How to calculate mileage for insurance purposes
Annual mileage gives insurers a snapshot of how much you're likely to drive during the year.
It can affect how much you pay for car insurance so it's important to be as accurate as possible.
Here's how to calculate annual mileage and what to do if it needs changing.
Annual mileage includes all trips made in your car
If you have a named driver on your policy, you'll need to work out how much they're likely to drive and add that to your annual mileage.
Even if the driver has a separate policy through temporary car insurance or driving other cars (DOC), the miles they travel still count towards your total.
If you or anyone else plans on using your car for work purposes, for example by visiting clients or travelling between work sites, you'll need to get business car insurance instead.
Ordinary car policies don't cover miles travelled for business use and you won't be able to make a claim if there's an accident and you don't have the right cover.
Estimating annual mileage for your first car
To figure out your annual mileage for insurance, add up all the time you spend driving your car in a week and then multiply that number by 52.
This includes things like driving to:
- Work
- University
- College
- Socialising
- Running errands
- Long trips and holidays
You can also use an annual mileage calculator or conversion table. We've made one for you later in this guide.
It's also worth chatting to your insurer if you're still unsure. They'll be able to help you work out the best annual mileage for your policy.
Estimated annual mileage conversion table
You can estimate your average annual mileage using the conversion table below.
Make a note of the number of miles your car is likely to travel each day or week and find the matching annual estimate.
| Daily mileage | Weekly mileage | Annual mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 21 | 2000 |
| 6 | 42 | 3000 |
| 9 | 63 | 4000 |
| 11 | 77 | 5000 |
| 14 | 98 | 6000 |
| 17 | 119 | 7000 |
| 20 | 140 | 8000 |
| 22 | 154 | 9000 |
| 25 | 175 | 10000 |
| 28 | 196 | 11000 |
| 31 | 217 | 12000 |
| 33 | 231 | 13000 |
| 36 | 252 | 14000 |
| 39 | 273 | 15000 |
| 42 | 294 | 16000 |
| 44 | 308 | 17000 |
| 47 | 329 | 18000 |
| 50 | 350 | 19000 |
| 53 | 371 | 20000 |
| 55 | 385 | 21000 |
| 61 | 427 | 23000 |
| 66 | 462 | 25000 |
| 72 | 504 | 27000 |
| 77 | 539 | 29000 |
| 88 | 616 | 33000 |
| 96 | 672 | 36000 |
| 110 | 770 | 41000 |
| 124 | 868 | 46000 |
| 137 | 959 | 50000 |
Check your MOT certificate to work out your annual mileage
Your MOT certificate shows lots of details about your car including the total mileage at the time of getting your MOT. It'll also show your mileage history over the last three years.
You can get an idea of your annual mileage by comparing the difference between the total miles travelled in your car each year.
For example, if your total mileage is 20,000 in year 1, 40,000 in year 2, and 60,000 in year 3, you know you're driving roughly 20,000 miles per year.
Be as accurate as possible with annual mileage to avoid paying more
Be careful. If you overestimate your annual mileage, you could end up paying too much for a policy.
But while it may be tempting to underestimate your annual mileage to get a cheaper policy - don't! If insurers can prove you lied about your mileage to pay less, you mind find it difficult to get car cover in the future.
And if your annual mileage is too low, your policy could be invalidated and you won't be able to make a claim. To make things even worse, the policies available to you are likely to be very expensive.
Update your insurer if your annual mileage changes
Sometimes the annual mileage on your policy won't match how much your car is driven. That's totally fine - but you'll need to tell your insurer, especially if you go over the annual mileage or think you might.
Your car insurance may get more expensive if your mileage is higher than expected. This is because your chance of getting into an accident increases the more you drive.
Some insurers are offering refunds if your mileage is less than you originally thought. Get in touch with your insurer to see if you could get some money back.
Get insurance
No matter how far you plan on driving, you need to be insured before you hit the road - and Cuvva's policies from 1 hour to 28 days might be able to help, with cover starting from just £11.90.
- Temporary car insurance for borrowing or lending a car in minutes.
- Learner driver cover for driving lessons, getting practice in with a supervisor, or taking the driving test.
- Drive away insurance for getting your new car home from the dealership.
- Temporary van insurance for moving home, dropping things to the recycling centre, or carrying a heavy load.
And it only takes a few minutes to get a quote.