Admiral in-depth report reveals ways Young Drivers can overcome obstacles to independence

• Car insurance expert reveals route to four wheeled freedom for drivers under 25;
• Admiral Group CEO calls for change of rules for new drivers;
• Two thirds of young drivers would give up buying new clothes to keep their car on the road;
• New Admiral report investigates the challenges facing young drivers;
• 38% of drivers put off driving after passing the test due to high costs.

Admiral analysed industry-wide data and its own records to identify the key challenges facing learner drivers, their driving habits once they’ve passed, and how the costs for young drivers stack up.

Getting behind the wheel is so important to many young people in the UK that 69% of under 25s said they would give up spending on new clothes to keep their car on the road, whilst 60% said they would be prepared to sacrifice socialising with friends and going to gigs or festivals.

Almost half of drivers under 25 years old passed both their theory and practical driving tests first time, but despite the effort that goes into passing a test, 38% of new drivers put off driving after passing because of the costs associated with it.

In the new report, Admiral identifies the 5 cheapest cars for the under 25s to insure but warns even with those models, the average premium that a 17-year-old is likely to face will be around 67% more expensive than if they were a 24-year-old driver.

Explaining the reason higher insurance premiums are typical for younger drivers, the report reveals young drivers are more likely to have an accident and additionally that the value of claims involving drivers under 25 are more costly. This could be down to a lack of experience. New technology such as Telematics can help good young drivers get cheaper insurance, but Admiral suggests additional changes such as graduated licencing, whereby drivers need 6 months experience before driving at night or having peers in the car, could help further.

The report considers the journey young drivers face from learning to drive, taking the test, the cars they choose and how they finance their first set of wheels, right through to the cost of car insurance for young drivers, and what happens when things go wrong on the roads.  

David Stevens, CEO of the Admiral Group says: “Passing your driving test and getting on the road is a huge step towards independence for so many teenagers in the UK.

“Young people often have to drive to access the educational and employment opportunities that are vital to their future success, but as our report shows, young drivers face a range of challenges, from the cost of getting on the road to the relatively high number of new drivers having accidents.

“We also need to assess how we tackle the early months on the road to make sure young drivers are fully prepared for driving alone. Graduated licencing, for example, is something we should seriously consider to cut the number of new drivers that kill or seriously injure themselves and other road users.”

Read the full report here.