The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called for intensive driving courses to be banned for drivers under the age of twenty five. Its one of several tough love proposals set out by the Association in an effort to cut young driver accidents and therefore reduce their insurance premiums, which have soared to record highs.
The so-called crash courses are popular among drivers who want to learn to drive in under a week. The sole purpose of the courses is to pass the driving test, and the ABI feels that they do not give younger drivers enough driving experience to get them ready for driving on UK roads. The ABI believes that safer drivers are produced when they have driving experience on a wide variety of road conditions.
The Association is now calling on the UK Government to review how young drivers are taught to drive. Part of the overhaul is the suggestion that drivers under the age of twenty five should learn to drive for a minimum of one year before they are allowed to take their test. This is likely to cause anger amongst young drivers, many of who struggle to afford the rising costs of motoring. The ABI is putting these proposals forward, however, not in an attempt to drive young drivers off the road, but instead to cut down on the number of tragic accidents involving younger drivers.
Although drivers under the age of twenty five only make up twelve per cent of motorists in the UK, they are involved in around a quarter of road traffic accidents where someone is seriously injured or killed. Young male drivers are most likely to be involved in accidents, hence the reason for their soaring insurance premiums.
Other recommendations put forward by the ABI include a total ban on drinking alcohol for young drivers, restrictions on driving between 11pm and 4am and limiting the number of passengers they can carry for two years after passing their driving test. Although these restrictions may seem unfair, they could help to reduce the number of tragic accidents involving young people, who are more likely to drive
cheap used cars. Bristol young drivers will be waiting to find out whether the ABIs recommendations will be put into practice or not.
