Younger drivers getting behind the wheel uninsured

Not only are younger drivers more likely to be involved in road accidents, but they are also more likely to be on the road without valid insurance, new research has revealed.

Highlighting the extent of the problem across the UK, the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) has reported that around one in five drivers aged between 17 and 20 get behind the wheel without taking out the appropriate cover.

This equates to around a quarter of a million uninsured motorists under the age of 20 out on the UK roads, with this demographic also found to be five times more likely to be involved in a collision.

What's more, according to the MIB, these law-breaking motorists injure three people every hour and kill three people a week in hit-and-run accidents.

And while one in ten of those younger motorists polled for the study revealed that they were unaware that motor insurance is a legal requirement, a significant majority cited the cost of such policies - with car insurance for a newly-qualified driver costing up to £2,000 a year - as the reason for flouting the law.

Commenting on the findings, MIB chief executive Ashton West said: "Young people make up a significant number of uninsured drivers, and with one in five newly qualified drivers having an accident in the first year of driving they need to make choices based on the consequences of driving without insurance and not just on price alone."

"While we recognise the financial pressures for drivers taking to the roads for the first time, it is also a criminal offence to drive without proper insurance cover," he added.

To make matters worse, it's also estimated that the £500 million a year these policy-shirkers cost the UK insurance industry means that an extra £30 is added onto the typical motorist's policy.

At the same time, however, the industry has also revealed that growing numbers of drivers are opting to save money on their insurance while simultaneously getting into shape and helping out the environment by ditching their cars in favour of bikes for smaller journeys.

According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), around half of all UK drivers now own a bike, with two in five cycling on a regular basis.

However, while the research also found that motorists are keen to get on their bikes for fun and exercise, many are still sticking to four wheels due to fears over heavy traffic and concern over the state of the nation's roads.