Navigating young driver car insurance

Before young drivers even consider submitting an insurance application they need to appreciate why it is insurance companies are so weary of so-called 18 car insurance.

The simple fact is that younger drivers are more prone to being involved in an accident on the road. The latest research suggests that male drivers aged 17-20 are almost ten times as likely as more-experienced drivers to be killed or seriously injured when they get behind the wheel.

And while that shocking statistic most disturbingly contributes to the gruesome human toll of motor vehicle accidents - with over 3,000 people being killed on Britain's roads every single year - it also inevitably has financial implications for insurers.

Historically, insurance companies have leaned towards pricing young people out of the market as a deterrent - an approach which is increasingly being seen as outdated. A more liberal market is now focusing instead on helping soften the blow of young driver car insurance.

First of all, while you can't change your age (and probably wouldn't want to if you're on the right side of 25) you certainly can change many of the plethora of other risk factors that insurers take into account. Looking at the safety standards of your vehicle and opting for a small car with an engine size of 1.0 or below offer two such obvious avenues for saving.

Another popular way of making yourself seem more attractive to insurance firms is to show them how serious you are about road safety - something which can be most effectively displayed by taking a Driving Standards Agency-backed Pass Plus course.

Though the courses can cost up to £150, they cover a range of subjects relating to night-time, motorway and urban driving and are looked on extremely favourably by many insurance companies - some of whom offer as much as a 35 per cent discount on pass plus car insurance premiums. And if pitched in the right way the discerning young person might even succeed in getting their parents to cover the cost of the course.

Beyond measures individuals can take to increase their own marketability, however, there are also a number of incentives that are just waiting to be taken advantage of.

These vary hugely from insurer to insurer, but often revolve around so-called 'rapid bonus schemes' which allow you to build up a no-claims bonus after just nine months rather than a year. Most insurers will also offer discounts if a young person adds the name of an older, more-experienced driver to their policy.

Ultimately, insurers have woken up to the fact that 50,000 17-year-olds are now passing their driving licence every single year in the UK. Car insurance for young people is more viable today than it has ever been - and all you have to do to get on the bandwagon is show them that you understand their concerns