Monthly Archives: November 2011

Young drivers insurance survey results go to Transport Select Committee

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Research that shows young people are being driven to consider breaking the law in the face of high motor insurance premiums was presented to the Transport Select Committee by the young driver insurance specialists, Young Marmalade, on Tuesday.

“Ridiculous”, “diabolical”, “extortionate”, “crippling” ….  these  were some of the hundreds of comments about the cost of insurance made by young drivers surveyed by Young Marmalade.

The survey found that 96% of young drivers feel they are being priced off the road because of high insurance premiums – many reported insurance quotes up to double the value of the car to be used by the insured driver.

As a result a fifth (21%) of young drivers say they have considered driving without insurance, and nearly a third (30%) have considered altering the information they provide to insurance firms in order to secure a lower quote.

As well as keeping young people off of the road, or tempting them to turn criminal, the high cost of insurance is also keeping many of them from finding employment, as is evident in a number of the responses to the survey. A young man from Cornwall, for example, who says the lowest quote he found for insurance was £4,500, complained: “Living in Cornwall I need a car to hold down a job. Public transport is limited and this severely impedes my ability to get to town in time for work. This is impacting on my future opportunities.”

Most of the respondents said they understood that young drivers were higher risks for insurance companies, but many posed solutions which would make premiums more affordable. The “black box” technology to monitor drivers – as used by Young Marmalade – was much favoured, and there were many suggestions for increasing the excess and lowering premiums. Another idea posed by respondents was to link premium cost to engine size.

Other comments reflected frustration with “stereotyped risk assessment”. As one young man from Manchester said: “Just because we are young does not mean we cause all the accidents. It is cheaper to drive uninsured and pay the fine if caught than insure a car. How are we supposed to pay the insurance premiums on the wages we earn?”

Transport Committee Chair, Louise Ellman, MP, described the Young Marmalade survey results as “shocking” and “revealing” and said she will present the results to Ministers appearing before the Transport Select Committee.

Foreign language driving tests to be banned

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According to recent press articles Ministers are to bar people from taking the driving test in a foreign language.

The articles state that there are growing fears that tens of thousands of people may have been granted British driving licences despite not being able to read road signs in English.
Mike Penning, transport minister, is reported as saying that the Government was studying how to change the rules to ban the “politically correct” foreign language tests.

“I find it incredible that Labour thought it was a good idea to let people, without a basic grasp of English loose on our roads,” he said. “Road safety should be our priority, not political correctness.

The rules currently allow the theory test to be sat in 19 foreign languages. People are also permitted to attend the practical test with a translator. In total, 93,407 car driving theory tests were sat in a foreign language last year. There were 18,927 Urdu tests last year, 12,905 in Polish and 298 in Albanian.

New standards for driver and rider trainers

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A new framework setting out the key competences expected of driving instructors and motorcycle trainers has been published today by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

The National Driver/Rider Training Standard™ sets out the skills, knowledge and understanding required to deliver driver and rider training programmes for cars, light vans and motorcycles, both before and after a candidate has passed their test. The standard sets out what instructors need to be able to do, and the knowledge they need to have, in order to deliver effective learning that will help people to become and remain safe and responsible drivers. This covers areas such as devising effective lesson plans, understanding different learning styles and needs, and giving clear instructions and constructive feedback. The document builds on DSA’s existing National Driving and Riding Standards that help to define safe and responsible driving and motorcycling.

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “The driver and rider training industry has a vital role to play in making sure that Britain’s roads remain among the safest in the world. The publication of this standard will help to ensure that all drivers acquire the right skills, knowledge and attitude to use our roads safely.”

The DSA has developed the National Driver/Rider Training Standard™ in collaboration with the driver and rider training industry, and will continue to seek feedback from trainers to ensure the standard remains relevant and up to date.

DSA chief executive Rosemary Thew said: “I want to thank the driver and rider training industry for their input in to the development of the standard. This document contributes to the work the DSA is doing to modernise the industry, and is an important step towards improving the way people are taught to drive and ride.”

The publication of the standard fulfils the commitment made in the Government’s Strategic Framework for Road Safety to specify national standards for professional instructors, and will help to inform ongoing discussions around the modernisation of the driver and rider training industry.