Hellcat said:
Travel insurance isn't compulsary though..
Yes I hear you that this is a voluntry scheme. But they're not doing this out the goodness of their hearts. They'll be making more money this way. Once its set up they will start increasing standard insurance until the only insurance young drivers can afford is curfew insurance. Then they can start increasing the premiums on that service too.
True, travel/ health insurance isn't compulsory but I was using as an example for where premiums go up as you get older in comparison to cars which normally go down.
Ideally the insurance companies would like no-one to have accidents, so it is in their interest to reduce the likelihood of accidents happening on the road hence the curfew option. We'd still have to have insurance, but because they wouldn't have to pay out so much the premiums would be lower and they'd still make a profit.
However, when people make big claims it affects all of us. Even on FF we've had people bragging about writing cars off and getting a large sum from the insurance. One member was going on about how her brother wrote off a Mitsubishi Evo at something like 19 years old. Accident involved no other drivers so was obviously driver error. End result? BIG payout for the Evo, and because the driver was 19 it just confirmed that young drivers in cars (especially high performance models) are much more likely to have accidents.
The big payout has to be recouped, so EVERYONES insurance premiums go up, especially younger drivers. And the more young drivers that crash, the more insurance for that age group will be high risk.
I do agree that the government should provide some form of minimal insurance cover at a reasonable price for young drivers rather than having them fleeced by private insurance companies. But if that were to happen you can guarantee that young drivers on a scheme like this would be severely restricted to what cars they could be covered for. Expect everone under 21 to be limited 899cc Cinq/ Seis! But hey, they are cool cars so that isn't necessarily a bad thing
It does seem unfair that young drivers have to pay so much, but that's the way it's always been. I had to wait until I was 25 before I could afford to insure a 1.6 litre car, though by the time I was 26 I could afford a 2 litre.
Now I'm rather a few years over 30 (ahem!) I drive a 999cc Uno. It cost me 156 pounds to insure fully comp., and I live just outside London. I have max. no claims, protected no claims, no convictions and a clean driving record (over the last 10 years). I had one claim in about 10 years too, though that was the fault of another driver who drove into me while I was on a roundabout.
So all you young drivers, drive safe, keep a good record and stick to small cars. In only a few years you too will be able to drive bigger and better cars and pay less for doing so
Oh, and insurance companies still suck big time...
