WHY is car insurance so expensive for young drivers?

That is our #AskExaminer question this week after it was posed by Tim Robinson, of Birchencliffe, whose 17-year-old son Sam has been struggling to find affordable insurance for his 2009 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2 SXI, valued at around £2,000.

Tim was surprised by the wide disparity in insurance quotes, with the lowest fully comprehensive policy £1,603 and the priciest £5,600.

Sam was happy to have ‘telematics (‘black box’) insurance’ which means his driving will be monitored by the insurer via a box which records braking, cornering and speed.

Insurance quotes remain high for young drivers
Insurance quotes remain high for young drivers

But the quotes remained high, even with the ‘black box’ policy.

“I was really amazed by the disparity between the quotes. Every family will come up against this, particularly with boys. No wonder there are so many young drivers that are not insured.”

Tim is already aware that younger drivers are a higher risk but he believes the quotes for Sam are verging on “obscene.”

A spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said insurance was high for young drivers as they were much more likely to make a claim, “and those claims are more likely to be of the catastrophic kind, ie several people seriously injured and left with life-changing injuries.

“Accidents of this type can result in payouts of several millions of pounds to give those injured the life-long support they’ll need.”

In 2015 the ABI released data which showed drivers aged 18-20 paid the highest average premium – £972 – because their claims were likely to be expensive – an average of £3,667 – and more frequent than other age bands. The group with the cheapest car insurance premiums was 66-70 year olds who paid £241.

The ABI spokeswoman said that motor premiums were climbing for all age groups because of “big increases in Insurance Premium Tax introduced by Government, because car repairs are getting more expensive, and because of continuing high levels of personal injury claims for whiplash-type injuries.”

Young learners face big insurance costs
Young learners face big insurance costs

Here are ABI tips on cutting costs:

* Insurers offer discounts for vehicles fitted with alarms or immobilisers. Leaving it overnight in a garage may also save a few pounds.

* Limit use to ‘domestic, social and pleasure.’

* Pay up front, rather than in installments.

* Drive a lower powered car. Insurers use engine size to work out the cost of your premium.

* Sign up for ‘pay how you drive’ or ‘black box’ insurance. If you can show you are safe, an insurer may offer a lower premium.

* Offer to pay a higher voluntary excess.

* Search for insurers who specialise in young drivers.

Are you a parent of a young driver? What did you pay for insurance? Email: andrew.robinson@trinitymirror.com