Young drivers: What's gone
wrong?
22 Jan 2011
by Donald MacKenzie
This is the first in our blog
series looking at the issues facing young
drivers, especially in relation to their road safety and the high cost
of young driver car insurance.
These issues, of course, are closely linked.
In this introduction, we'll provide an overview of these issues which
will be explored further in later posts, including what needs to be
done to improve the situation.
We have visited most of these areas from time to time in this blog. Our
aim now is to pull it together to provide a fuller picture and a more
detailed analysis of the problem of young drivers.
Road Safety
While numbers of road deaths are
falling, in large part due to improved car safety features, young
drivers under the age of 25 are at much higher risk than older drivers
of crashing their car. Indeed, that risk is ten times more than for
drivers in their 30s. Their risk increases a further three-fold if
there are three other youngsters in the car. Male young drivers are
much more likely to crash than females. Young driver accidents are more
likely to result in injury or death than older driver crashes.
A dangerous culture exists among a significant number of young men that
reckless driving, especially speeding, is something to admire and
encourage. There is widespread ignorance about driving and road safety
issues that mitigates against peers discouraging reckless driving or
parents behaving proactively to reduce their teenagers' risk when
accepting a lift from a young driver.
Lack of effective education in schools has prevented the development of
an attitude of intolerance of high risk driving choices.
Currently, the driving test does not test young driver skills in higher
risk situations, while uptake of advanced driver education is much more
likely among young women, reflecting the male driver's overconfidence
in his driving abilities.
Cost of Car Insurance
2010 saw a 58% increase in the cost of car insurance for the under-25s.
This was lergely due to a marked increase in personal injury claims for
this agegroup as a result of road traffic accidents which forced car
insurance companies to increase premiums to meet this cost. Personal
injury claims are responsible for half of the cost of car insurance.
Government Ministers have argued that the UK has developed a litigation
culture. The doubling of claims mangement companies in the last two
years has been a significant driver of these increased claims.
Young people could do more to contain the cost of car insurance
themselves, especially in relation to their choice of car.
Our 'Young Drivers' Blog
Series
Young drivers: What's
gone wrong? (the article above)
Young drivers: Teenager
Education
Young drivers: Changing
attitudes towards reckless driving
Young drivers: Involving
and Educating Parents
Young drivers: The
Need for Driving Test Changes
Young drivers:
Encouraging Advanced Driver Training
Young drivers:
Cutting the cost of car insurance
Young drivers: The role of
Telematics
Young drivers:
The possibility of graduated driver licensing
Young drivers:
Reducing dishonest car insurance applications
Young drivers: Clamping
down on fraudulent claims
Young drivers: Risk and car
insurance - An action plan
Young drivers: Risk and car
insurance - Conclusions
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