Focus on young drivers could save lives

Coinciding with Road Safety Week (6-12 November) and the focus on young drivers, motor insurer MORE TH>N estimates that by reducing the number of young drivers on the road at night - the most dangerous time of day for this group of drivers - accident rates among 18 to 25 year olds could fall by up to 25 per cent.

According to research from MORE TH>N almost one million young people (912,000) have been in, or know someone who has been in, an accident at night in the last three years. Despite representing only 10 per cent of the total driving population, statistics show that young car drivers are involved in over a quarter (28 per cent) of all accidents where a driver is killed or injured.

In a move aimed at reducing young driver accidents, MORE TH>N launched a new initiative in August this year called DriveTime. The scheme is designed to encourage drivers aged between 18 and 25 not to drive at night, when the chances of them being in a car crash are highest.

DriveTime uses an in-car telematics system to track at what time of the day or night the vehicle is being driven. Drivers pay a reduced fee to insure their cars - 40 per cent off MORE TH>N’s standard prices. To encourage them to leave their vehicles at home during the most dangerous hours on the road (between 11.00pm and 06.00am) an additional fee of £25 is applied if the car is driven during these hours.

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of Brake, the national road safety charity behind Road Safety Week, said: “We need to find more innovative ways of preventing tragic deaths involving young drivers and their passengers on our roads. We welcome the DriveTime scheme as an excellent first step towards reducing the exposure of young drivers to driving at particularly risky times of day. Brake is also urging the UK government to introduce ‘graduated licensing’, with a post-test period of restrictions on driving, to build up the ability and experience of young drivers gradually.”

40 per cent of all accidents between 11.00pm and 06.00am involving young drivers result in death or serious injury, compared to 20 per cent at all other times, yet one in seven (12 per cent) of young drivers surveyed by MORE TH>N actually feel safer driving at night. By reducing the number of young drivers on the road at night, MORE TH>N estimates that DriveTime could help reduce accident rates among 18 to 25 year olds by up to 25 per cent.

Mike Holliday-Williams, managing director of MORE TH>N, said: "It is really encouraging to see that the main focus of this year’s Road Safety Week is the safety of young drivers on our roads. High accident rates for young drivers on the roads at night are a major issue and we have been working for some time to come up with a solution to reduce these. DriveTime provides a fantastic way for young, safe drivers to avoid being on the roads at the most dangerous times and can also save them a significant amount off their insurance costs.”

Drivers who sign up for MORE TH>N's DriveTime product receive a GPS device (DriveTime unit) that will be delivered and installed in their vehicle free of charge. Once installed, whenever the car starts, a message is sent to MORE TH>N advising the time and place that the journey commenced. A further message is sent when the engine is switched off to confirm that the journey has ended.

Almost half (41 per cent) of young motorists already drive their car mainly during the day and evening (06.00am to 11.00pm) and this product has been designed with them in mind. Mike Holliday-Williams explained: "We feel it’s unfair that young people get tarred with the boy or girl racer tag when we know that many of them are safe drivers. We’re confident that DriveTime will appeal to those who understand that leaving their car at home during night-time hours, when it is more dangerous to drive, is a smart choice."

MORE TH>N’s DriveTime scheme is running as a pilot, initially involving 2,000 vehicles. Anyone interested in taking part in the DriveTime pilot should call MORE TH>N on 0800 294 8911, email drivetime@morethan.com or visit morethan.com/drivetime.