Warning! The traffic offences driving up insurance costs the most – 18-year-olds pay 457% more on average

Data reveals the driving offences sending premiums racing up

• Even with a clean driving record, 18-year-old drivers face annual insurance premiums that are £3,217 higher on average than those for 30-year-olds.

• If convicted of disobeying road rules, 18-year-olds are expected to pay a significant 457% more on average (combining all offences analysed in this study) in insurance premiums compared to 30-year-olds.

• Drink driving is the costliest offence for 18-year-olds compared to 30-year-olds, bumping up yearly insurance costs by 1,015%.

• Connor Campbell, expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, offers guidance for young drivers on slashing insurance costs.

Look out! These are the driving offences driving up your premiums the most

If you are 18 years old and convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol (DR10), expect to fork out £16,366 more for insurance than a 30-year-old who committed the same offence. This is a staggering 1,015% increase in costs for young drivers, amounting to a sobering £17,978 if caught drink driving. The DR10 offence stands out as the costliest, with 18-year-old offenders being charged over four times the insurance costs compared to their clean-driving counterparts of the same age (£4,121).

Not far behind, dangerous driving (DD10) could cost young drivers a wallet busting £17,786 – an 853% spike in costs compared to 30-year-olds facing the same offence who bear roughly one-tenth of that amount (£1,866).

The third biggest red flag for car insurers is driving without valid insurance (IN10), bumping up insurance premiums for 18-year-olds by £7,652 compared to 30-year-olds. Younger drivers convicted are expected to shell out around £9,278 for car insurance – approximately six times more than the amount paid by older drivers with the same driving record (£1,626).

Failure to comply with traffic signals and using a mobile phone while driving rank among the most expensive violations for 18-year-olds, resulting in yearly insurance premiums of £6,158. New drivers of the same age could have saved around £2,037 with a clean driving record. If convicted, be prepared to be quoted an extra £4,624 on average for insurance, compared to 30-year-old counterparts.

Even with a clean driving record, 18-year-olds (£4,121) are expected to pay roughly five times more than 30-year-olds whose yearly car insurance costs a mere £904.

Amid painful price hikes hitting young drivers hard, Connor Campbell, an expert at Independent Advisor Car Insurance, offered his advice on cutting down insurance costs for new drivers:

“Insurance accounts for 66% of the total costs for young drivers running a car. This higher expense has become inevitable for less experienced drivers to offset the increased risk of claims absorbed by insurers.

“However, driving doesn’t have to be financially out of reach for younger drivers. For starters, always shop around before committing to a company – insurers don’t price their policies the same so get savvy and compare quotes from multiple providers to snag the best deal available. Besides, adding a trustworthy person with several years of driving under the belt to your policy, and reducing your mileage can also bring down the cost of your cover as this signals to providers that you, as a riskier driver, won’t always be behind the wheel, or won’t be on the road as frequently.

When getting your first car, it’s also important to consider the insurance group the vehicle falls into. All cars are categorised into insurance groups from one (cheapest) to 50 (most expensive). Models like the Fiat Panda, Ford Ka Plus or Nissan Micra are in Group 1, making them the most affordable to insure. Opting for an older or second-hand vehicle could also lower your insurance premium due to the car’s decreased value.”

Methodology

1. Independent Advisor Car Insurance were keen to unveil the disparities in insurance premiums between young and older drivers, and how these are affected by different DVLA offences.

2. The experts created two identical profiles for both an 18-year-old driver and a 30-year-old driver, featuring:

• Vehicle: Vauxhall Corsa, 2019 Manual petrol 1.2l elite 75

• Annual Mileage: 7,400 miles

• Vehicle Value: £11000

• Parking: Street parking near home, in East London

3. Nine DVLA offences were chosen for comparison. For each offence, the three cheapest quotes were obtained to calculate an average yearly premium for each age group.

1. Exceeding the speed limit (SP30)

2. Driving under the influence of alcohol (DR10) (70mg)

3. Dangerous driving (DD10)

4. Careless driving (CD10)

5. Driving without a valid license (LC20)

6. Driving without valid insurance (IN10)

7. Failure to comply with traffic signal (TS10)

8. Using a mobile phone while driving (CU80)

9. Parking offences (PC10)

4. All data was collected on 23th May 2024, using Independent Advisor Car Insurance‘s quote comparison tool, and is correct as of then.

---

[donate]	Help keep news FREE for our readers Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism,then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle