IAM exposes hypocrisy of insurers over young male drivers

In response to the moneysupermarket.com survey naming worst speeding hotspots, published today, Peter Rodger, IAM Chief Examiner said: “Young men have a bad safety record on the roads, backed up by IAM statistics – young male drivers are twice as likely to be in a crash as young female drivers and, although they make up only 9% of the driving population, under 25s are involved in almost a quarter of all crashes that cause death and injury.

“The insurance industry is quick to condemn them, but is much slower to do anything to help improve their driving standards. The industry needs to work with those already trying to find ways of improving young male drivers’ skills and behaviour on the road, and to invest in their driver education. The present situation discourages them from trying to improve – the biggest incentive to do anything to improve themselves would be lower insurance premiums but the industry denies this to those in the highest risk range, effectively trapping them there.”

Honest John adds, "Thank you, IAM. If insurers were to cap premiums for young drivers at a sensible level this would effectively self-finance. Instead of everybody else having to pay the cost of crashes by the 30% of drivers who can't afford insurance, the young drivers would then pay themselves and most of us would be far better off. Particularly if young drivers were incentivised by cut rate premiums when they take IAM course or the excellent courses organised by the Mercedes Benz Driving Academy."

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