While a G2 license gives you more freedom than a G1 license, there are still restrictions. To obtain lower car insurance rates and stay in good standing with your insurer, there are rules G2 drivers need to follow.
If you’re 20 years of age or older and hold a G2 license, you must abide by three legal restrictions:
- Your blood alcohol level must be 0%.
- You cannot carry more passengers in the vehicle than there are seat belts.
- You can only drive G-class vehicles (this excludes motorcycles and transport trucks, which have their own licensing processes).
If you’re 19 years of age or younger and hold a G2 license, you must abide by these legal restrictions:
- You must drive with a blood alcohol level of 0%.
- You cannot carry more passengers in the vehicle than there are seat belts.
- You can only drive G-class vehicles.
- In the first six months of holding a G2 license, drivers are only allowed to carry one passenger ages 19 or under if driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
- After the first six months of holding a G2 license or after reaching age 20, drivers are allowed to carry three passengers aged 19 and under if driving between midnight and 5 a.m.
- Passenger rules don’t apply if a fully licensed driver (G license) with more than four years of experience accompanies the G2 driver or if the other passengers are family members.
While insurance rates for G2-level drivers will probably still be more expensive than experienced drivers, there are some things you can do to get a more competitive rate.
Take a driver’s education course: Many insurance companies will give young drivers a better rate if they take a driver’s education class prior to being licensed. This indicates to insurance companies that you’re taking responsibility for learning the rules of the road.
Maintain a high GPA: If you’re still in school, maintaining good grades goes a long way toward showing insurance companies that you’re responsible in the other areas of your life. To insurers, this makes it more likely that you’ll be a responsible driver too.
Be a safe driver: Driving safely when you’re younger will always benefit you down the line. Your premiums will begin to go down once you hit 25, but you’ll see greater savings if you’ve been a safe driver throughout your young adult life.
Overall, new G2 drivers pay higher insurance rates because of their lack of driving experience—especially if you’re under age 25. However, your exact insurance premiums will also depend on where you live, your gender, how much you drive, the make and model of the vehicle, and the type of coverage and limits you choose for your policy.
If you’re a parent of a G2 driver who uses your car, you’ll need to add your child to your car insurance policy. Failing to do so could mean that if your child gets into a car accident, damages and medical costs won’t be covered under your policy. Failing to inform your insurance company that a driver with a G2 license—or any additional driver—will be using your vehicle could also result in a cancellation of your policy altogether.
Unfortunately, adding a G2 driver to an existing policy will likely increase your premiums. This is because a G2 driver is still in the learning phase, and insurance companies take driving history into account when calculating car insurance premiums.
The make and model of a vehicle also affects the cost of auto insurance premiums. Insurance companies get very granular, and analyze existing claims data to determine how likely it is that your exact make and model of vehicle will be involved in a claim, and how much it will cost. Because insurance for G2 drivers can be more expensive, you’ll want to compare quotes from different providers to make sure you’re getting the right coverage for your budget.
