Written by Jim, JSF Driving School
I was going to write an article about the importance of getting experience on the road before taking your practical driving test, as I believe a good driver should not only have mastered the skills and techniques as taught by their Instructor during driving lessons, but also have the experience of knowing how to apply them in as many situations as possible. The governing DSA actually states that the average learner needs 45 hours professional tuition, with 22 hours of private practice before passing their test. It is this ‘private practice’ that has distracted me away from my original topic as it has become a real issue for responsible learners, and usually, their parents too!
I have had increasing numbers of worried parents and learners tell me that they cannot afford the ridiculous prices quoted to add their learner son or daughter to their insurance, let alone find their own insurance, and therefore find private practice impossible. This can result in learners needing to pay for more lessons with their insured Instructor, even though I am more than happy to liaise with parents/experienced drivers who wish to support their learner gain that experience once competent and confident enough to do so without dual controls.
Estimates show that there are currently 1.7 million motorists driving around without insurance in Britain, with insurance companies paying out £200 million on accident claims against those uninsured drivers. That equates to £30 per head on each honest, insured motorists premium. The maximum penalty for driving without insurance is £5000, though rarely imposed, but it is much more likely to be a £200 fine.....sadly, cheaper than the cost of insurance in the first place!
This is borne out by an amazing item published in a recent newspaper where a young driver was quoted a premium of £27000 to drive his old banger of a car worth no more than £400! Insurers admit to being caught in a catch 22 situation in that under 24 year olds are more likely to be involved in an accident, so their premiums are increased, resulting in more youngsters deciding to risk driving without insurance cover. Research shows that 93 per cent of young drivers state that ‘unreasonable’ insurance costs are pricing them off the road.
Learner driver insurance specialist Provisional Marmalade, surveyed 3500 learners to find 9 out of 10 said that costs were ‘unrealistic’. Nigel Lacy explained: “This is a very concerning trend as it will have a damaging effect on the economic mobility of this age group. Young people cannot afford to leave the parental home, tuition fees are scaring many away from further education and now we have restricted mobility through exceptionally high motoring costs.”
Then you can look at costs caused by insurance rackets or scams. Ross Clark of the Daily Mail stated that the main cause of rising insurance costs is “fraud on a massive scale”. He noted that whiplash injuries alone cost the NHS £38 million in 2010, yet the insurance industry had paid out £2 billion for whiplash claims. Ironically, whiplash injuries should have reduced drastically since the introduction of head restraints!
I won’t even start on the ‘No Win, No Fee’ culture promoted by unsolicited calls from companies.....we all know the ones! It has emerged that insurance companies have actually been selling the names of claimants to these ‘ambulance chasers’ for a referral fee of a few hundred pounds. The insurance companies have a win-win situation as they earn extra for passing on the claimant information, and add £50 onto everyone’s premium to cover the extra claims they inspired.
So what to do about responsibly insuring your Learner driver? One big tip applies to all insurance companies, whether car insurance or otherwise, in that moving your insurance every year will result in better premiums being offered. This is based on the fact that new customers attract more offers and loyalty is not valued. A different broker may well offer you a cheaper price with the same original insurance company!
Shopping around will pay off, but make sure that you are very clear about the cover needed, and never assume that you are covered. Responsibility for supply of information rests with you, and may well result with the insurer refusing to payout as you omitted to reveal all appropriate information.
There is talk of a scheme whereby younger drivers will be able to ‘pay as you go’ with an insurance policy that involves fitting a satellite tracking device that feeds back the drivers behaviour to the insurance company. The premium cost depends on where and when the driver drives. A little ‘big brother-ish’ but if it results in more insured drivers the cost might be worth it!
T: 0800 3777 138/01452 290278 E: sharn@jsfdrivingschool.co.uk
JSF Driving School provides professional tuition that gets results, at competitive prices. We cover the whole of Gloucestershire, and are currently recruiting for dynamic, like-minded Instructors who wish to join the JSF team. Give Sharn or Jim a call for further information on the number provided above.
