be involved in road accidents than older people.
There are a combination of reasons for this, but clearly inexperience is a factor.
This in itself does not need to be a big problem, but if you combine it with an increased tendency to drive fast then you have a recipe for accidents.
Also bear in mind the typical ways in which young people use their vehicles compared to older people.
There are increased risks involved when you compare late night jaunts between social functions with groups of friends, with doing the same journey to work and back every day.
A generalization of course, but nonetheless true.
So to what extent can you bring down the cost of your premiums and find cheap young drivers insurance? Well we can start with the obvious, which is to shop around.
There are some companies that will not even offer cover, so the prices you do get will vary a lot.
Approach a lot of companies and look for ones that specialize in young and new drivers.
Other than that, one of the main things that will influence the size of the premiums you pay is the car you choose to drive.
There is no greater guarantee of enormous premiums than a young person in a fast, powerful car.
This is because the evidence shows that the chances of accidents increase dramatically if you make it easy for a young, inexperienced driver to drive very fast.
So you can bring costs down by choosing the car you wish to insure very carefully.
All cars belong to an insurance group, and the price you pay will be in part related to the group your car is in.
Choose a car from a low insurance group.
Go for a second hand, small car with a small engine.
If the car is not expensive and does not have a powerful engine, the price will be much lower.
This is not generally what young drivers want to hear when they are looking to impress their friends with a flashy new car, but it is what you must consider if you want to be able to afford to get behind the wheel at all.
Another step you can take to bring down the cost of insurance is to see if you can build an excess into your policy.
An excess is when you have to pay the first part of any claim, up to an agreed maximum.
This could be a relatively small amount, but the larger the excess you agree to, the smaller your premiums should be.
In agreeing to an excess you are sharing the risk and showing confidence in your ability to avoid accidents.