The boomers ate all the avocados

12223252728

Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    It’s not really about the driving. It’s about the sentiment that young people can’t have anything anymore.

  • Jezyboy
    Jezyboy Posts: 3,136

    Given some of the insurance quotes I've seen I do wonder how on earth most young people can afford driving. Regardless of extra proposed legislation. Which will likely just be ignored anyway.

  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,741

    unless the data are normalized to the male:female driver population ratio in each age band, i'd assume it's because woman tend to outlive men

    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • MidlandsGrimpeur2
    MidlandsGrimpeur2 Posts: 1,504

    Have to agree, I think car insurance for younger drivers is a disgrace. It is purely anecdotal, but a number of family friends have kids/grandkids who has recently passed their tests. Ages from 18-21 and they are all paying between £3500 and £4500! Most of them paid less for their actual cars.

  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 28,147

    Based on our staff there's a trend of just not bothering to learn to drive until one's late 20s/early 30s anyway. That's probably a very Londoncentric trend though.

    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • oxoman
    oxoman Posts: 233

    I didn't think insurance was that bad for some. I paid 200 for a mini in mid 80s so that was pretty dear back then. Not sure what it would equate to now but don't think it would be far off prices today. Youngest lad pays 1700 for C1 fully comp with a black box which I thought was reasonable ish for the car. His mates are driving 1 series BMW, Audi,s etc and wondering why they're paying 3k. Have to say I think black boxes for new drivers is a good idea, they can help a new driver if involved in an accident that's not there fault. Mates daughter was told an accident was her fault until police reviewed the black box data that proved she was stationary. It was automatically assumed new young driver was at fault. Taxi driver got nailed by police and lost his licence and got done for various other things.

    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    Yes but why are MPs floating this in parliament and why is it garnering so many petitioners?

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 59,386

    Expensive insurance for younger drivers isn't a new thing. I remember paying £900 for third party fire & theft cover on a 205 GTI that cost me less than 4 grand back in 1994. I was 28 with a few years NCB, so not exactly that young nor a new driver.

    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Jezyboy
    Jezyboy Posts: 3,136

    A young male driving a 205 GTi is asking to have their pants pulled down on insurance though.

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 59,386
    edited May 11

    So imagine what the premium would have been if I was still in my teens. Like I said, expensive car insurance for young drivers isn't new.

    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 28,147

    Because their premiums are going up and someone told them it's all the young'uns and uninsured foreigners. They read it on Facebook so it must be true.

    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • orraloon
    orraloon Posts: 12,880

    This article from Guardian website does seem to point the finger at cost-engineering accident claims firms milking the public.

    No wonder my SIL and bruv both had their cars written off recently for rel minor damages caused by muppet drivers. And their premiums in the new world being jacked up.

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    yeah the car keying cost the insurer £2200 to fix, so I paid the full £650 excess. Seems a lot since the car only cost £13k

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 41,376

    I don’t think graduated driving licenses are a bad thing. The people pushing hardest for them seem to be the parents of youngsters who died in RTCs. Older people get bad generally as a result of deteriorating health and don’t stop when they should due to a fear of losing independence. It’s something that needs clamping down on because of that reluctance for them to make the right choice.

    Younger drivers (and younger male drivers in particular) mainly have collisions as their driving ability doesn’t match their confidence. This was the case when I was that age and is still the case now. There are particular times where the risk is higher e.g driving at night or with passengers so restricting those high risk areas in the early days of their life as drivers makes sense.

  • oxoman
    oxoman Posts: 233

    Unfortunately nothings really changed over the years. Cars are definitely safer but way quicker. Youngsters are more likely to dabble in illegal substances nowadays compared to in the past as more readily available. As to graduated licences I'm all for that, but we need to ensure that apprentices can get to work at night and early starts etc. When my eldest was looking for his first insurance it was a bit of a mine field with some companies saying not nighttime driving or rush hr and even motorway driving for the first 12 months. There were other conditions on them as well, seemed a little easier when the youngest son passed his test just before Christmas. As to car repairs, repairers will only fit new OEM parts and they cost a fortune. What would have been an easy repair 10yrs ago is now a write off.

    Too many bikes according to Mrs O.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 28,147

    Not convinced there are more opportunities for intoxication than before. Suspect it's just a different mix of substances as alcohol is now more expensive.

    Also not convinced that people who have lost children to dangerous driving are the right people to be steering legislation. Feels a bit 'something must be done'.

    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 41,376

    Yeah, the most vocal parent I’ve heard is very much ‘I hadn’t realised what they were doing’. Other countries do the restrictions on what and when you can drive though. Restricting times can be a pain though, I remember my daughter having a black box when she first passed and having to wait until 5.30am or whatever it was before she could head off to the stables every morning.

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    If it was about safety they’d also be restricting oldies but they’re not.

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 59,386

    That's what free bus passes and the like are for.

    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635
    edited May 11

    What’s that got to do with restricting under 25s?


    Old drivers are as dangerous as young ones. If it’s a safety issue, it’s not an issue that is exclusive to under 25s.

    This parliament is a gerontocracy who insist on restricting the freedoms of the young, either indirectly or directly.


    As the proposal currently stands, a 25 year old with a family wouldn’t be allowed to drive their kids around. Ridiculous.


    why do these people hate young people so much they want to restrict everything they do?

  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 59,386

    It was in reply to your point about old drivers...

    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 41,376

    It’s different issues that create the problem with older drivers. Why does everything have to be a generational war for you? Graduated licences aren’t going to reduce road collisions for older drivers, having to pass regular eyesight and health tests are what is needed there.

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    Because parliament is literally restricting adults rights based on what generation they are in.

  • sungod
    sungod Posts: 16,741


    the oldies are more likely to vote tory

    i'd guess restricting the young plays well to the reactionary oldies

    my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny
  • briantrumpet
    briantrumpet Posts: 18,461

    Agree with @Pross that regular independent tests for oldies on sight and reaction times would be a good idea. My gran continued driving too long, because no-one who looked after her health had the courage to 'take away her independence'. Fortunately the minor crash she had that persuaded her to give up hurt no-one, but it shouldn't have got to that.

  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 1,871
    edited May 11

    I would like to see driving licence expire completely at 80 with annual review tests after 70. And just to show all is fair as others have said a graduated driving licence for the start of the motoring journey, whatever age you start.

    Oh and prioritise public transport to make it more attractive.

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 41,376

    Is it acceptable to that if there’s evidence to show a particular group is at risk from certain things?

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 73,635

    well no as you end up legislating our all sorts of activities out.

    You’d save more lives banning motorbikes before this, but then that affects all adults not just young people.

  • secretsqirrel
    secretsqirrel Posts: 1,871

    Are they restricting on generation or age?