New Driver Insurance – Does Age Matter?
When it comes to new driver insurance, most people tend to think of 17 and 18 year olds who’ve just passed their tests.
However, there are many older people who look for new driver car insurance quotes every year in the UK.
The amount you’re quoted for new driver insurance will depend partly on your age when you want to take to the road.
Below are some of the reasons that older new drivers might get cheaper car insurance quotes than young drivers.
- Choice of vehicle
New driver insurance is clearly influenced by the vehicle you want to insure. Younger people may get higher new driver insurance quotes partly due to their choice of car.
Younger drivers tend to be attracted to faster, sportier cars, while generally speaking, more mature drivers are likely to go for safer makes and models, especially if they have a family.
Before you make a decision on which car to buy, it’s wise to get a rough idea of what insurance group a vehicle is in. If you fail to do this and just choose the car you like, you could get a shock when you see how much your new driver insurance quotes come in at.
- Maturity
As a general rule, maturity comes with age. You’d expect a 45 year old new driver to be more responsible on the roads than a 17 year old who’s just got their licence.
The new driver insurance statistics don’t lie, younger people are far more likely to be involved in a road accident that someone in their 30s or 40s.
Older newly qualified drivers will typically have a more mature outlook when they take to the road and are less likely to take risks with speed and dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.
- Lack of peer pressure
High new driver car insurance premiums are influenced in part by peer pressure amongst younger drivers. It’s far more likely for a 17 year old to have their driving style influenced by their peers than someone who has just got their driving licence in their 30s.
As with all car insurance quotes, new driver car insurance is influenced by statistics. For many years, the figures have consistently shown that younger drivers are more prone to road accidents than older drivers, and this is the case even for new drivers who’ve passed their driving tests later in life.