Driving without insurance soars: Who’s being blamed? Young drivers

The number of uninsured drivers on Britain’s roads rises. Who’s getting the brunt of the blame? Young drivers. Find out why…

In just 12 months, the number of motorists driving without insurance has increased by 10 per cent, according to newly published figures. Insurance pay-outs involving uninsured drivers stood at 21,972 in July 2014. By July 2015, the pay-out figures stood at 24,213.

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), who published the figures, said that the numbers represent a ‘year-on-year monthly increase of 2,241 or 10.2 percent.’

Driving without insurance more common among young drivers

The MIB attributes the rising number of those driving without insurance to the soaring cost of insurance. With insurance policies costing anywhere between £1,000 and £2,000 for a ‘high risk young driver’, the MIB asserts that may are just taking risks and simply driving without insurance. The MIB says that one-third of uninsured drivers are under the age of 30.

The MIB’s report concluded: “Our data reveals a worrying number of motorists driving without insurance. The MIB has seen a 10.2 per cent increase in the number of claims in the 12 months between July 2014-2015.”

The report continued: “This follows a decade of declining numbers since 2005.”

Chief executive of the MIB, Ashton West, said: “Alarmingly, the number of claims being received by the MIB is rapidly rising week on week.”

New campaign

Now, the MIB have partnered with the police to launch a new campaign outside of Scotland Yard in London. A new video will be screened titled ‘Gone in Seconds’, highlighting the issue of driving without insurance and the role that police play in getting uninsured motors off Britain’s roads.

However, the MIB admits that reaching drivers under the age of 30 is proving difficult. For a young driver, having a vehicle means independence, it’s an important part of their social life and gives them credibility. Many would rather run the risk of driving without insurance than give up these luxuries.

An MIB spokesperson said: “Young male drivers are the most likely to make an insurance claim, in fact, twice as likely and the claim value will be three times the average claim. Additionally, 40 per cent of drivers injured in uninsured driving claims are below the age of 30.”

The spokesperson added: “Getting the message across to young people that driving without insurance is dangerous, illegal and unaccepted socially, is crucial. Hence the Gone in Seconds campaign.

The video is designed to get personal with drivers, highlighting that getting caught driving without insurance, losing a car, friends, girlfriends and social status is just not worth it.

What’s your view? Do young drivers make up the majority of motorists driving without insurance on Britain’s roads?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2015 at 8:00 am and is filed under Driving Insurance. You can follow any comments to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.