The continuing difficulties in the UK economy is still impacting on families across the country, and as recent surveys report how spiralling costs are affecting two sections of society more and more, motorists seem to be walking away from their cars.

Moms driven off the road

A recent survey by Bridgestone tyres suggests that cheap motor insurance quotes for women drivers appears to be a thing of the past and soaring premiums plus the exorbitant price of fuel is turning the school run into a walk. The survey by the famous tyre company asked mothers from all over the UK how the current financial downturn was affecting their daily lives and the outcome proved very interesting.

Motoring targeted for savings

Over 90% questioned said they were feeling the effects of spiralling prices and the austerity cuts. The same amount unsurprisingly revealed that they were saving less than before, with more than 50% admitting they now regularly incurred bank charges for using overdraft facilities. It is motoring though where moms are looking to make the savings. The taxes along with the hike in car insurance premiums has persuaded 5% of moms to sell their vehicles already while over 30% said they were considering doing the same thing.

Effect on children worries moms most

Of course most moms primary focus in life is their children, and while a short walk to school will certainly not do their offspring any harm whatsoever, 50% of moms were concerned that because they could no longer take their children on school trips in their cars the youngsters were missing out. The same worry extended to after- school activities and family holidays.

Young drivers in the same boat

At the same time as moms were revealing how the downturn is affecting their motoring, a BBC report shows how the cost of young person’s car insurance is dramatically reducing the number of youngsters taking driving lessons. According to the BBC report it is not the £25 cost of the average lesson that has seen a 20% drop in 17-22 year olds learning to drive, nor is it the prohibitive cost of fuel, it is the mind boggling sum they have to find in insurance. In 2005 a 17 year old male could expect his first car insurance policy to cost him around £3,000 that has now rocketed to £5,200 and is in many circumstances more expensive than the value of the car.

Policy providers must find an answer

It is a well known fact that young people and males in particular, are many times more likely to have an accident than older more experienced drivers, but it is also a fact that skill often comes with experience, and that skills are picked up more easily by a young enquiring mind. Experts are looking to the motor insurance industry to now come up with new initiatives in policies to answer questions like “what insurance group is my car?” to help prevent a generation missing out on a skill that has been taken for granted over the last 50 years.