According to the latest research conducted by Admiral car insurance, young driver accidents are twice as likely to occur if 17 and 18 driving records are compared with 30 year olds.  More worryingly, the figures increase six fold if comparisons with drivers aged over 50 are made.

These figures don’t necessarily come as a big surprise to insurance companies, however, what is a bigger concern is the level of injuries sustained by young drivers compared to their more experienced counterparts. For example, accidents involving this age group are five times more likely to involve personal injury. Admiral’s explanation on this fact is that young drivers are more likely to suffer high speed crashes through inexperience and reckless driving caused by peer pressure showing off to friends. Sadly, there are also a higher proportion of fatalities amongst this age group.

Additional statistics that do not bode well include the likelihood that young motorists are also four times more likely to be convicted for careless driving that the average driver.

The end result of this carnage is both financial meaning heavy increases in car insurance for young drivers premiums for all motorists to cover the cost and human suffering which you cannot put a price on. Admiral, like other UK car insurers are actively seeking ways to improve the driving records of young motorists by sponsoring programs like the Young Driver scheme, which aims to provide additional education, and driving experience.

While Toyota embark on an epic safety recall programme for certain models of car, insurance companies have re-assured the customers affected that their policies will remain valid as long as they return their vehicle to a Toyota dealer for the necessary upgrade to be made. Owners of the specific models known to have had problems with the accelerator pedal will be contacted by Toyota by letter, but those who choose to ignore the recall may find their car insurance policy could be rendered invalid.

Toyota have increased their staffing levels and extended service centre opening hours to ensure those motorists involved are not expected to wait long, thereby causing unnecessary inconvenience or worry, and the upgrade itself is likely to be completed in around 30 minutes. Those targeted customers who have not actually experienced any problems are still advised to have the prescribed safety checks carried out, if only to guarantee peace of mind and prevent any relevant car insurance policy being placed in jeopardy.

Toyota are naturally keen to minimise the impact this safety issue is likely to have on future car sales by re-assuring potential customers that new cars are not affected, neither are used-cars purchased through official Toyota centres. And if you own a pre-2005 model you will not be required to return it as part of the recall programme, although it could follow that many Toyota owners will be seeking guidance and reassurance whether their car falls within the recall criteria or not.

If you’re expecting to compare car insurance quotes and find a huge increase in the price of cover for Toyota vehicles, it’s unlikely to happen in the near future, which is good news for anyone who is affected and whose policy is due for imminent renewal. But as car insurance premiums are based partly on claim rates it remains to be seen whether or not the cost of cover will rise significantly in the years to come, when it is as yet unknown how many – if any – claims will be made in respect of the identified Toyota problems.

With road maintenance being massively under-funded throughout much of the UK, car insurance quotes are set to escalate in response to the increasing number of claims arising from incidents involving potholes. Estimated at costing the nation’s motorists a whopping £320 million each year, potholes are an ongoing problem that is unlikely to ever be resolved, and as there are even more of them appearing since the recent cold snap, the chance of finding a cheap car insurance quote looks likely to remain slim for many years to come in the UK.

Quote comparisons will reflect the fact that Britain’s roads are gradually falling apart and the battle to prevent them deteriorating further is far from being won. Local authorities are paying out millions of pounds in compensation to the victims of potholes and therefore face increasing pressure to keep road surfaces in a satisfactory condition, the cost of which will inevitably be passed on in some way to both the driving and non-driving population of the UK. Car insurance quotes compare unfavourably to those offered a year ago, and even though increases to the cost of premiums is expected, cheap car cover will be hard to find as long as potholes litter the roads, pushing up the incidents of accidental damage.

Those driving along the same roads each day will become familiar with their local potholes, but extreme caution should still be employed until the necessary repairs have been made. Care should be taken to avoid potholes in the first place by allowing plenty of space for a clear view of the road ahead, and cyclists and motorcyclists should be given extra time and room in case they too need to take sudden evasive action. So for those who don’t want to see their next car insurance premium go through the roof, extra vigilance will be required on all UK roads for some time if you want to avoid a close encounter with a pothole!

All the signs are looking good for UK car insurance comparison websites this year, especially following the news that Zurich intend to dramatically increase premiums following horrific rises in the cost of bodily injury and third party insurance claims.

According to Zurich car insurance rates will increase by as much as 20% across its Broker and Direct Insurance distribution channels and there are warnings premiums could rise even more especially if the cost of claims continues to rise.

Another factor which could further drive up the cost of car insurance in 2010 is the recent bad weather which has probably doubled the number of claims normally reported at this time of year.

Lastly, UK inflation is starting to creep up especially since VAT is now back to 17.5, this will mean claims costs will rise by at least 2.5% for insurers.

Price is often the main driver as to why the public use car insurance comparison websites and the news that insurers are all ready warning of price increases will only act as an incentive for the public to shop around even more in order to seek the best value for money.

We thought it worth sharing the findings of an annual survey of European driving behaviour conducted on behalf of Axa car insurance which makes interesting reading. Eleven different driving habits were covered some of which are governed by a legal requirement in the member country. The countries in the survey included Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Car insurance claims departments are probably breathing a sigh of relief as British drivers were found to be second only to Ireland as the most conscientious drivers. Interestingly Luxembourg fared worst. GB drivers came top of the pile in the categories of driving with a seatbelt, using a phone with a hands free kit and tailgating which probably comes a surprise on the UK’s crowded roads. We Brits, however, performed below average when it comes to driving for more than 2 hours without a break and overtaking on the wrong side of a motorway.

Other findings, which may not come as much of a surprise, were that the Germans are the worst drivers when it comes to driving too fast on a motorway, this is probably linked to the Autobahn where there is only advisory speed limits.

The worst nation when it comes to drink driving (classed as consumption of 2 or more alcoholic drinks) is Luxembourg which scored 40% compared to the average of 21%. The UK scored 4%.

Please view the table below from Axa Car Insurance showing the UK and best and worst scores and let us whether you agree or not with the findings?