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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.
7 December 2025
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. Insurers are very good at spotting it through claims investigations, telematics, and database checks. Young drivers can reduce costs legally by choosing telematics, adding an experienced named driver, or comparing policies in their own name via brumble.co.uk.
Topic | Key Details |
|---|---|
Definition of Fronting | Falsely naming someone as the main driver to get cheaper insurance |
Typical Scenario | Parent listed as main driver, teen listed as named driver though they drive more |
Legal Status | Illegal in the UK - classed as insurance fraud |
Prevalence | 17% of young drivers admit involvement; 11% of parents have done it |
Consequences | Invalid insurance, criminal record, penalty points, higher premiums, car seizure |
Detection Methods | Claims checks, telematics data, CCTV, interviews, database analysis |
Accidental Fronting | Yes, if usage changes and main driver info isn’t updated |
Legal Alternatives | Add experienced named driver, telematics, low-group cars, compare via Brumble |
Fronting happens when the person who uses the car the most isn’t listed as the main driver on the insurance policy.
The classic example looks like this:
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:
17% of young drivers admit to being on a fronted policy (Aviva, 2024)
11% of parents say they’ve done it
59% say they would consider it
35% of young drivers believe lying on insurance is a “victimless crime”
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.
1. Your insurance can be cancelled
If an insurer identifies fronting, they can void the policy. That means:
No payout
No protection
You’re responsible for all costs after an accident
It can be financially devastating.
2. You could end up with a criminal record
Because fronting is fraud, you could be prosecuted. A conviction can affect job applications, travel visas, and future financial products.
3. Higher premiums in the future
Insurers share data. Once you’re flagged for fraud, getting affordable insurance becomes much harder.
4. Penalty points or even a driving ban
Driving without valid insurance is an offence, so police can issue penalty points or a ban.
5. Your vehicle could be seized
Cars driven without valid insurance can be taken by the police—and sometimes destroyed.
Fronting is taken seriously. 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:
CCTV footage
Telematics or black box data
Interviews with drivers
Information across motoring databases
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:
You start working from home
Your partner switches jobs
Your child begins driving the shared car more
If the person who uses the car most changes, the policy needs updating. Otherwise, you could accidentally fall into fronting territory.
The general rule is simple: 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
Choose a telematics/black box policy
Drive a smaller, lower-group car
Pay annually to avoid interest
Shop around using comparison tools - like the one accessed via Brumble: Compare Young Driver Insurance
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 by using the comparison tool.
This helps you find genuine savings without risking invalid insurance or legal problems.
Aviva – One in six young drivers admit to ‘fronting’ (Dec 2024)
Which? – Parents tempted by illegal ‘fronting’ (Oct 2025)
Compare the Market – Car insurance fronting (Nov 2024)
Association of British Insurers – Named drivers
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