Too Many Uninsured Young Drivers On British Roads

Around 8 months ago, the BBC suggested that a staggering 20% of young drivers in the UK were driving illegally (without insurance). 20% is extremely high, and converts into a massive 243,000+ illegal drivers on British roads (and that’s just the young people). In 2010, the problem doesn’t seem to be at all improving, as some reports suggest those figures could be increasing.

So why is this happening? The most obvious response would be the issue of cost, which can be extremely high for a young driver (get yourself online and get an instant car insurance quote for someone younger than 21 and you’ll get the idea). It seems that a large number of young people have the opinion that they don’t need insurance, as they’re a safe or sensible driver. Not even considering the issue of it being illegal to drive without vaild insurance, the idea that young people don’t need it couldn’t be more wrong. Statistics suggest that young drivers are far more likely to have an accident or need to make a claim on their insurance (and this is why premiums are so high for young drivers).

There also appears to be a misconception amongst young drivers that they won’t get caught, wrongly assuming that the police need to pull them over in order to find out they have no valid insurance. This is quite simply, a myth. The police force have ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) software than can pick up your license plate and check your vehicle for up to date tax, passed MOT and valid insurance.

The consequences of driving without insurance include fines, points on your license, a ban from driving or even the impounding and scrapping of their vehicle.

Really, there is no excuse for driving without full insurance. Yes it can be extremely expensive to take out a full yearly policy, but there are other options available. If you can’t afford full cover, try temporary car insurance. Having suitable short term car insurance cover will mean you’re covered on the occasions you do use the vehicle, without worrying about paying an expensive annual policy.

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