Young drivers caught without car insurance doubles as premiums rocket

  • WATCH: Natalie Verney has been to meet one driver from Abingdon who’s forking out nearly £11,000 a year on insurance

There are fears that rocketing car insurance premiums are tempting a growing number of younger drivers to get behind the wheel without cover.

One car safety charity says cases of 17 to 20-year-olds being caught driving without insurance have more than doubled in the last few years.

Premiums for younger people have always been higher than other age groups but have spiralled recently.

Josh Pitts, 21, has been driving for two-and-a-half years and has a clean license yet he pays more than double for insuring his car, than when he first passed his test.

Josh's car and van insurance costs him £900 a month Credit: ITV News Meridian

He said: "When I first passed, I had a 2-litre BMW 3 series which was worth a lot more than the car I have now, and that was only 300-pounds a month without a black box.

"And now two-and-a half years later, I’ve downgraded in engine size, downgraded in the price but the insurance has gone over double monthly."

Along with the family car, Josh also has to insure his work van. In total, it costs him 900-pounds a month.

Josh added: "The thing is I’ve got to make sure I’ve earned £900 just for insurance to keep them both as well as rent, food shop, everything.

Kieran, 17, from Hampshire is due to take his driving test on the 11 October Credit: ITV News Meridian

It’s a problem facing young drivers across the country.

Kieran, 17, from Hampshire said: "I have a test on the 11th of October and I’ve got a Vauxhall Astra 1.4 and a Jaguar XJ6 1995.

"For the Astra it was £29,000 and for the Jaguar it was £5,000, so for a smaller engine size vehicle it’s more expensive than a bigger size car, so I just think it’s ridiculous."

Premiums for young drivers have risen sharply recently.

According to car insurance experts, Quotezone, 17-year-olds are now paying 77% more for car insurance than they did last year.

The worry is it will push more people to drive without any insurance at all.

A road safety charity says convictions for uninsured drivers aged between 17-20 have more than doubled in recent years.

And it’s not just younger drivers feeling the pinch. According to Which?, car insurance has risen by nearly a quarter in the last year across the board.

The hike is being blamed on inflation, the rising cost of repairs and an increase in the number of thefts from vehicles.

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