How a new type of insurance could change the way young people drive

Car insurance isn’t usually something to get emotional about but last week, at a press launch of a new type of car insurance, I felt myself welling up.

A new type of insurance being promoted by The Cooperative, and to showcase it the Insurer invited along road safety charity Brake and one of its campaigners, Nick Bennett.

Normally I can see through a PR stunt and would brush it off as a bit of shameless self-promotion on the insurer’s part, but this time the message was hard hitting.

Nick is 27 and has been in a wheelchair since he was 19 because, like many young drivers, he was full of bravado and as a result, crashed head first into a 3 tonne lorry.

One of the biggest car insurance debates of late has focused on the need to better train young drivers, particularly males, who make up a significant proportion of the UK’s road deaths and serious injuries, and pay huge car insurance premiums as a result.

Despite his disability, which includes speech problems, Nick spoke to us and said: “I was on my way to work and it was early in the morning.

“I came up behind two slow vehicles in front so I overtook them. I woke up after spending 3 and a half weeks in a slow recovery coma. Somebody told me I’d crashed my beloved Corsa.

“My message is, please please, please, don’t think you can drive recklessly without suffering consequences.”

Nick then went on to speak about the new Smartbox technology from The Cooperative – the real reason all us journalists we’re asked to convene at the Goodwood racetrack. It’s a new type of insurance, which rewards good drivers with cheaper car insurance.

The Smartbox works by monitoring how you drive using G force and GPS technology. So if you’re the sort of driver who accelerates aggressively, brakes harshly or regularly exceeds the speed limit then this box will pick it up, and will penalise you for it.

Nick said he’d have thought twice about over-taking if he knew it would cost him more money.

It’s a fact; young boys have more car accidents. When you read about a fatal car crash involving teenagers it’s usually the lads because they’re risk judgment is less developed.

Just last week I saw a group of lads in battered old Corsa necking cans of Carling. The driver then mounted the pavement to avoid a traffic queue and nearly took out a cyclist before diving down a side-road.

Perhaps you are a young driver, or maybe you’re a parent of a young driver. If so, then no doubt you’re staggered by the cost of insuring even the most basic, low value, car.

But more importantly, as a parent, you probably worry that inexperience and a tendency to show off behind the wheel will end up with a knock on the door from a pair of police officers.

So not only could this new technology ease the burden of paying these sky-high premiums, it could go some way to knocking some sense into would-be reckless drivers. I’m not here to sell the product, just to inform and offer opinion- you make up your own mind and if you want to know more, see my article ‘how a black box means cheaper insurance for young drivers.’

Let’s hope plenty of young drivers take it up and other insurers adopt similar policies to get this rolled out across the board.

Comments

[Lesley turnbull]

Having spent the last few weeks searching every way to get insurance quotes for my 17 year old son - and having tried a quote on this scheme -It is by no stretch of the imagination the cheapest and NOWHERE near cheap enough to encourage using it. In adition, the information about how the charge could go UP is not detailed enough and off putting. Sorry Good idea but not well enough put across when getting quote.

[Chris P]

The lads you saw driving down the pavement probably didn't have insurance - and if they get caught, the fine is about £200 - much cheaper than insurance! I would be prepared to pay a few quid more on my insurance if i thought it would help youngsters get legal - I think insurance companies have missed the point with their current obsessions; they don't reward loyal customers but are cut throat in attracting new business. The Co-op used to be more sensible, but they are now down in the mud with all the others......

[Seb]

lol, this is not new at all, it's been around for a long time and many companies already use it.

[patrick]

insurance companies are not unlike oil companies who blame circumstances outside their control for exorbitant price hikes. i have been driving for 35 years completely accident and claim free yet i pay increased premiums, why is my driving record not assessed on its own merit rather than being penalised for the misdemeanours and inexperience of others.surely each individual should be assessed on their own driving record and not on the performance of others

[Steve]

Little surprised by the comments above. I spent a good month looking around for insurance that included my 18 year old and this is by far and away the most competitive and forward thinking. The insurance is in my name as I use it to get to work (up to 8k miles a year) whilst my son can use it evenings & weekends (2k miles) - it has made me realise how reckless and complacent older drivers (me, aged 49!)can be and I now watch my speed and driving! There is also a chance I may even get a discount if I drive well!

;-)

[Tino]

There is no way you will get a discount for better driving, all the technology is aimed at catching poor drivers to make more money for the insurance companies, the only way is training and experience, experience comes with age and more usage of the vehicle, training is far too suspect these days as a lot of test centres have closed down for lack of funds, (in spite of only 7% of the road taxes being spent on roads and driving controls).
In some countries under 18s are limited to engines under 1000 cc and 18 - 21 1200cc this coupled with better testing and refresher courses at three month intervals would be a far better and less costly (to joe public) option.
Ask any traffic cop, the more training the better the driver.