With the price of young person’s car insurance going through the roof, regardless of whether their car is a convertible or not, any method of bringing the cost down will be welcomed by those just embarking on their driving experience. Policies costing thousands of pounds are not at all out of the ordinary today and many young drivers simply can’t afford it.
Big brother helping young drivers
Under a scheme launched today, a so called smart box installed in a car driven by a 17-25 year old can bring down their motor insurance quotes by as much as £300. The box will keep a watchful eye on the motoring skills of the driver by monitoring such manoeuvres as cornering, braking, acceleration and reversing. The box will also monitor if the driver exceeds national speed limits.
The box is approximately the size of a mobile phone and can be fitted either in the car or under the bonnet. The box sends a signal back to the car insurer giving them a run down on how the car is being driven. The box uses satellites to assess the cars position and transmits the technical data such as speeds etc. back the same way.
Information helps insurers to rate the driver
The insurer can see if the driver is behaving in a manner that is conducive to good driving practice after downloading the information, and can then give the driver a discount if it’s felt the youngster behaves in a mature way when he/she is behind the wheel. The opposite can also happen. The information may reveal the driver is not conforming to the required standards and could actually be charged more for his insurance.
The likelihood of this happening however, is small. One can’t imagine irresponsible drivers volunteering to have their lack of skill exposed but it will mean that conscientious young drivers can put a distance between them and boy racers.
Safety record
It is no secret that the 17-25 year old age group have a horrendous record for death and serious injuries on the road, and that is the simple reason why insurance levels for this group are so high. The smart box will be a welcome addition to car technology for drivers, insurers and road safety campaigners.

