You can’t help sense a certain irony in this report, in which “instructors” claim that the falling numbers of people taking driving tests is the fault of insurers. The driving school making the claims is one which specialises in giving lessons to 11-17 year olds. Just for the record, it charges £60 per hour – the typical cost of a lesson for adults is only £20-£25 an hour.
In an expanded story on the same topic, a mother is currently paying these inflated rates for her 12-year old on the basis that “she’s certain costs will rise by the time he’s 18”. I bloody well hope she’s right – I’d love to be able to charge £60 an hour. But there is no way that will happen, so you almost feel sorry for her for being so stupid! She doesn’t know what she’s letting herself in for by encouraging her child – because that’s what he is – to drive, when it will be another 6 years before he can do so legally. And whatever the costs of running a car in 2019, he’ll still have to pay them – so the costs she has in mind can only be those associated with learning to drive! Silly woman.
The irony comes at you on several fronts, as well. Apart from charging almost three times as much as normal instructors to teach children to drive and then bleating about costs, you have to remember that it is the 17-year old petrol heads who keep having crashes who put car insurance for their age group through the roof in the first place. Insurers charge increased premiums because of that. So encouraging even more of them to get into cars a) while they’re still under age, and b) as soon as they come of age is not going to bring those premiums down.
The problem is much deeper – perfectly illustrated by the attitude of the mother mentioned above.
The best new drivers will inevitably be found among those who have to work hard to gain a licence. Those who have it handed to them on a plate – especially when they’ve been brought up to expect that plate to be brought out whenever they want something – are more likely to have the kind of attitude that will push premiums higher still.