Young Driver Car Insurance Could Be 20 percent Cheaper

Written by Editorial Team

07 March 2013 / by Isabel Buxton

Novice drivers could pay between up to £370 a year – around 20% – on their young driver car insurance if the Government goes ahead with the introduction of proposals to improve young driver safety made by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Young drivers could save up to £370 a year on their car insurance if the government introduced new safety standards, according to the ABI. The average annual premium for a 17 to 18-year-old driver is more than £1,800, but according to the ABI, three million young drivers could pay up to 20% less if these standards came into force.

New measures to protect young drivers

The new measures proposed by the ABI include:

– the introduction of a one-year minimum learning period for novice drivers

– limiting the number of young passengers that newly-qualified drivers can carry

– restricting night time driving for a set period after the driving test

– a zero blood alcohol driving limit for an initial period after someone has passed their test

Lower premiums, safer roads

What’s more, the ABI argues that the number of deaths could also be reduced significantly. Current figures suggest that 40% of 17-year-old males have an accident in their first six months of driving and the single biggest cause of accidental death of young people aged 15-24 is dying in a crash.

Sadly, young newly qualified drivers are at a much higher risk of having a serious crash on our roads, which is reflected in the cost of their car insurance,” said Otto Thoresen, the ABI’s director general. “Insurers want to see young drivers become safe drivers, which in turn will result in more affordable premiums,” he added.
 
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