When I was a young man
many many years ago most adults could not afford to buy and
run a car, let alone 17-year-olds, and most of us made do with
little 125cc two-stroke BSA Bantams! You cannot do much damage
to either yourself or anyone else on a little bike like that
so insurance was not much of an issue; but times have changed
and we are a lot more affluent so a very large number of young
people under the age of 21 can now afford to buy a car.
Whether or not they can afford to insure it is a different
matter; an insurance premium of £3000 or so for a year's cover
is enough to bring tears to the eyes of the most hardened
reprobates!
No one under the age of
21 will be able to get truly cheap car insurance; this has to
be accepted right from the start. It is possible however to
greatly reduce premiums by going about it the right way, and
that is to show to the insurance companies that you are not in
any way shape or form as much of a risk on the road as all the
others in your age and experience bracket. And, a bad bracket
it is to be in; a young driver under the age of 21 has
approximately a 1 in 5 statistical probability of having a
serious accident this year!
The reasons why most
youngsters have road accidents are twofold; lack of experience
and surplus of adrenaline. We cannot do much about the second
item but the first one shows a little more promise and to
start with it would be a very good idea for any new driver who
has passed the driving test to continue with lessons and take
a Pass Plus course. This is an additional training course
which teaches new drivers how to cope with the more difficult
driving conditions which are a part of every day motoring such
as driving in bad weather, on motorways, at night, through
crowded city centres etc and not only will the course teach
you how to be a better motorist it could well save you a great
deal of money on your insurance premium; some companies offer
up to 30% discount off a premium for young drivers who have
successfully completed a course. It doesn't come free; expect
to pay anywhere between 150 and 300 UK pounds but since this
is a government sponsored initiative a number of local
authorities are co-operating with the Ministry of Transport by
offering subsidies to those who qualify; so if the money is a
problem you could be well advised to ring your local town hall
and ask if they will help out.
There is another benefit
to taking the Pass Plus course; your own self preservation. A
truly dreadful number of young drivers are killed or seriously
maimed in car accidents every year and the majority of these
accidents would not have occurred if the drivers had gained
more experience and tuition. You may feel that you owe it not
only to yourself but to your family and friends also to do
everything you can to ensure that you do not feature in these
grim statistics in the future.