Teenage car ownership higher than ever

Brits are getting their first car at a younger age than ever before, a new AA Insurance study has found.

The AA/Populus study of over 21,000 AA members showed that of those who are now aged between 18 and 24 more than two-thirds (68%) had acquired their first car before their teens were out, compared with just a quarter (28%) of drivers now aged 65 or over.

In addition, young men have always been in much more of a hurry to get behind the wheel than young women. Regardless of age, half (50%) of all men had become car owners by the time they were 20 compared with little more than a third of women (38%).

Some youngsters - 3 per cent of boys and 1 per cent of girls - were car owners even before they turned 17, the legal driving age!

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, says: "At a time when the cost of car ownership is higher than ever, with both fuel and insurance costs rising steeply, getting a car remains a priority - especially for young men.

"Although the number of drivers of each sex who have passed their test before they're 20 is similar (38% of men and 35% of women), owning a car seems to be a ‘rite of passage' for young men.

"Unfortunately, one out of every five will also experience a serious accident within their first year of driving. Young men are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in a collision than young women and although the number of accidents on Britain's roads is thankfully falling, the proportion suffered by young drivers is rising.

One thing that hasn't changed over the years is that young drivers are still likely to spend less than 2,000 (adjusted for today's prices) on their first car. Across all ages, a third (34%) had spent under 500 while another third (35%) had spent between 500 and 2,000.

For the majority of drivers (61%), their first car was over seven years old although a lucky 6 per cent had the keys to a brand new motor.

"Although most young drivers expect their first year's car insurance premium to be expensive, it still comes as a shock when the cost might be twice what their first car is worth," says Douglas. "The cars they are buying tend to be more powerful than they used to be. This contributes to higher accident rates and thus higher premiums.

"But it's got little to do with the value of the car - and much more to do with the fact that young men especially are likely to injure themselves, their passengers or other people when they lose control, with consequent personal injury claims and legal costs. But with claim- and conviction-free driving, a no-claim bonus will quickly be built up and premiums will fall dramatically over subsequent years.

"I urge all learner drivers to take lessons with fully qualified driving instructors to ensure that their skills match the improved safety we are seeing in more modern cars. For those new drivers who have had an accident the AA Charitable Trust offers free Drive Smart training to help them improve their skills."

First car "free"

It seems that today's young drivers are more likely to get a helping hand to start their driving career and this is especially true for women, a third of whom (33%) were given their first car as a gift or had a car passed on by a friend or family member. Men clearly expect to pay for theirs - only 22 per cent getting their first wheels for free!