New Young Male Drivers are the Most Dangerous on UK Roads

insurethebox data backs up recent THINK! ‘Road
Whisperer’ campaign

New data from insurethebox, a pioneer of telematics based insurance, shows that new drivers are three times more likely to crash in the first three months of their policy, compared to the final three. And significantly, young male drivers are the most at risk. Following the recent THINK! campaign from the Department for Transport (DfT) which specifically targeted new young, male drivers, insurethebox analysis of over 4.5 billion miles of driving data shows that young (17-25) male drivers speed a significant 56% more than young female drivers of the same age.

The THINK! ‘Road Whisperer’ campaign aimed to raise awareness of a range of different scenarios that can be challenging for new drivers, including driving at night and driving on country roads. Driving at night can be a challenge due to various factors like lack of visibility, particularly for inexperienced drivers. Despite only 4% of road use being between midnight and 5am, this is the time that almost a quarter (23%) of Accident Alerts happen. And insurethebox data shows that young men spend 28% more time driving at night than young women.

Due to higher speed limits, tighter bends and narrower lanes, country roads are also a challenge for the youngest and least experienced motorists. Data from insurethebox shows that the youngest drivers, with the least experience, are the most vulnerable, especially if they speed. Young drivers are 30% more likely to have an accident if they speed on country roads and this is where a quarter of all serious or fatal accidents occur. 17-25 year olds are the most vulnerable road users, not just due to their lack of experience but because they spend a higher percentage of their time on country roads.

“Empower young motorists”

Simon Rewell, Road Safety Manager, insurethebox commented: “The recent campaign from THINK! was a great reminder for new motorists of the risks of speeding, driving at night and driving on country roads. A driver’s first year after passing is the ideal time to create safe driving habits.

“Our goal is to empower young motorists to take control of their driving behaviour by working with them to understand the risks they’re taking. We proactively communicate with our drivers who speed and this award-winning communications programme has resulted in a 28% reduction in speeding instances among the highest risk drivers. For young drivers accident frequency has reduced by 9% .”

insurethebox uses individual driver data to determine the risk profile of each policyholder through a black box installed in the vehicle. It shares each customer’s personal driving data through an online portal, empowering them to manage their driving habits in order to earn monthly Bonus Miles . insurethebox policies offer an initial 6,000, 8,000 or 10,000 miles of cover and Bonus Miles can be earned for good driving behaviour.