How much does car insurance go down after 1 year no claims

If you pass your test in your late teens and then want to buy a car, you may find that the insurance would be prohibitively expensive. So, when can you expect the price to fall?

Car insurance by age

Under 25

Between the ages of 17 and 25, your car insurance will be at its most expensive, but there are actions you can take to reduce the cost.

25 plus

Once you are 25, you may well find that the price of your car insurance will start to drop. All else being equal, it should fall gradually between the ages of 25 and your 50s, with those aged between 50 and 60 generally benefiting from the cheapest rates.

60 plus

Over 60s tend to find that their car insurance price rises a little. Not by a huge margin, but to a premium that costs around what those in their 40s pay.

Compare cheap

car insurance quotes

Why does age matter?

Risk

The price of car insurance is calculated according to risk. Statistics show that younger drivers have more accidents, therefore they are higher risk and their premiums reflect this.

No claims bonus

The fact that younger drivers have had little or no chance to build up a no claims bonus is important too. A newly qualified 17-year-old driver will not have any no claims bonus, so they will not get any discount. Insurance companies do not yet know how much of a risk they are, so they have to ensure they cover their projected costs.

How can I reduce the price?

There are a number of things you can do to ensure you pay as little as possible for your car insurance, whatever your age:

Insurance groups

Buying a car in a lower insurance group is one of the best things you can do to lower the cost of your premiums. All cars are placed into one of 50 groups, with 1 being the lowest priced and 50 the highest. Insuring a car in a low group will cost significantly less, as the car is seen as less risky. This is an important factor to bear in mind when shopping for a car.

Black box or telematics

Insurers now offer special rates to those who use black box or telematics technology. This can either be installed in the car, or used as a smartphone app. It records your driving habits, which will be fed back to the insurance company. As long as you are a careful driver, this should lower your premium and help you to get cheaper insurance in the future. It can work against you, however, if you drive carelessly or too fast.

Add a named driver

If someone such as a parent is likely to use your car, then your car insurance can actually cost less if you add them to your policy as a named driver. If you are the one who uses the car most, then you must ensure you are the policyholder, however. Adding a driver to your insurance just to obtain a cheaper price is known as ‘fronting’ and is fraudulent.

Compare prices

Some financial experts advise people never to accept their renewal quote. Insurance companies rely on the fact that people may be too busy or tired to shop around, so the renewal price may not be very competitive. Using price comparison sites can speed things up, but remember they do not cover all insurers.

Pay annually

If you can, pay annually for your car insurance as it’s cheaper. Insurers charge extra for the privilege of paying monthly, so you will shell out more over the year.

How much does car insurance go down after 1 year no claims

Car insurance

When you take out a new car insurance policy, you will always be asked if you have any claim-free years. Claim-free years are the years you have gone without claiming on your previous car insurance. The more claim-free years you have, the higher the no-claims bonus on your premium will be. Read on to find out more about claim-free years and the no-claims bonus.

How much does car insurance go down after 1 year no claims

Why claim-free years?

Each year during which you have car insurance and do not claim on it counts as one claim-free year. In general, the more claim-free years you have, the lower the risk of you causing damage in the future. This is good news for the insurer, which is why you get a higher no-claims bonus if you have a greater number of claim-free years. The bonus can be as much as 80%.

How much does car insurance go down after 1 year no claims

How many claim-free years do I have?

Your current insurer will be able to tell you how many claim-free years you currently have. It is also stated on your policy. Your claim-free years are also registered in a central database called Roy-data. Your insurer can contact the administrators of the database to ask how many claim-free years you have accumulated. Once you have taken out your car insurance, your new insurer will always check with Roy-data to verify your exact number of claim-free years. If the number of claim-free years you stated in your application differs from the database, your premium will be adjusted.

No-claims bonus for car insurance

Each year during which you have car insurance in the Netherlands and do not claim on it counts as one claim-free year. The table below shows the bonus you will get for your claim-free years. If you have fewer than zero claim-free years, you cannot take out your car insurance online. Please contact us if you want to take out car insurance.

Claim-free yearsDiscount percentage
15 or more 80%
14 79%
13 78%
12 77%
11 76%
10 75%
9 74%
8 72%
7 70%
6 68%
5 66%
4 64%
3 62%
2 58%
1 54%
0 50%
-1 45%
-2 38%
-3 30%
-4 15%
-5 0%

How much does car insurance go down after 1 year no claims

Claim-free years and insuring a second car

If you have another car insured with ABN AMRO, some or all of the no-claims bonus you have accrued for your first car will also apply to your second car. The no-claims bonus for a second car can be up to a maximum of 70%, but if the driver of the second car has a higher no-claims bonus, you will get the same bonus for your first car.

Frequently Asked Questions about claim-free years:

You will keep your claim-free years in the following situations:

  • Theft and break-ins
  • Fire, storms, natural disasters
  • Window damage
  • Damage caused to your car when transporting an injured person
  • Damage for which the costs can be recovered from another party
  • Compensation that you pay back to ABN AMRO Schadeverzekeringen within 24 months of receiving it
  • Injury to a pedestrian or cyclist if you can prove that you were not at fault

You may be able to transfer your claim-free years accumulated abroad when you switch to a new Dutch insurer. However, you will need an English-language certificate of no claims bonus from the foreign insurer. This is a certificate from the foreign insurer confirming that the car insurance has been terminated. The certificate also specifies how many claim-free years you have accumulated. Send the certificate of no claims bonus to:

ABN AMRO Verzekeringen

Postbus 10085

8000 GB Zwolle

You get one claim-free year for each year in which you have car insurance in the Netherlands and do not make a claim. The number of claim-free years determines your bonus for your car insurance premium. If you make a claim, a deduction will be made from your number of claim-free years, meaning you lose part of your bonus. If you are a new driver or you often incur damage, your number of claim-free years may drop below zero when you submit a claim. This means that you have a negative number of claim-free years.

You can always opt to pay for the damage yourself. If you do, you will keep your claim-free years. When in doubt as to whether to pay or claim, you can always contact us on +31 (0)38 49 67 123 (usual call charges apply).

If you have accumulated claim-free years driving a company-leased car, you can transfer them to your new insurer. Given that these claim-free years are not registered to your name in the central database, you will need a lease statement from your leasing company. Please forward this lease statement to:

ABN AMRO Verzekeringen
Postbus 10085
8000 GB Zwolle

If you have accumulated claim-free years with your motorcycle, and this was over a period that does not overlap with the claim-free years for your car, you can add these claim-free years to the total on your car insurance.

You can transfer your claim-free years to your partner in the following situations: 

1. After your death
In the event of death, your partner must be registered at the same address and hold a driving licence.
2. In case of divorce
The claim-free years can be divided between you and your ex-partner. The person in whose name the claim-free years are registered determines whether and how the claim-free years are distributed. This requires a signed release form with an allocation of claim-free years.
3. In all other cases
You can transfer your claim-free years to your partner.

If you and your partner drove the same car, but only your partner has accumulated claim-free years, you can use your partner’s claim-free years. Your partner will then have to transfer his or her claim-free years to you using the  release form  (in Dutch).

Other interesting options

  • Calculate your car insurance premium
  • Car's current value

  • Car insurance information
  • Insuring your second car

Is 9 years the maximum no claims bonus?

For example, if you've been driving for 15 years and haven't made a claim, and your insurer's maximum limit is 9 years, it will show on your insurance document that you have 9 years no claim bonus.

Is it worth protecting no claims bonus?

Is it worth protecting no claims? If you have a big discount you've built up, say 50% for example, you might want to consider paying for no claims protection. This is because if you make a claim, you could lose anything you've built up already. But if you've paid for the extra, it should be protected.