We recently polled 1,000 young drivers and parents to find out more about their attitudes to driving.
Young drivers were over-confident, particularly when comparing themselves to their parents even though they have less experience on the road.
But the good news: the majority of young drivers also accepted their driving could be improved, and that gaining years of experience would help them become better drivers.
You can read our press release below, along with our infographic showing the stats we found most interesting.
Click to enlarge
- 98% of young drivers surveyed rated themselves as good or average drivers
- Of the young women questioned, 52% said they drive well, 59% said dad drives well, but only 48% said the same of mum
- Of the young men questioned, 67% said they drive well, however only 64% said dad drives well, and only 39% said the same of mum
- 83% accepted their driving could be improved
- 62% agreed that gaining years of experience on the road would help them improve
- 70% of young drivers insured with ingenie have received quarterly discounts for better driving, according to ingenie customer data
LONDON, 12th March 2013: It’s no secret that young drivers are a high-risk group. One in five has a crash during their first 6 months on the road.
ingenie is working to change that with black box insurance that’s not only cheaper but acts as a co-pilot. It accurately measures driving habits to set fairer premiums while giving young drivers the guidance and feedback they need to improve, easily available via a smartphone app.
ingenie has developed a great understanding of why young drivers have such a high number of crashes, working with Cranfield University on driving trends and driver psychology, and recently commissioning a study that polled 1,000 young drivers and parents to help understand their attitudes to the road.
ingenie’s research showed that over-confidence is prevalent among young drivers, with 98% rating themselves as good or average drivers. Young females generally thought they were better drivers than mum, while young males generally thought they were better behind the wheel than both mum and dad.
But this positive perception of their own driving doesn’t stack up with the high number of crashes they have, suggesting that, as well as inexperience, it’s the attitude young drivers have towards the road that’s behind the high number of crashes.
More encouragingly 83% of young drivers also accepted their driving could be improved and 62% agreed that gaining years of experience on the road would help them get better. This means the vast majority are willing to learn.
But not necessarily from their parents! In fact, almost a third of those surveyed believed they picked up bad habits such as speeding and even drink driving from mum and dad.
Gary Lineker, ingenie investor and ambassador, said: “Parents play an important role in defining the kind of drivers their children grow up to be. Helping them develop the right attitude to the road and setting a good example from an early age will give them the best chance of staying safe once they get behind the wheel.”
Commenting on the results, Richard King, CEO and founder of ingenie said: “ingenie rates young drivers on their own merits when it comes to car insurance, but statistics show it’s a combination of attitude, behaviour and inexperience that causes the high number of crashes this age group has. We’re helping tackle the problem by giving young people plenty of feedback on how they’re doing, reviewing their premiums every three months and automatically applying discounts for good driving.
“So far, the vast majority of young drivers insured with us have been shown to make positive improvements to their driving – 70% of our community have received a quarterly discount for better driving. After one year with ingenie, our customers’ renewal premiums were on average more than 50% cheaper than their starting price. Ultimately we want to play our part in creating safer roads – not just for young drivers, but for all road users.”
