LONDON, UK. October 21st, 2026 – Temporary car insurance has been used by an estimated 7.5 million UK drivers, according to new research commissioned by Covertime.com. The findings suggest that short-term policies are already an established option for motorists who need insurance for occasional journeys or access to another vehicle.
The research was carried out for temporary insurance specialist Covertime.com and involved 1,532 UK adults. Of those surveyed, 1,224 held a UK driving licence, with questions covering awareness, previous use and perceptions of temporary car insurance.
Of the licensed participants, 18% reported having purchased temporary cover in the past. Extrapolating this proportion across the roughly 42 million valid UK driving licences recorded by the DVLA produces an estimate of approximately 7.5 million drivers.
The most frequently reported reason for taking out a temporary policy was borrowing a car from a friend or family member, selected by 49% of previous users.
A further 35% had used temporary insurance to drive a recently purchased vehicle home. Other reported reasons included sharing the driving on a long-distance trip, learning to drive and having cover for a house move.
The findings also revealed a difference between vehicle owners and non-owners. People who owned a car were almost twice as likely to have experience of temporary insurance, potentially reflecting occasions when they needed to drive an additional vehicle.
Younger motorists were more likely to report using short-term cover. One in four drivers aged 21 to 30 had purchased it previously, compared with 14% of those aged 61 or older.
Most users said the price had been reasonable relative to their expectations. In total, 89% reported paying either much less or roughly what they expected, while the most commonly reported price range was £21 to £40. This applied across policies lasting from one day to several weeks.
The Association of British Insurers, meanwhile, has put the average cost of comprehensive motor insurance in the UK at £566 per year.
The survey suggests that lack of demand, rather than affordability, is the more significant reason for non-use. Among those who had never taken out temporary insurance, 82% said they had not had a reason to do so. Just 3% said the price was too high.
Tom Warsop, motor insurance expert at Covertime.com, said: “This data shows that temporary car insurance has already become a normal part of how millions of people drive, even if most people don’t realise quite how widely it’s used.
“The reason more people haven’t tried it is not because it’s confusing or expensive, it’s that most people simply don’t realise how many everyday situations it can help with.
“Picking up a new car before you’ve sorted your annual cover, test driving one you’re buying privately, letting your son or daughter use the car while they’re back from university, or lending yours to a family member while theirs is off the road are all moments where proper short-term cover can be relevant.
“The more people know it exists for these situations, the easier it is for drivers to consider the appropriate cover when they need to use a vehicle temporarily.”
Further details and the full results can be found on Covertime.com.
