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Too young, too fast and too risky for some

Motorists under the age of 25 are the highest risk to car insurers and so pay the most for their car insurance. But if they have a motoring conviction, live in a city centre or drive a high performance car they could find it very difficult to get insured.

So how can a young driver get insured if they suddenly become an even higher risk? Leading insurer, Admiral is one company that doesn't mind young drivers and it has issued advice on how they can lower their premiums and which companies to contact to get a quote.

Admiral has taken three typical young drivers and looked at the cost of insuring them with a range of insurers. It has found that if a young driver becomes a higher risk; because they get a speeding conviction or buy a fast car, many companies won't even consider insuring them.

Admiral managing director, Jane Stone said, "Unfortunately, the under-25s have more accidents than any other group, so pay the highest premiums. But more people in this group are buying faster cars or are getting caught speeding and they could find it impossible to find an insurer.

"We don't want them to be disenfranchised by the insurance industry, we believe it is very important to offer them insurance at a reasonable cost. Our advice is try some of the companies we recommend and follow our tips to lower your premiums."

Admiral looked at the cost of insurance for these three high risk, young motorists:

A 24-year-old woman, living in Surrey, driving a £26,000 Mercedes C200K SE 1.8.

A 23-year-old man, living in Glasgow, driving a £25,000 Audi TT Quattro 1.8 and with a speeding conviction.

A 20-year-old woman, living in Central London, driving a Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.4 and with only 2 years no claims bonus.

If you are a young driver who is a particular high-risk for insurers, Admiral is issuing a list of tips to help lower your premiums:

1. Take a voluntary excess. By having a higher excess than the standard, young drivers get a reduction in their premium.
   
   
2. Keep your mileage low and limit the use. The average mileage is 12,000 miles a year, but very few under-25s drive that far. Tell your insurer if you drive less than the average.
   
   
3. Get a Pass Plus driving qualification. Some insurers offer a discount for drivers who have passed this.
   
   
4. Increase the security on your car. Insurers prefer prevention to claims and cars with alarms and immobilisers are less likely to be targeted by thieves.
   
   
5. Most important of all, contact as many companies as possible. As well as Admiral, the following companies are particularly competitive for younger drivers: Adrian Flux, Insure Your Motor, Endsleigh and Direct Choice.

Issue date: 05-05-04