Giving up driving... for a few years
Discussion
Anyone ever done it?
Here's my situation: 19, on a gap year, university in Sept., sharing car with my mum. Insurance policy ends at midnight.
I could potentially get my own car and insurance, blowing a massive chunk of my savings and eating up lots of my future income - possibly making this year worthless and uni finances tight. Could get re-insured with my mum, but I'm only likely to be here for a few months of the next year. Final option: just give up driving! Save it till after uni when I have money and actually need a car.
How important is NCB? Will insurance be reasonable for me in a few years, having held my licence for 4, but with no NCB? Do I need a car at uni? I've got a pushbike, and that/public transport suffice for most of my needs (although it took me 6 hours to get from Norwich to the edge of London last night...)
I'd miss driving, quite a lot. It'd make some things a pain in the arse, but having an extra couple of grand a year to spend on living/boozing/travelling wouldn't go amiss.
Just looking for some opinions/experiences.
Here's my situation: 19, on a gap year, university in Sept., sharing car with my mum. Insurance policy ends at midnight.
I could potentially get my own car and insurance, blowing a massive chunk of my savings and eating up lots of my future income - possibly making this year worthless and uni finances tight. Could get re-insured with my mum, but I'm only likely to be here for a few months of the next year. Final option: just give up driving! Save it till after uni when I have money and actually need a car.
How important is NCB? Will insurance be reasonable for me in a few years, having held my licence for 4, but with no NCB? Do I need a car at uni? I've got a pushbike, and that/public transport suffice for most of my needs (although it took me 6 hours to get from Norwich to the edge of London last night...)
I'd miss driving, quite a lot. It'd make some things a pain in the arse, but having an extra couple of grand a year to spend on living/boozing/travelling wouldn't go amiss.
Just looking for some opinions/experiences.
I was in the same position as you when I went to Uni.
I was worried about losing my no claims bonus by not driving for a few years. In the end I sold the car (1.3 Nova) and as my Student Halls were so close to Uni that I could walk or get the bus.
When I came to insure my first post-Uni car (1.8 Mondeo) I was 3 years older and my premiums had naturally gone way down.
If you don’t really need a car, it does not make sense to keep a barely-used car insured for three years just to keep your no claims bonus.
However, it will depend on how far away from Uni you decide to live.
I was worried about losing my no claims bonus by not driving for a few years. In the end I sold the car (1.3 Nova) and as my Student Halls were so close to Uni that I could walk or get the bus.
When I came to insure my first post-Uni car (1.8 Mondeo) I was 3 years older and my premiums had naturally gone way down.
If you don’t really need a car, it does not make sense to keep a barely-used car insured for three years just to keep your no claims bonus.
However, it will depend on how far away from Uni you decide to live.
Depends on where you are going to Uni as some unis have no/expensive parking, some have plenty. Some cities have excellent public transport and lots of centralised features where as others are spread out and not linked.
I took a £200 fiesta to uni with me in Cardiff and probably used it once a week at most and that was usually just taking me and my housemates to the much larger out of town Tesco or going on unplanned road trips. What you don't want to do is go to uni with a car and become designated driver!!!!
Finally whilst at uni my car was broken into several times resulting in needing a few windows and door locks replaced, nothing major and nothing worth claiming off my insurance for. It is important to remember that you can buy a cheap low insurance car, insure it at your HOME address and live at uni as you are there less than 6 months a year which really helps if you currently live in rural/low risk areas.
dave
I took a £200 fiesta to uni with me in Cardiff and probably used it once a week at most and that was usually just taking me and my housemates to the much larger out of town Tesco or going on unplanned road trips. What you don't want to do is go to uni with a car and become designated driver!!!!
Finally whilst at uni my car was broken into several times resulting in needing a few windows and door locks replaced, nothing major and nothing worth claiming off my insurance for. It is important to remember that you can buy a cheap low insurance car, insure it at your HOME address and live at uni as you are there less than 6 months a year which really helps if you currently live in rural/low risk areas.
dave
I gave up my car in September as my Uni doesn't allow first years to bring a car to halls. I have sent endless emails to the parking committee explaining how ridiculous their reasoning is, as the car parks are always empty, with no luck.
I've just bought a car today and I am going to find a road to park it on near Uni. You don't need a car, but I can't be doing with buses and trains all the time
I've just bought a car today and I am going to find a road to park it on near Uni. You don't need a car, but I can't be doing with buses and trains all the time
I managed to get through Uni without a car (twice), to be honest I would say that you would hardly use a car at Uni, unless you live on some out of town campus.
Most Uni's are in central locations so you can walk / bus to get to almost everything that you need. Very few students (even now) have cars.
Most Uni's are in central locations so you can walk / bus to get to almost everything that you need. Very few students (even now) have cars.
I gave up driving for one year and a few months. It was when I bought a place in Central London with no parking. I spent all my time either working, doing DIY, or getting drunk every other night in town. Hence it didn't affect me in the least. However I then moved bacl out to the countryside and LOVED driving again. Would never give it up again.
Could you make use of street car (or similar?)
Initially thought your age may mean not, however:
Am I eligible to join Streetcar?
To join Streetcar you must be aged 21 or over and have held a valid driving licence for at least 12 months, or aged between 19 and 21 and have held a valid driving licence for at least 24 months.
Initially thought your age may mean not, however:
Am I eligible to join Streetcar?
To join Streetcar you must be aged 21 or over and have held a valid driving licence for at least 12 months, or aged between 19 and 21 and have held a valid driving licence for at least 24 months.
I was in a similar situation.
My advice is to think very carefully; it may be more trouble than its worth. For example, you may have plenty of parking spaces available at your Halls or at Uni, but when you move into the typical student terrace street in subsequent years, there are obviously major issues, and you would be much better without.
My advice is to think very carefully; it may be more trouble than its worth. For example, you may have plenty of parking spaces available at your Halls or at Uni, but when you move into the typical student terrace street in subsequent years, there are obviously major issues, and you would be much better without.
Whilst actually at uni I'm unlikely to need it, it's just when I want to go home/anywhere else. I can use trains and coaches but if I ever want to carry more than a backpack I'm going to have problems.
I'd consider having a car insured at home to build up NCB if I didn't live in a s
t area.
I'd consider having a car insured at home to build up NCB if I didn't live in a s
t area.JK55 said:
A car is not just a mode of transport. You ought to be making this decision with your heart as opposed to your head.
Even if I worked from home I would still have a car.
Are you a student though? Even if I worked from home I would still have a car.
As an obsessive car nut who's since run up to four of them at a time I didn't bother with a car until I came into some cash in the very last months of uni.
It might have been harder to give it up if I'd had my own car before I left to go, but I'm not sure I'd want to divert valuable beer money onto a bargain basement old banger - which is the best most students could afford - only to be the designated driver for every single trip outside the campus.
I didn't own my first car till I was 21, it just wasn't financially viable. I went karting regularly, navigated on motor club events and went along to car shows etc. Owning my own car though had to wait. I don't remember it getting in the way at Uni at all, because everything was local and none of the other students owned cars, so everything we did was arranged around public transport, cycling etc. In the holidays it was a bit awkward, but I used my bike to get everywhere and again, it didn't cause too much of a problem.
I had a car for most of my time at Uni, it was fairly useful to get back home at the end of each term, but only as I lived in Carrbridge, Inverness-shire and went to Uni in Manchester. The trains would have been a right arse. Also, during the breaks it was pretty essential for travel while at home.
It went almost completely unused during term time, apart from a bulk buy every few weeks.
From my second year onward I used it most days, but only because I worked 30 miles away at Rossendale Ski Center.
I'd say they just aren't needed at Uni.
It went almost completely unused during term time, apart from a bulk buy every few weeks.
From my second year onward I used it most days, but only because I worked 30 miles away at Rossendale Ski Center.
I'd say they just aren't needed at Uni.
I think if I was 19 now I wouldn't bother with a car at all. I'd do the test but get a moped/scooter & maybe at some point pass my motorcycle test, but I'd definitely wait a few years before getting a car. When I was 19 there's no way that I could've afforded a car & running costs if they where at today's prices.
Larry Dickman said:
I think if I was 19 now I wouldn't bother with a car at all. I'd do the test but get a moped/scooter & maybe at some point pass my motorcycle test...
this has crossed my mind - I think I could get a bike, CBT, leathers, helmet and insurance for less than the insurance alone on a car!It's all very well saying 'think with your heart' if you've got the money to back it up. I don't, and won't, really be able to spend £100/month on insurance alone, not if I actually want to enjoy myself in other ways.
I am dreading travelling between uni/home/girlfriend's uni though. But then again, it'll be cheaper than petrol.
Chris71 said:
JK55 said:
A car is not just a mode of transport. You ought to be making this decision with your heart as opposed to your head.
Even if I worked from home I would still have a car.
Are you a student though? Even if I worked from home I would still have a car.
As an obsessive car nut who's since run up to four of them at a time I didn't bother with a car until I came into some cash in the very last months of uni.
It might have been harder to give it up if I'd had my own car before I left to go, but I'm not sure I'd want to divert valuable beer money onto a bargain basement old banger - which is the best most students could afford - only to be the designated driver for every single trip outside the campus.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff