What do you look for when choosing a car?
Is it the price? Is it the engine size? Is it how fast it can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour?
Every day some young drivers compromise their safety by choosing a car on the basis of brand, image and a host of other criteria rather than road safety credentials.
Charity BRAKE knows this better than most. In 2015 the road safety organisation released details of a survey which showed that only 37% of drivers aged between 17 and 24 considered 'safety' to be a priority when buying a car. While this appears to compare unfavourably to the 48% of older drivers who considered safety, it seems as if 'safety' is not prioritised highly enough among either group.
Furthermore, the same survey found that the majority of young drivers fail to take account of any of the major safety standards, with only 23% of drivers even aware of Euro NCAP - a motoring organisation, based in Belgium, founded in 1997 by the Transport Research Laboratory for the UK Department for Transport to apply a safety rating for new cars. This rating has been embraced by the UK and the European Union.
Safety, not entertainment
Worryingly, a greater number of young drivers reported prioritising "infotainment" systems, with 17% saying it was the most important factor in their choice of new car. This should be viewed as being of particular concern, as some studies have shown use of music systems and mobile phones while driving to be as dangerous as drink driving.
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of BRAKE said that the considerable advancements in vehicle safety technology are likely to have played a large part in the decreasing numbers of road casualties seen in the UK in recent decades.
Adding, "When choosing a vehicle to drive on public roads, safety should always be the number one consideration. However, any vehicle is ultimately only ever as safe as the person driving it, and choosing the safest possible vehicle still needs to be combined with legal, considerate driving."
So, it is clear, if you want to get ahead of other young driver car insurance customers, particularly if you want cheaper cover for your vehicle, prioritise safety above all other considerations.
Young driver car insurance with Drive Wiser
For far too many young drivers car insurance is either unaffordable or a significant drain on the pocket. With Drive Wiser, policies are priced to be competitive from the outset while also offering you the chance to receive the cheapest possible price on your policy in the future.
This is because we are able to assess the information from your black box at the time of renewal, and if your data proves your status as a safe driver, it is likely that we will be able to reward you with a favourably-priced policy. Plus, if you remain claim free, you build your own No Claims Discount.
Get a Quote with us today and discover the benefits of insurance based on you.