What is it, 1 in 4 people crash in the first year? But you're putting the whole other 75% in the same bracket. You're stating you're not like every other driver, when it's just a small minority that crash in stupidity.
A fair few new drivers have an attitude like they're on a race track. Just go and stand out by the road for a while, and you'll see it. I'm not putting the other 75% in the same bracket. The 25% that do (if the estimates you've made are accurate). I'm stating I'm not in the 25%, because I've learnt (the hard way) that speeding is both idiotic and unsafe. Like I've said before, using the word 'every' was a bad move on my part. It's the minority ruining it for the majority. A lot of new drivers do speed though. And the insurance companies know this, and as such increase premiums because they're a higher risk.
Speeding has zilch to do with it. Go on the motorway and you will see the people who speed most are balding middle aged men in their beemers on the phone.
But who's a higher risk? The balding middle ages man? Or an young, new driver? Not a lot of new drivers have cars powerful enough to speed on the motorway. The speeding usually then makes it to the roads in and out of towns/cities/villages etc. The middle aged man won't because through experience they've learnt that it's just unsafe. In fairness so does everyone, but not everyone acts upon it. Tbh, I can't see either of us conceding. So we'll have to agree to disagree I suppose.
I work with a couple of "new drivers" and out of the 3 of them, 2 had accidents in the last year. The one dude crashed during the heavy snow in the beginning of the year, he couldn't control the car on the icy roads. The other chap has had 2 accidents in the last year, one in the snow (closed the M62 for a few hours) and the second one was classic. It wasn't his fault, a white van crashed in to him. But on further investigation it turned out he made a right turn at a crossing and the van had no choice but to crash in to him. Weirdly the third new driver is a girl and hasn't had any accidents! Panic
Most cars could drive over 70 quite easily. Younger drivers aren't all a risk because of stupidity. It's just inexperience. I know someone who crashed the day after she passed her test. Wanna guess how?
Someone drove into her? Most probably. Going to your inexperience point. Yes, I agree, and no where did I say stupidity was a cause.
Yep, someone ran a red light straight into the side of her, she ended up in hospital for a small while. Yet she's another statistic of the 1/4 who crash in the first year. And pretty much saying everyone going to take a corner at 70 is pretty much saying everyone is stupid. I'll tell you stupidity. Someone from the year above me was driving home from a party where he was "sober". Killed 4 people, had to use like 13 bodybags for all the pieces. Apparently he was 3 times over the limit. Yet, that's another statistic that I get thrown in my face by people, even though I barely drink, and I wouldn't drink and drive. Heck I probably couldn't make it 3 times over the limit.
Yes, that's stupidity. Where did I say people would take corners at 70mph whilst being serious? The comment I made at the start of this discussion was made in jest.
Alright, this is becoming ridiculous and I can see it turning into personal insults eventually. I'm done with this :/
I know it's late and a slightly irrelevant reply but its something that has always intrigued me. I passed my test nearly three years ago at the age of 18 (in Taunton too curiously, with 3 minors) and I haven't driven since. So I am now rapidly approaching 21 putting me with three years on my license and I suspect that my insurance will be cheaper now than it would have been 3 years ago, so I am wondering, how is it that in the eyes of the insurers I am now a safer driver, after not having really driven a car for 3 years, compared to someone who has just passed their test and have the "neccesary" knowledge fresh in their mind? It seems like madness to me(not that I'm complaining)
I don't think your premiums would be massively lower though. But I suppose (in their eyes) you could have had some kind of driving experience, maybe a named driver? I'm not sure on how it all works tbh.
Technically you will have held your license for 3 years which will drop the insurance loads. You will just have no ncb, even though technically you won't be a polished driver and probably won't have the experience a person who's just passed their test has.
I assume it's simply because of the bracket your in on average 21 year olds as a group have fewer crashes than those younger and so less risk for insurance companies = lower price. where it really makes no sense to me is someone who passes their test for the first time at 30 still has lower premiums than someone in the same situation aged 17.
Except in this case both drivers have the same experience. I guess their is a statistic somewhere that even among people who have just passed younger drivers are involved in more incidents else prices would be similar for first time drivers regardless of age. gee reading it like that makes it sound like there's some kind of Darwinism involved where more reckless drivers either are killed or lose their license and so there are fewer of them as you get older. (not that that is true of course)
More younger drivers crash than the older ones who just pass their test, because there are simply more younger drivers who just pass their test.
The biggest problem is the delay in reaction of a newly qualified driver. Example would be single lane carriage way with tractor doing ~30 in a 60. An experienced driver knows there vehicle and would back off to create a good gap to see past the tractor and then wait to pass safely. A newly qualified driver may follow the same methodology but there reaction times are much longer, they have to think about backing off, and when they see an opening to pass generally they've taken too long to think about it and miss the opportunity. And of course that delay of 5-10 seconds can make all the difference in passing safely or turning your pants a shade of brown. I am not a perfect driver, I struggle at night to judge distance of cars when coming out of junctions, or overtaking and judging the gap between me and the on coming car. As you have no indication of distance as there are no visible land marks. Over time you operate the vehicle as if touch typing, its an automatic response when to change gear, brake, check mirror and signal or what ever, which leaves the rest of your free thought to decide on which direction your heading in. As you may have noticed there is no reference to age groups, just status of experience. A 19 year old driving for two years has better mental reaction times than a 50 year old with 30 years experience, we after all slow down as we get older. Its just the combination of mental reaction times and the skill set of operating a vehicle.
It boils down to this: Everyone thinks they're amazing at driving. In reality: The more amazing someone thinks they are, the worse they are. Other stereotypes and truths: People with family-sized cars and diesel engines will speed on the motorway and tailgate people while flashing their lights to get them to move over Bikers are nutters (this is actually true, you have to be a bit unhinged to drive on public roads without any protection from the nutters in repmobiles) People with superminis will drive very, very slowly, while bouncing off the white lines at either side of the road People in old superminis will themselves be old and travel at 40mph both in town and on the main roads People with big 4x4s will ignore all rules and bully other road users out of the way People in police cars think they are the best drivers in the world and can travel over 100mph perfectly safely down a country road People in BMWs will have bluetooth headsets People in Audis will also have bluetooth headsets People in Volvos think they're invincible, so are far more likely to pull out in front of other cars People in slightly faster than normal superminis from the late 90s, early 00s (Saxos, Clios...) will drive far to fast round corners and tailgate everyone Young people are far more likely to die on the roads. This is a combo of the above problem, but also the fact that they drive older cars which are utter deathtraps. Saxos are made of tinfoil, you'll prolly die in a 30mph accident. Nissan micra drivers are exclusively female MX-5 drivers are far more friendly than your average driver Subaru Impreza WRX drivers wear baseball caps and like to have loud exhausts Hybrid drivers are unpleasant people Drivers of genuine prestige vehicles (Astons, Ferraris, etc.) are oddly uncaring of their own cars No one can parallel park No one can reverse into a parking bay, unless attempting multiple times Old people driving are far more dangerous than any boy racer At some point a deer is going to jump out and cause a lot of damage to your car. The deer will run off unharmed. Many children are going to run in front of your moving car, the parents will shout at you People will belittle the driving test, but will fail miserably if they attempted it themselves People who have been driving for 10yrs+ universally believe they are the best and can dish out advice on how to be super-amazing Women don't care about cars at all beyond the colour and how comfortable it is Men love a car with a million buttons, but don't know what any of them do A male cannot over 30 cannot have a roadster without people assuming he is having a midlife crisis A female can own any convertible and look good A male can only buy a very small number of convertibles, but will still be labelled a hairdresser - even if it's an R8 or Vanquish People with Fiat 500s have it purely as a fashion statement People with G-Wiz cars deserve to have the car dumped in the Thames No one knows how to drive for the conditions on the road. If it snows, no one knows what to do, or even what 'winter tyres' are or why they need them Everyone thinks 4 wheel drive means you have total grip in ice/snow despite the grip contact area being the same Climate control is the best invention since sliced bread Everyone slows down to view an accident, no matter how grissly People in police uniforms and fast cars will always pretend that a chase is 'just a job', rather than a 'really excilerating experience' No one knows what lanes are, or how to follow them No one knows how to activate the flashing orange lights on a car People in Golfs have given up on life People in Polos are boring Fiat owners are very brave Owners of Rovers are northerners/midlanders Peugeot 406s are taxis