Pricing youngsters out
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When I was 17 I couldn't wait to get my driving licence. So, within a month of turning 17, I'd passed my test and was the proud(ish) owner of a hand-me-down orange 19Th Austin Allegro. While it definitely didn't have the ability to snap knicker elastic at 20 paces, it gave me my freedom and stood out among the Mk2 Escorts in the sixth-form car park. My father wouldn't have me as a named driver on his
insurance, so I had to find £400 for my own policy. It was a lot of money, but nothing compared with what youngsters face today. I've just entered an imaginary 17-year-old lad's details into an insurance comparison website, driving an Allegro on a third-party policy. Prices varied from £4,577 to £17,983 a year! A 13-year-old Vauxhall Corsa proved slightly less, but prices still ranged from £3,242 to £19,907. How can a young driver afford insurance without rich parents? Is it any wonder that fewer youngsters are driving these days?
There's talk about raising the driving age to 18, but will insurance premiums fall to make motoring affordable for young people? And with fewer youngsters driving, where is the next generation of truck drivers going to come from? Will Shiers Editor