According to the Department for Transport, statistics show that incidents of death and injury for young drivers on Britain’s roads are declining slower than any other age group. In a bid to understand the reasons behind this, Aviva car insurance have commissioned research into young drivers’ behaviour and attitudes, the emerging results of which have revealed some startling findings.
When driving with friends, the character and behaviour of some young drivers appears to alter significantly. For example, that car being driven fast or erratically in a built-up area with the windows down and music being played loudly is more likely to have a young driver at the wheel with all his or her friends on board for the ride than someone older with more driving experience.
Peer pressure is influencing young drivers to the extent that just over 21% of respondents to a survey admit to paying less attention to the road, one quarter deliberately take their hands of the wheel while moving and 15% admit to performing illegal driving manoeuvres. More worryingly, however, is the finding that most parents are unaware of their children’s unacceptable driving habits as nearly all respondents will modify their behaviour by driving more slowly and carefully when a relative is in the car.
Aviva claim that contrary to belief, young drivers car insurance is bought by some simply to cover the costs of damage to the vehicle and nothing else, despite the fact that the company’s claims data reveals otherwise, with personal injuries to the driver and/or passengers responsible for nearly 60% of reported claims.
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