Older drivers face markedly higher car‑insurance premiums. According to recent model calculations from the comparison portal Verivox-reported in the Funke Media Group’s Sunday newspapers-an 85‑year‑old full‑coverage policyholder pays up to 172 % more than a 55‑year‑old under identical conditions.
Even when the Schadenfreiheitsklasse (no‑claims status) and all other tariff features are the same, age alone drives the price up. A 65‑year‑old pays 14 % more than a 55‑year‑old. For a 75‑year‑old the surcharge is 69 %, and for an 85‑year‑old it balloons to 172 %. A long accident‑free history can only soften, not eliminate, the age premium.
Aljoscha Ziller, managing director of Verivox Versicherungsvergleich GmbH, noted that insurers calculate purely on risk. “Statistically, the likelihood of serious accidents rises again in advanced age, and that shows up directly in the premium” he explained.
Simply moving the policy to a younger driver does not guarantee substantial savings. If a vehicle is insured under a child who is 30 years younger, the second‑car policy usually starts in a low no‑claims class (typically SF ½). In this case, applying the model data to an 85‑year‑old yields only a €16 (about 1 %) advantage.
The real cost benefit is realised when the no‑claims class is transferred. The new holder can assume as many accident‑free years as they themselves have held a driving licence. This can reduce an 85‑year‑old’s premium by 53 % (about €808) and a 75‑year‑old’s by 17 % (about €163).
The biggest relief occurs when the insurance, registration, and no‑claims status are entirely shifted to the child. Then an 85‑year‑old’s premium drops 60 % (roughly €917), and a 75‑year‑old’s falls 30 % (about €281), compared with keeping the policy in their own name.
All model scenarios assumed identical baseline conditions: the driver is based in Berlin, the car is a Volkswagen Golf VIII 1.0 TSI, and annual mileage is 10 000 km. The variables-age and no‑claims class-were adjusted to produce the different premium figures.
