Meet Tim Clarke, he is 19 and like many young drivers he is unable to drive his own car because he does not have the funds to insure his vehicle.
Ironically, Tim’s occupation sees him behind the wheel of a vehicle every day and not just any vehicle, a double decker bus!
A booktheorytesttoday.com spokesperson said: “It’s absurd that a man who spends his working week behind the wheel of a bus cannot secure insurance on his own motor vehicle because he is considered a high insurance risk due to his gender and age. However, he can be trusted to operate a large vehicle, which is used by the public every day, it makes no sense.â€
Tim’s bosses describe him as an exemplary driver with thousands of hours of driving experience under his belt and he also has a clean driving licence.
However, despite all these factors, Tim was astounded when he tried to insure his Suzuki Jimny 1.3 and received quotes ranging from £3,000 – £5,000, which represents the price he paid for his car.
What makes this case even more baffling is that Tim is not like most other young drivers. He has passed an independent bus driving test and holds a Certificate of Professional competence, but astonishingly insurance companies do not take any of these factors into consideration.
In a further twist, Direct Line refused to insure him at all due to what they perceived to be his ‘lack’ of driving experience.
In a statement from Tim, who lives with his parents in Droylsden, he said: “I earn £15,000 a year, so I just can’t afford that on top of everything else. It feels like they need to start taking into account driving qualifications and skills and not just look at your age and think ‘this guy’s going to be a delinquent teenager and we’ve got to hike up the price for him.â€
He added: “I have to rely on my parents to take me everywhere – or get the bus, but I’m definitely better than most drivers, but they just look at the statistics. I’m going to wait until I’ve had my licence for a year and try again, but I shouldn’t have to do that.â€
Tim’s job, which he began in January 2013, sees him drive 26 routes across north Manchester.
In a statement from Tim’s boss, Vicky Tomlinson, she said: “Tim is one of more than 1,500 highly trained bus drivers serving in the communities of Greater Manchester. Like all our drivers, Tim has gone through a six-week training programme covering driving and customer service and we’re pleased with the way he has taken to the role.â€
In a statement from Direct Line, who refused to insure Tim, a spokesperson said: “Young drivers make up only eight per cent of licence holders, but are involved in 25% of road deaths and serious injuries. This is the primary reason why young drivers have always paid higher car insurance premiums. For the average driver, around 20 different rating factors are used to determine their individual price for car insurance.â€
The spokesperson continued: “The most influential of these are: age, driving experience, postcode, No Claims Discount, a driver’s previous claims history and if they have any driving convictions. Even if a young person drives for their job and has less than a year’s experience, they will still be determined as a higher risk than an older driver.â€
Tags: Car Insurance, Driving Insurance, Young Person Insurance
