Survey reveals issues faced by young drivers: 93% of young drivers feel that they are being priced off the road
Provisional Marmalade, the learner driver insurance specialist, recently carried out a survey of over 3,500 learner drivers who had been sent a new style of logbook designed to help co-ordinate the interaction between private practice with family and professional tuition with driving instructors.
- (1888PressRelease) June 07, 2011 - Many of the questions were about the learning to drive process but the worrying response was that 93% of new drivers believe that they are being priced off the road, with many complaining of unrealistic insurance premiums once they go on to pass their test.
Nigel Lacy of Provisional Marmalade said, "Whilst this is just a small sample of over 1 million new provisional licence holders that take up driving each year, this is a very concerning trend as it will have a damaging effect on the economic mobility of this age group. If we stand back and consider what is going on - young people cannot afford to leave the parental home, tuition fees are scaring many away from further education and now we have restricted mobility through exceptionally high motoring costs."
One Provisional Marmalade customer was so concerned about this problem that he petitioned his local MP, who went on to sponsor an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons, highlighting the plight of young drivers, which has now received the support of over 20 MPs from all political parties. Joshua Deacon, aged 17 from Uxbridge, told his local paper, "I was aware that I could expect to pay more than average because young drivers are higher risk for obvious reasons, but when you are talking thousands of pounds, that kind of money deters people from starting to drive in the first place, and that's not fair." He continues, "I know so many people who have had to break the law (insurance fronting) just to be able to drive a car, to make a living!"
These fears are supported by the responses of the survey which showed that only 15% of people that had gone on to pass their test had bought and insured their own car. So much for encouraging youngsters
Other highlights of the survey:
• 84% of Provisional Marmalade policy holders seem to ignore the advice of the Driving Standards Agency and spend twice the amount of time per week practising with family rather than a driving instructor. This vindicates the approach of Provisional Marmalade as their provisional driver insurance allows a learner driver to practise in a family car for under £100 per month, without affecting the insurance status or no claims bonus of the car owner keeping both the learner driver and the bank of mum and dad happy.
• This mirrors research from Sweden which shows the more practice new drivers take the better drivers they will be. Practise, as they say, makes perfect - or at least it certainly makes safer drivers.
• 94% of learners spent more than 2 hours practising every week while 74% spent 1-2 hours per week learning with their instructor.
• A massive 95% gave a thumbs up to the way that they are being taught to drive, whereas just 3% thought they were being given just enough tuition to pass a test - a few were unsure.
• The Young Driver logbook (modelled on the Australian version, which is compulsory) was well received and over 90% of people who used them found them useful. Logbooks are not compulsory in the UK but following what is one of the biggest surveys aimed at new drivers, Provisional Marmalade expects to collect further interesting and valuable information about the learning to drive process.
There is an incentive to complete the logbook as this will provide an insurance discount if the driver goes on to take up the combined car purchase and insurance scheme from sister company, Young Marmalade.
Perhaps not so surprising was the general theme that ran through almost every individual's answer where the survey offered room for comment - that these youngsters just want to be independent and to be able to stand on their own two feet but continue to find obstacles in their way. Provisional Marmalade's policy will have a positive effect on society by offering a solution to the growing number of economically immobile young people unable to fulfil their potential because they have been priced out of motoring. It will not only make sure that many more of them pass their test first time, but it will hopefully make them safer drivers once they've done so - and that will benefit everyone.
www.provisionalmarmalade.co.uk
For more information, images or to discuss press interviews please contact
Ellie Hernaman at Truffle PR on
ellie ( @ ) trufflepr dot com
Tel: 02077922903
W: www.trufflepr.com
###
space
space
Satisfied Users & 
Approved Press Releases
Print
Email
Report Spam