LONDON, UK. October 21st, 2026 – Millions of motorists across the UK have turned to temporary car insurance, with new research from Covertime.com estimating that approximately 7.5 million drivers have purchased short-term cover at some point. The findings highlight the role temporary policies play in helping people manage occasional driving needs.
Research commissioned by temporary insurance specialist Covertime.com surveyed 1,532 UK adults, including 1,224 people holding a UK driving licence, to explore their knowledge of temporary car insurance and their experiences of using it.
The results showed that 18% of licensed drivers surveyed had previously purchased temporary cover. Applying this figure to the approximately 42 million valid UK driving licences recorded by the DVLA suggests that around 7.5 million people have used this type of insurance.
Borrowing a vehicle from a friend or relative was the leading reason for purchasing temporary cover, reported by 49% of previous users.
Taking a newly bought car home ranked second, accounting for 35% of responses. Other situations included sharing driving responsibilities on longer trips, practising driving and moving house.
People who owned a car were nearly twice as likely to have used temporary insurance as those without a vehicle, suggesting that short-term cover can be particularly useful when motorists need to drive a car other than their own.
Age also influenced usage. Among drivers aged 21 to 30, 25% said they had taken out temporary cover, compared with 14% of those aged 61 and above.
The research also indicated that the price of temporary insurance generally matched customer expectations. Overall, 89% of users said their policy cost either considerably less or about what they had anticipated, with most reporting payments of between £21 and £40, whether the policy covered a single day or several weeks.
For context, the Association of British Insurers has reported an average annual premium of £566 for comprehensive motor insurance in the UK.
Price was rarely cited as a reason for not using temporary cover. Of respondents who had never purchased a policy, 82% said they had not needed one, while just 3% identified cost as a barrier.
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.”
The complete research findings are available from Covertime.com.
