motoring guide

Are Britain's young drivers being trained and how is it affecting car insurance?

Some young drivers will admit to themselves that they have been foolish when getting behind the wheel, which could affect their car insurance. In a recent survey by the RAC, nine per cent of 17-24 year olds and 13 per cent of 25-34 year olds admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol before. Many are also responsible drivers, as the survey also suggested, revealing that nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of 17-24 year olds are in favour of random breath testing on the roads, in comparison to 67 per cent of 45-64 year olds.  

Commenting on the research, head of road safety at the AA Andrew Howard asserted there is a bigger problem with young male drivers wanting to show off their driving skills. Young drivers are also the most vulnerable on the roads, with close to one in three car drivers, in accidents where death or serious injury is sustained, being under the age of 25, according to figures from the Department for Transport on 2007. Even in parking they appear to be coming into difficulties, as a recent AA/Populus poll showed that young drivers are the least likely to own up than other age groups to hitting an unattended parked car. Over half (58 per cent) said that they would not report themselves.

But what is being or what should be done to improve the driving and behaviour of young motorists on Britain's roads? This summer will see the start of Driving Skills Academy courses at the Porsche Experience Centre at Silverstone, Northamptonshire. They will look to give young drivers greater confidence, allowing them to take to the track and develop their skills. Red Bull Racing Formula One driver Mark Webber has also given his support to the initiative, which will see courses starting from August 22nd, costing £165 and taking place on Saturdays.

There are four different modules in the courses including Practical, Theory, Human Performance and Assessment. In the final module, young drivers get to drive a Porsche 911 around the Handling Circuit with a driving consultant.

Vicki Butler-Henderson, the TV presenter and journalist who is to co-host the project, asserted that the courses can help both new and old drivers learn more about driving and up their enjoyment of motoring. She commented: "From my TV work on Fifth Gear, and having raced since I was 12 years old, I know how much fun it is to drive on a circuit. It's so rewarding to understand and feel how a car handles, how to control a skid and how to be aware of hazards." Ms Butler-Henderson said that she can take the skills she learns from the track and then onto the road to help her enjoy each journey she makes. Her abilities also let her know what her limits are as well as those of the car, she noted. "The Driving Academy at the Porsche Experience Centre is the perfect place for new and old drivers to learn more - and help increase their enjoyment, which to me is key," Ms Butler-Henderson added.

This summer also sees the first Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy opening in the UK, designed to make young people better drivers by starting to train them earlier, intensifying the process and extending it over a longer period of time. It offers three main modules for different demographics. The first is the Pre-road module for those aged between 12 and 16, while the Provisional Licence module is for those 17 and above. There is also the Post-test module for those that have passed.

Mercedes-Benz has been working with Dr Mika Hatakka to come up with the curriculum-based programme, which takes a holistic approach to learning to drive, taking on board more than 190 different skills involved in driving. It also teaches risk assessment and prevention with practical experiences and role-playing exercises, including ones on how to avoid losing control of a vehicle.

"Learning to drive should be like learning to play an instrument.  The more practice you have the better you master it and the more confident you become," commented Peter O'Halloran, managing director at Mercedes-Benz World. "With Mercedes-Benz, students start learning to drive at a younger age, which removes the stress of passing the actual driving test.

"The Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy provides young people with the skills and thought based experiences that go beyond the requirements of just passing the driving test and prepares them for the actual demands of driving on the public roads," he added.

So, what will these courses be able to do for young drivers and their car insurance premiums? Neil Greig, director of policy and research Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), said that if courses are set up so that the drivers who have been on it can be tracked and can then prove that these motorists are safer than young drivers in general then undoubtedly motor insurance firms "will be queuing up" to offer them discounts.

"I do think that insurance does play a key role here because incentives to get people to do these courses are the key thing. If you can get some sort of incentive to do a course then many more people are likely to do it," Mr Greig commented.

"Insurance companies have a key role to play. As I say, often it does take time to prove to the insurance company that your course actually works and will really deliver drivers that are less likely to claim," he asserted.

Mr Greig had his reservations, however, about such courses being run by Mercedes-Benz and Porsche as they do not "necessarily" reach the ideal audience because of who they are targeting. "There is a clear link in road safety between deprivation and crashes. People who live in deprived areas tend to be more involved in accidents of all kinds, whether it's pedestrians, motorcycling or car driving. So whilst I do commend Mercedes and Porsche for putting these courses together, there are obviously only going to be reaching a very small part of the young driver market," he explained. This could hint that other manufacturers will set up their own courses targeting those who may not be able to afford the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz options.

18 Aug 2009