As drivers age, their car‑insurance premiums rise sharply. In fact, an 85‑year‑old motorist can pay up to 172 % more for a comprehensive plan than a 55‑year‑old, according to up‑to‑date model calculations from the comparison portal Verivox, reported in the Funke Media Group’s Tuesday newspapers.
Even when the no‑accident category and all other tariff features are identical, the policy cost climbs simply because of age. A 65‑year‑old pays 14 % more than a 55‑year‑old; a 75‑year‑old sees a 69 % increase, and for an 85‑year‑old the surcharge reaches 172 %. A long, accident‑free driving record can help mitigate the age surcharge, but it does not erase it.
“Insurance companies calculate purely on risk” says Aljoscha Ziller, Managing Director of Verivox Versicherungsvergleich GmbH. “Statistically, the likelihood of severe accidents rises again in older age, and that is reflected directly in the premium”.
Switching the insurer alone does not automatically cut costs. If a vehicle is insured by a child who is 30 years younger-typical for a second‑hand car-most new policies start with a low no‑accident class (often SF ½). For an 85‑year‑old, this approach only yields a modest saving of about €16, roughly one percent, in the model calculations.
Greater savings are possible when the no‑accident class is transferred. The new holder can adopt as many accident‑free years as the previous owner has held a driver’s licence for. Under this scenario, a 75‑year‑old’s premium drops 17 % (about €163), while for an 85‑year‑old the decrease is 53 % (about €808).
The biggest relief occurs when insurance, registration and the no‑accident class all transfer to the child. In that case, an 85‑year‑old’s premium falls by 60 % (around €917), and a 75‑year‑old sees a 30 % reduction (about €281).
All model scenarios assume the same baseline conditions: insured residents of Berlin driving a VW Golf VIII 1.0 TSI with an annual mileage of 10 000 km, varying only in age and no‑accident class.