Car Insurance for over 90s

[KingscoteStaff]

Mum’s premium renewal has just come in - up from 1700 to 5000!!!

Hasn’t had an accident or a claim for at least 20 years. Small car used 2 or 3 times a week to go shopping and to church.

Is there a specific insurer for oldies? Any advice gratefully received.

Have you sat in the car with her driving recently? And is she ok?

There's a reason the premiums go sky high at some point!

At that price, she would be better off taking taxis.

Do you genuinely believe her reaction times and spatial awareness are as good as they need to be? It may be only short journeys, but even on a short journey she could have a terrible accident.

She has to stop sometime. Better to be by choice rather than after a crash

It was high insurance at 90 that stopped my dad driving.

According to this, RIAS, Age UK, and Saga.

At £2 a mile, that’s 2500 miles of taxis. Or nearly 50miles a week. And that’s not counting petrol, servicing, vehicle tax, depreciation.

Wow. That's a lot. To be honest, most people by that age have vision problems and might not be able to see as well as they used to or to driving standards ( eg cataracts, macular degeneration, visual field problems and many more).

The fact that her premiums have shot up is because she is statistically at high risk of having an accident now.
With this in mind, it would be safer and cheaper for her to get taxis.
By safer, I mean safer for her and safer for other people.
I would gently suggest selling the car, giving up her licence and using taxis from now on.

Unfortunately, she would regard using taxis as a ridiculous indulgence… She’d stop going to her sports club.

Not specifically about a particular insurer - but just to tell you that it's worth experimenting with naming yourself/a second person as a named driver if you haven't already as weirdly it can bring the premium down. I discovered this randomly when was added on to granny's insurance when she renewed as sometimes she wanted me to driver longer distances for her.

They're dangerous that's why. Over 90 and still driving? I'm having a nightmare trying to get my DM to stop driving, she's got dementia and I'm terrified she's going to kill someone. Agree re they won't see sense re taxis 🥺

Another option is that there are sometimes community transport services which are cheaper than taxis. My mum used them a lot after she gave up driving (medical appointments, once a week supermarket shop, that sort of thing) and it would often be the same drivers, so for mum, it felt more like getting a lift from a neighbour and reimbursing them for the petrol.

She’s mentally fit (Times crossword/competitive Bridge) and physically active (gardening/croquet/dog walks). I will investigate putting myself on as a second named driver.

I know the car will have to go fairly soon, but as a war time child, she regards taxis as being on a par with caviar and champagne - almost criminally unnecessary!

My mother gave up her car with a considerable amount of trepidation but is finding taxis an absolute liberation! Door to door delivery and considerably cheaper than running than her car was

Following with interest! DGF is 90 soon and car has just spectacularly failed its MOT. Car is his lifeline so he is looking at getting another run around. If his insurance is about to shoot up it might make it an unaffordable option as well as everything else. Taxis an interesting option.

Sounds very similar to my mum, 86, very fit physically and mentally, walks miles every day, drives to lots of different groups and clubs and social outings with friends etc, I can't imagine her giving up her car, all her friends of the same age are still driving.
Totally hear what you're saying about being a wartime child and not wanting to spend money, she goes on about how expensive things are and how xyz is such a waste of money, but I know that she's got hundreds and hundreds of thousands in the bank!

Comprehensive insurance can often be cheaper than just fire/theft.
OP- Have you travelled recently with her driving? There was a TV programme a few years ago where people went along with a driving instructor- with differing results.
Many other countries require a re-sitting of their drivers license at a certain age. Does anyone know why the UK doesn't do this?

That's a similar price to a 17/18 year old. Premiums are expensive nowadays for risky groups.

My aunt's doctor reported her to the DVLA when she was 92. She was livid, and wouldn't countenance taxis. But eventually came to terms with using the community transport drivers for a very small fee for each trip. She's got to know two regular volunteer drivers so they don't feel like taxis to her now

But she still grieves for her car. Just being taken to and from her destination (booked in advance) isn't the same as a spontaneous decision to go to the supermarket and stop off on the way for a walk in a country park, and then pop to see her friend on the way home. And I totally sympathise with that. I know that if I live that long I'll hate that lack of agency and independence too.

Many other countries require a re-sitting of their drivers license at a certain age. Does anyone know why the UK doesn't do this?

Because the single strongest principle for all political parties is 'don't do anything to piss off old people, they vote and there's loads of them'?

People need to get real that it’s not safe for other people to have 90 year olds still driving. They may only do short journeys but the majority of accidents happen on short journeys.

Hide her car keys!

A person with dementia should not be driving full stop. She will kill someone!

Sounds like a gap in the market (insurance company would be the paying customer) for some sort of special tests or age 90+; assess driving competence & mental acuity for space of 2 hours or so. It's got to be possible to supply that service for hugely < £3300.

It was a while ago but my Great Aunt did an advanced driving course in her late 80s. That was mostly to reassure family members who thought that she should stop driving but it also reduced her insurance premiums.

All car insurance premiums have increased, across all age ranges.

would a mobility scooter be an option? An elderly relative of mine got one when he reluctantly gave up his car.

Community transport as a good idea, as mentioned by a pp.

I would presume someone from her church or clubs may give her a lift?

Be careful with being added to her insurance to reduce the premium, insurance companies have got wise to this practice,they call it fronting, if you don’t drive her car, I wouldn’t do this. No point in having insurance if it won’t pay out in event of a claim.

I wish 90 year old DFs would have gone up as much, DPs were moaning because it was up by £200. He isn't an amazing driver - never was - but not quite bad enough for me to have to phone the DVLA or police.

She/you could try ringing the insurance company- usually get a discount that way.

If she's mentally fit to play competitive bridge then she's fit to go through the numbers with you and realise that ditching the car and using taxis is a frugal money saving measure - that she'll have X thousand pounds spare to use on taxis and that at the age of 90 she should use it to make her life better and keep herself social and active.

But in the meantime do try Saga and Rias.

I've just looked for my FIL's , 91, and it was about £800 on compare the market . BTW he never actually drives, it's a just in case scenario.