Road accidents are estimated to cost the UK economy over £16 billion a year. Although the overall number of deaths on British roads fell by 8% in 2004, fatalities among 16-19 year old drivers or passengers rose over the same period by 12.3%. Action needs to be taken to tackle the problem of accidents involving young drivers. The insurance industry is initiating a national debate on improving road safety among young, and particularly young male, drivers. This report is split into six sections including: Who are the young drivers?; Why are motoring costs for young drivers high compared with those of other drivers?; Why do young drivers face higher insurance premiums?; What kind of accidents do young drivers have?; How could we reduce the number of accidents involving young drivers?; and How could we reduce the costs of motoring for young drivers?
Abstract