* 1 in 5 drivers crash in their FIRST YEAR DRIVING!
* 1 in 3 male drivers aged between 17 and 20 years crash in the first two years after passing their test. (2002 data)
* Although young drivers made up approximately 7 percent of the total licensed driving population, in 2002, 15 percent (3,448) of all the drivers involved in fatal crashes were young drivers 15 to 20 years old, and 16 percent (310,000) of all the drivers injured in police-reported crashes were young drivers. (2002 data)
* ONE in three young male drivers will write off a car in their first year of driving. Young women are half as likely to do so. (2005 data)
* ONE-QUARTER of the convictions for causing death by dangerous driving are for drivers under 20, even though this age group represents just 3pc of all drivers. (2005 data)
* ONE-QUARTER of drivers under 21 who have an accident lose control of their car. (2005 data)
* In 2005, four young drivers were killed or seriously injured on UK roads EVERY DAY
* 17-20 year old males are almost TEN times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than more experienced drivers
* The leading cause of death among teenage girls is being killed in road accidents by their boyfriends’ negligent driving – particularly speeding.
I could go on..... and ON...... and O*N*....
The facts are clear and simple.... the CAUSE of the rapidly rising and STUPENDOUSLY high insurance rates are the faults of THE YOUNG MALE DRIVERS THEMSELVES! You'll note that, as a ROUGH average, young WOMEN'S insurance is about ONE QUARTER cheaper than for young MEN!
Let's put it brutally, the figures are clearly showing that, perhaps, we should NOT ALLOW people under the age of (let's guess) TWENTY ONE to drive without a qualified adult.... AT ALL!!! Effectively, that's EXACTLY the situation that the high insurance costs seem to be forcing, anyway!
Yes.... it IS a pain in the **se and I am damned glad that my dad owned a Garage and that I was on his trader's policy when I got my first Lotus 7 at the age of 19....... Can you IMAGINE the premium for a 19 year old with a Lotus TODAY!!!!!!???? Tee hee!
... perhaps we were simply better drivers in those days...... as if!
Actually, I don't think we really WERE as bad...... Only two groups of road users are seeing their accident and death rates INcreasing nowadays.... every OTHER group is seeing a DECREASE. The two are:-
1) Middle age Bikers 2) Under 20 year-olds
Ian
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