Cheaper Car Insurance For Young Drivers?

Young Marmalade, the young driver car insurance company, are promising to half the cost of young driver car insurance by introducing a new scheme that uses an electronic 'black box' to assess how safely the insured car is being driven. Of course if the black box shows evidence of hard accelerating, harsh braking, speeding and even aggressive cornering then the monthly premium will rise significantly, however if the car is driven in a safe and controlled manner the cost of insuring the car will be significantly cheaper than standard insurance.

The technology behind the system seems rather impressive. The black box scores the driver out of 100, and a head-up display allows the driver to see how 'safely' they are driving. The black box even has the ability to disable the car if it considers that the car is being driven dangerously.

With the cost of driving, especially for young drivers, seemingly always on the rise this system has the potential to be quite asuccess. The average young driver can expect to pay around £1,100 for their third party car insurance. The AA report that this cost has risen 13% in the last three months alone.

For tips on reducing your car insurance costs see'

http://www.driving-test-success.com/passed/car_insurance.html

Top Ten Reasons Why Drivers Crashed in 2009

Recently released statistics from the Department for Transport show that nearly a third of all crashes in England (2009) were caused by the driver failing to look properly.

The top ten reasons are as follows:

Failed to look properly  - 38%

Failed to judge other person's path or speed - 20%

Careless, reckless or in a hurry - 15%

Loss of control - 15%

Poor turn or manoeuvre - 14%

Slippery road, due to weather - 11%

Travelling too fast for the conditions - 9%

Following too close - 6%

Exceeding the speed limit - 5%

Impaired by alcohol - 5%

Wearing A Seatbelt Matters

A new report from the AA reveals that a third of car occupants killed weren't wearing a seatbelt. The report shows that seatbelts more than halve the risk of death in a collision. However, the 7 percent not wearing seatbelts are overrepresented in fatalities, which suggest that the sort of driver who chooses not to wear a belt is twice as likely to be involved in a crash as someone who does wear a seatbelt.

Nearly 300 lives a year would be saved if all car occupants wore a seatbelts. The report shows lower seat belt wearing amongst men - especially young men, rear seat passengers, company car drivers and only 69 percent of drivers of vans, lorries, buses, coaches and minibuses regularly wear seat-belts.

Boys Really Are Better Drivers...?

Dare I say this, new findings reveal that men are naturally better drivers than women, following an experiment involving over 70 pre-school boy and girls who took part in a series of controlled tests. The research was conducted using electric Roary the Racing Car ride-ons at the motor racing circuit Brands Hatch.

The findings proved that although girls were slightly quicker off the mark at the start of the race, boys were 34% better at concentrating and demonstrating visual-spatial skills whilst driving in a straight line.

Although girls' overall speed is 5% faster than boys when racing straight, boys are 20% better than girls at maintaining their line.

Pre-schoolers aged 3-4 years were deemed best for this study to test natural driving ability, according to child psychologist Donna Dawson, who went on to say 'The research proved that the boys come up trumps, but that the girls also excelled in different areas, such as listening and better hand coordination.'

When manoeuvring around cones, boys pipped the girls on speed by 10%, whilst girls had greater focus and better hand dexterity.

Surprisingly, the reverse test reveals that boys are 17% better than girls at doing two things at once, such as moving and steering whilst looking over their shoulder.

DSA To Stop Publishing Theory Test Questions

• Candidates need to understand theory
• End to memorising answers
• Unpublished questions used from 1 January 2012

The Driving Standards Agency is to stop publishing the multiple choice questions and answers used in theory tests, Road Safety Minister Mike Penning announced today.

This will help to ensure that new drivers learn the principles behind driving theory rather than just learning answers.

The move follows the introduction of independent driving into the driving test and the DSA's decision to stop publishing test routes in October 2010, to make sure the test assesses a learner's ability to drive and not their capacity to memorise routes. 

Mike Penning said:

“The driving theory test should help to prepare drivers for real life on the road - good driving is not just about vehicle-handling skills, but also about having the knowledge and understanding of safe driving theory.

“No longer publishing these questions and answers will mean that successful candidates will have to understand the theory rather than simply memorising answers. 

“I believe that this - along with the other changes we are making to the driving test regime - will lead to better drivers and safer roads.”

In September 2011 DSA will change the format of books and other learning materials available to help people prepare for theory tests. This will take place at the same time as more challenging case studies are introduced to car and motorcycle theory tests.

Then, from 1 January 2012, DSA will create theory tests using questions which will not be published.
Practice questions and answers, not used in theory tests, will still be available to help candidates with revision.

Other companies which publish products containing DSA theory test questions will also no longer have access to the questions used in the tests.

Is The Pass Plus Failing?

New research suggests that the Pass Plus test does not improve road safety. The Pass Plus is a course designed to make newly qualified drivers safer on the road. Its aim is to advance skills learnt whilst learning to drive and includes sections on motorway driving and driving at night. However, a report by Sky news claims there is no firm evidence that the course improves safety.

One in five newly qualified drivers crash in the first six months after passing the practical test, whilst 70% report having near misses. Last year 74,000 newly qualified drivers spent up to £180 each on the Pass Plus driving course.  It was launched in 1995 to try and reduce the high accident rate amongst newly qualified drivers and is widely promoted to all such drivers.  But the DSA has now dropped claims that the course can reduce accident rates after being warned there was no hard evidence to back them up.

Of course one of the benefits of taking the Pass Plus and, to many, its key selling point was that car insurance companies would offer a Pass Plus certificate holder a reduction on their car insurance of up to 25%. Given the high cost of insuring newly qualified drivers such a discount was a very attractive incentive and often made the Pass Plus a wise investment. However, given the doubts over how effective the Pass Plus is the insurance industry is starting to withdraw the discount.

Admiral Insurance has already abandoned the discount. It analysed more than 4,000 claims involving young drivers and found no evidence that the Pass Plus makes a young driver any safer and less likely to have an accident in the future.

The DSA has responded by saying ‘Post test training builds upon existing skills and knowledge and gives new drivers additional experience to help them drive more safely in a variety of driving conditions. New drivers who have taken the pass plus tell us that it improves their driving skills and confidence on the road and major insurance companies offer discounts to drivers who have taken Pass Plus precisely because they believe that the scheme improves drivers’ ability.’

If the Pass Plus has a flaw, and the evidence suggests it has, it is that those who take the course are the young drivers who are already the most responsible and safest new drivers. If the course was to be really effective it would need to be a compulsory part of the learning to drive experience.

Danger! Second-Hand Tyres.

A shock investigation into second-hand tyres (tyres made from previously used tyre rubber) has raised significant safety issues. Trading standards in the West Midlands investigated independent tyre dealers and found that a staggering 90% of the used rubber inspected failed to meet minimum legal standards.

New tyes can be expensive, even the unbranded ones, however, if second-hand tyres are as poor in quality as this investigation suggests, buying them is definately a false economy.

Driving Tests Cancelled Due To Lack of A Spare Tyre

DSA is getting increasing numbers of complaints from candidates whose test didn’t go ahead because of problems with car tyres.

It’s become a common feature of modern cars to be fitted with a spare tyre or space-saver tyre which is a different size in order to save room and weight
DSA would like to remind driving instructors that any vehicle presented for test must be fitted with:
the same size tyre on the same axle

tyres that are not subject to speed restrictions

If any tyre is not suitable for the test, the test will not go ahead and the candidate will lose their test fee.

Killer Windscreen Washer Fluid!!

Stagnant windscreen wiper water may be responsible for causing 20% of cases of Legionnaires Disease, according to the Health Protection Agency.

Stagnant, warm water is a breeding ground for the Legionella bacteria, which when inhaled cause pneumonia and is fatal in 10-15% of cases.

To kill the bacteria simply add screenwash to your windscreen washer resevoir.

Are Your Parents Fraudsters?

Research from the Motor Insurers' Bureau reveals that many parents are committing motor insurance fraud by 'fronting' - insuring cars under their own name and adding the child as a named driver, when in fact the child is the main driver of the car.

This may reduces the cost of the insurance policy but it is illegal and, by declaring false informationn, the policy becomes invalid. So if a claim where to be made, and the fronting was discovered, the insurance company wouldn't have to pay out.

Many parents who front don't know they are breaking the law. They believe that they are exploiting a loophole in law.

With the high cost of young drivers insurance fronting seems to be on the increase, however, the insurance companys are increasingly active in rooting it out. Be careful.

Driving Under The Influence

A recent poll has 1 in 10 drivers confessing to driving under the influence of a medicine that they know has impaired their ability to drive.

3 %  actually admit to having had a accident or near miss when driving under the influence of medicine.

12 % were unaware that they could be breaking the law if they drive whilst under the influence of a medicine that could affect their driving.

Just under a third of the people questioned claimed to regularly drive whilst under the influence of medicines.

Well, it's this or have a sickie. After all, who wants to use public transport?

Driving Schools, Lessons and Instruction

Hello, this blog will be about all things learning to drive and is aimed at learners and driving instructors.

Let the blogging commence!