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Car insurance for young drivers can be eye-wateringly expensive. It's tempting to look for ways to cut costs – but one method known as "fronting" is illegal and could leave you with a criminal record. Here's what you need to know.
Fronting happens when someone lists a lower-risk driver, often a parent, as the main driver of a car to make insurance cheaper, even though a young driver uses it more. It's surprisingly common, but it's also illegal and can result in cancelled insurance, criminal charges, higher premiums and even vehicle seizure.
Fronting happens when the person who uses the car the most isn't listed as the main driver on the insurance policy.
A parent buys a car for their 17-year-old. They put themselves down as the main driver to get a cheaper premium. Their teenager is added as a named driver, even though they drive the car the most.
Because the parent is seen as lower risk, the price drops. But if the insurer discovers that the young driver is actually the main user, they'll class it as fronting.
Fronting is treated as insurance fraud in the UK. Even if the intention is simply to save money, it's still against the law.
More common than you might expect. According to research from Aviva in 2024:
Many people genuinely don't realise it's illegal. They see it as a harmless workaround. However, insurers see it very differently.
Fronting can cause serious trouble, and the fallout can be far more expensive than simply paying the correct premium.
If an insurer identifies fronting, they can void the policy. That means:
It can be financially devastating.
Because fronting is fraud, you could be prosecuted. A conviction can affect job applications, travel visas, and future financial products.
Insurers share data. Once you're flagged for fraud, getting affordable insurance becomes much harder.
Driving without valid insurance is an offence, so police can issue penalty points or a ban.
Cars driven without valid insurance can be taken by the police—and sometimes destroyed.
In 2022 alone, UK insurers detected 72,600 dishonest motor claims worth £1.1 billion.
Fronting usually comes to light during a claim, when insurers investigate who was actually driving and how often. They may check:
Insurers have become very good at spotting patterns that don't add up.
Yes! It's surprisingly easy for a policy to become inaccurate over time.
Maybe:
If the person who uses the car most changes, the policy needs updating. Otherwise, you could accidentally fall into fronting territory.
The main driver should be the person who uses the car most often. If you're not sure, it's worth checking with your insurer.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to cut costs without breaking the law:
Add an experienced driver as a named (not main) driver: This can help reduce premiums while keeping the young driver as the main policyholder.
Choose a telematics/black box policy: These reward safe driving and can offer significant discounts for young drivers.
Drive a smaller, lower-group car: Cars in lower insurance groups are much cheaper to insure.
Pay annually to avoid interest: Monthly payments typically include interest charges that add to your total cost.
Shop around using comparison tools: Compare policies in your own name from trusted UK insurers via Brumble's young driver comparison.
The safest and often the cheapest approach is simply comparing quotes properly. You can compare policies in your own name, from trusted UK insurers, in just a few minutes. This helps you find genuine savings without risking invalid insurance or legal problems.
Find the best deal without the risk. Compare quotes from multiple UK insurers and get properly covered.
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