Traffic accidents increase as insurance costs rise?

An increase in the cost of insurance for first time drivers is set to cause more road traffic accidents, according to one industry expert.

A spokeswoman for the Institute of Advanced Motorists explained that drivers unable to afford insurance premiums are more likely to drive uninsured and purchase cheaper, unsafe vehicles.

"The steadily increasing level of premiums which young drivers are facing is bound to cause an increased temptation to drive uninsured," she stated.

"[An] average cost of [a] claim by young drivers is £4,500, but insurance can cost nearly twice that," the spokeswoman continued.

The announcement follows research from confused.com which shows that young male drivers have insurance premiums nearly four times more expensive than the average driver.

An average 17 to 20-year-old faces a 8.2 per cent annual rise in premiums.

However, experienced drivers are also seeing a net annual increase of 12.3 per cent in the cost of comprehensive motor insurance cover.

Published by Kevin Round