ABI tackles young driver crash excess


The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is calling for an overhaul of the way in which young people learn to drive.


In a new report, radical measures such as a minimum one-year learning period, restrictions on night-time driving and a lower blood alcohol limit are proposed, with the aim of reducing the risks young drivers face along with their motor insurance premiums.


According to the ABI, only one in eight licence holders in the UK are aged 25 or under, yet one in three who die on the roads is aged under 25.


The Association’s research also shows that over a quarter of motor personal injury insurance claims over £500,000 result from a crash involving a driver aged between 17 and 24.


The report looks at how other countries tackle the issue, including the use of graduated licensing in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and points out that Northern Ireland already has plans to implement a graduated system.


In summary, UK insurers are calling for:


A minimum 12-month learning period before taking the driving test to enable young learner drivers to gain more supervised practice.


A ban on intensive driving courses as the sole means of learning to drive.


The lowering of the age at which young people can start learning to drive 16 years and six months.


A graduated driving licence which would include:


A restriction on the number of passengers carried by a young driver in the first six months after passing their test.


Restrictions on young drivers driving between 11pm and 4am during the first six months, with an exemption allowing young drivers to drive to work or in connection with their education.


Finally, during the graduated phase there would be a lower blood alcohol driving limit, which would in effect be a zero limit as it would only allow for the consumption of alcohol-linked products such mouthwashes.


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Category: ABI News, Car Insurance News, Insurance News






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