Young drivers pick up the bad driving habits of their parents

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A recent survey by car insurance provider, AXA has found that the way in which parents of young people conduct themselves when behind the wheel is likely to be replicated when their children take up driving as the study suggests we are more likely to pick up the bad driving habits of our mother or father.

The AXA Car Insurance survey discovered that drivers aged 18-30 and three times more likely to get banned from driving or to receive points on their licence if their parents have done either of the aforementioned. Also young drivers are seven times more likely to get behind the wheel after consuming alcohol if they have witnessed their parents doing the same compared to a young person who has never seen their parents drive after drinking.

Young drivers are also more likely to be aggressive motorists if their mother or father have a tendency to display angry traits when driving such as swearing at other road users, beeping their horn and flashing their lights excessively.

The research highlights just how much young drivers are being influenced, whether consciously or subconsciously, by the driving actions of their parents. Years of watching how their mums and dads behave behind the wheel rubs off on youngsters and they are more likely to pick up their bad habits from what they’ve seen.

Little black box technology helping drivers beat car insurance increases

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The little black box is helping drivers beat the spiralling costs of car insurance, new statistics have revealed. On average car insurance premiums have risen by 30% over the course of the last year, however thanks to advances in telematics and a fall in the cost of these monitoring devices, more and more drivers are able to take advantage of this type of car insurance which leads to a significant reduction in the cost of an annual premium.

The black box is the same size as a smart phone and is installed in the car to analyse the driver’s style, skill, habits, and time of day they are driving in order to personalise the motorist’s premium.

Those who display careful and non risk taking driving styles will more likely than not, to benefit from a lower rate of cover. For that reason, insurers are offering the technology to first time and younger drivers in a bid to help reduce the often unaffordable high rate of cover for these motorists.

More and more insurers are now offering black box systems as the price of this type of technology has fallen. Those drivers who have taken out a policy using telematics to monitor their driving habits have noted a 22% reduction in the cost of their annual premium, which equates to as much as £800 in selected cases. So if your car insurance is due for renewal, it’s worth investigating whether this type of cover could be beneficial for you as the savings can be substantial.

Spy-in-the-car box could bring an end to high insurance rates for young drivers

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Thanks to a new device known as the spy-in-the-box, sky high insurance premiums for responsible younger drivers could become a thing of the past.

Several years ago car insurance provider Aviva trialled the technology, but promptly dropped the scheme as the equipment was too costly. However over the course of the last few years, the devices have become more sophisticated and affordable and so a number of insurance companies are now looking into introducing the technology to help lower the cost of cover for younger drivers.

Drivers under the age of 25 have borne the brunt of the car insurance premium increases as recent figures found that in some circumstances, the cost of cover rose by 50% over the course of the last 6 months for young motorists.

The introduction of spy-in-the-car boxes could put an end to high premiums for careful young drivers. The device, which is the size of approximately two cigarette cartons, is installed in the engine and monitors the driver’s ability.

The device measures average driver speeds, the times of day or night they tend to travel, and their braking and acceleration habits in order to create a picture of what kind of driver they are.

It’s been reported that six UK car insurance companies are currently looking into the possibility of offering spy-in-the-car box car insurance policies.

Points on your licence push up the cost of car insurance significantly

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Getting points on your licence as a result of speeding or jumping red lights will push up the cost of your car insurance significantly, according to recent statistics.

Being caught driving over the speed limit or performing a hazardous road manoeuvre is not only dangerous to other road users, but the implications mean you will be categorised as a risky driver by insurance companies, and hence your car insurance premium will go up.

This is bad news for any driver, but for younger drivers who are already facing hefty car insurance rates, the addition of points to their licence could mean they are priced out of the market and unable to afford insurance.

The advice being given to drivers by car insurance experts is to consider the implications of putting their foot down while behind the wheel as being caught driving over the speed limit does have costly repercussions.

Recent statistics have shown that car insurance premiums rose by 27% on average after a driver had points added to their licence as a result of speeding or another dangerous driving manoeuvre.

The number of people using price comparison websites to track down cheaper car insurance jumped by a massive 53% says confused.com, following the broadcast of a TV Watchdog programme on car insurance.

Young drivers have chance to reduce their car insurance rates with new driving course

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The new Drive iQ PRO driving course offers young drivers the opportunity to hone their skills behind the wheel, while at the same time, reducing their car insurance premiums.

Insurance premiums for young drivers are notoriously high with young male drivers being hit hardest by expensive rates of insurance. A figure released recently indicated that car insurance prices have risen by almost 50% in the last year for drivers in the youngest age bracket.

One way to beat the hike in car insurance rates is to enrol on an advanced driving course such as Drive iQ PRO. The scheme offers a course spread over five learning units with post-test modules, online tuition, and in-car tuition.

The cost to enrol is £150 and the course is available nationwide through the AA and independent driving instructors.

Young drivers who sign up will be provided with an exclusive insurance quote which can be held for 6 months for the duration of the course. The insurance company which supports the scheme also offers an exclusive provisional car insurance package for those who sign up to the course so they can practice driving in their own cars.

For more information on the new driving scheme and how you can benefit from reduced car insurance rates by enrolling on the scheme, please visit the official Drive IQ PRO website.

Graduated driving scheme could slash cost of car insurance for young drivers

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It’s been suggested that the introduction of a graduated driving licence could help slash the cost of motor insurance for young drivers.

Swiftcover.com estimate that newly qualified drivers could see the cost of car insurance reduced by 10% with the use of the graduated driving licence.

With the graduated driving scheme drivers who have recently passed their tests would not be permitted to transport passengers of a similar age as themselves, nor would they be allowed to drive at night. The research was conducted by Cardiff University who believe that 200 lives a year could be saved with the introduction of the new system.

At present the youngest drivers on the road, those aged between 17-19 years are most likely to be involved in a road traffic accident. It’s also been revealed that 62% of claims for car accidents for those in this age group are made by male drivers. For this reason, this age group faces extremely high car insurance rates, so most young drivers would welcome the opportunity to reduce their premiums in order to make driving more affordable.

However the idea of the graduated driving licence is just that, an idea at present, so there’s no guarantee it will ever become part of driving laws in the UK.

Parents warned against “fronting” on a child’s car insurance policy

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Parents are being warned against “fronting” as the main driver on a son or daughter’s car insurance policy to keep the cost of cover down.

Insurance companies are advising individuals who carry out this practice that they are invalidating the car insurance policy by giving incorrect information, and also committing insurance fraud.

A survey found that 35% of drivers saw “fronting” as a loophole by which to obtain cheap car insurance for a younger driver. The price of insurance for new drivers is notoriously expensive which is why some parents take the decision to place themselves as the first named driver on the policy, when in fact the vehicle is driven more frequently by their child.

However not only is this practice illegal, but by giving false information on an insurance policy, the cover is likely to be invalidated.

Police also warn that those caught without adequate insurance cover will face stiff penalties, and possibly even prosecution. Although many parents don’t realise they are committing an offence by naming themselves as the principal driver instead of their child, is how many of these problems arise.

Car insurance specialists have reported a lot of confusion amongst drivers in regards to giving accurate information on a car insurance policy. They hope drivers will heed this warning bringing an end to “fronting” on vehicle insurance policies.