More young drivers are owning their first car than ever before
21.09.09
THE familiar cry of “Dad, can I borrow the car” is fast dying out, with drivers owning their first car getting younger than ever before.
A survey released today has found that more than two thirds of 18 to 24-year-olds had their first car before their teens were out, compared with just a quarter (28%) of those now 65 and over.
In addition half (50%) of all men had become car owners by the time they were 20, compared with little more than a third of women (38%). Some youngsters – 3% of boys and 1% of girls – were car owners even before they turned 17, the legal driving age.
Emma Hill, from Cardiff, had her first driving lesson on her 17th birthday and now feels totally confident behind the wheel.
The 18-year-old, who starts a psychology degree at Cardiff University this month, says driving her Fiat Punto was a rite of passage into adulthood.
She said: “I grew up with both my parents driving so it was the norm to me and as soon as I was able to have the chance to become self-sufficient for myself I wanted to take it.
One in ten young drivers risk financial penalties for not being ...
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) has revealed that one in ten young drivers is unaware that car insurance is a legal requirement. They believe that as many as 900,000 motorists under the age of 30 years old are driving without the appropriate cover. Of this number, two-thirds are aged between 21 and 29 years old, which represents around one-third of all the uninsured drivers on the country’s roads. Research suggests that the typical uninsured driver is likely to be a male aged between 17 and 29 years old.
The Motor Insurers Bureau has also raised its fears that the recession may lead to an increase in the number of people allowing their car insurance to expire in an attempt to save money during the tough economic climate, as they discovered that three out of four motorists are looking at ways to reduce their car insurance costs.
A campaign called ‘Stay Insured’ has been launched by the Motor Insurers Bureau in a bid to make sure those drivers who may be considering not renewing their policy do so, to avoid further financial problems. As many as 500 uninsured vehicles are detained every day, with 232,000 drivers being caught without appropriate car insurance each year.
The chief executive of the Motor Insurers Bureau said, “In these times of economic uncertainty, it is no surprise that people are looking to cut back on spending wherever possible. However, this is no excuse to commit a criminal offence. There are ways in which they can save on costs and stay adequately insured, such as shopping around for quotes, opting for pay-as-you-drive cover or taking advanced driving lessons.”
Drivers who are caught without the correct insurance are running the risk of receiving a fixed penalty fine, getting penalty points put on their licence or having their cars seized with a fee to pay to get it released.
To avoid these type of penalties, the Motor Insurers Bureau say, “It is important that drivers match their insurance to their lifestyles and pick the most appropriate cover for themselves, whilst also remembering that cheapest policy might not always be the best one for them.”
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