What if for some reason you need to get somewhere in a hurry? I know I wouldn't give a shit about speed limits in such a situation, especially since no one obeys them anyway.
Maybe it's different in Britain though. I imagine there is less road there.
A VW Beetle is insanely expensive to insure, because every 17-year-old twat who smokes too much dope and wants to pretend it's 1967 wants one.
Buy a Volvo 340 1.7GLE and watch your fuel consumption and insurance costs plummet, and your top speed and reliability increase by about an order of magnitude.
You must be doing something wrong. That's roughly 12 times as much as the car would be worth. When I priced insuring my old one for my girlfriend to drive (main driver/owner, learner driver) it was about £300. That was last year, I don't think it would have changed that much.
Do you live in an incredibly bad area? Learners seem to be cheap-ish because they have an experienced driver with them.
Or maybe it's just your insurance company being an arse. I added my girlfriend to the insurance for my Citroën GSA (1985, 1300cc, one of only three left in Scotland) for 20 quid for the whole year. When I wanted to add her to the insurance for my Citroën CX (1988, 2200cc, a bit more common but still unusual), it was over £250, more than doubling my usual yearly insurance
17 Year Old Male - Accident Central. Sorry, but statistically 17 year old male drivers SUCK. They take WAY too many risks. Personally I'd support no licenses untill you are 21, but it will never happen (18 maybe, but past that the kids could vote agianst it).
Old VW Bug - Safety Central. No air bags, no seat belts (at least on the earlier ones, I don't know about the later ones, and you could retrofit), no anti-lock breaks, no crumple zones, etc..
If we lowered the driving age to 12, the majority of idiot drivers would be 12-15. If we raised it to 50, the worst drivers would be 50-53. Why do people ignore experience when they blame age for accidents?
I'm terrified by the suggestion that school grades could have an impact on insurance rates. Credit scores are bad enough. What's your ability to turn in paperwork got to do with your ability to watch the road, keep your tire pressure right, or anything else that actually influences safety?
Statistically people with higher grades get in fewer accidents. It's pure mathematics that cause the insurance companies to set their rates. They charge the most for the people who get in the most accidents, and the least for those who do not. It would not make sense for them to charge less for someone who causes them to shell out more money. Now, you could say that they still over-charge certain groups of people, but it would not make sense to try and get away with this for the highest-charged people.
hey, I'm 18 and I'm a good driver (I also recently got a job driving cars at a dealership) but I would be the first to concede that so many of the people my age (and especially the 16 and 17 year olds) drive like complete idiots. In fact, some of the worst drivers I know are probobly female (well one of them is technically a male but...).
It's true that I don't have the experiance mentioned by another poster (such as being rear-ended) but I love driving and I do things like say "hey its snowing" and go to
The current government has proposed exactly that i.e. raising the minimum driving age to 21. Also there are not enough people in the 18-21 age group to affect things in the vote especially as only about 10% of that age group actually bothers to vote.
(get older, FAST. If you were 25 your rates would be much lower)
Heh... funny...
Last year, I was 24, driving a K reg 1.2i (1992) Nova. £430 fully comp. This year, I'm 25, driving a K reg 1.2i (1992) Nova. £450 fully comp. Where the hell is my discount everyone speaks about? I have 7 years no claims discount, alarm, garage, etc.
My mate has a Lancia Delta Integrale Turbo, 1 year no claims, £500. Parked on street, etc. Playing about, I asked his insurance company to give me a quote for
Perhaps it is because you are on record owning a Nova. Maybe that causes a big drop in your insurance worthiness. Simply because, statistically Novas might cause large payouts because they tend to be driven by boyracers.
Worse than that, if you have an accident and it can be proven that you were doing 38 in a 30 zone, your insurance will use that as a get out clause and the police will have you in court for driving without insurance and give you a wonderful 8 points to go on your wonderful new license.
If you get those 8 points (or anything 6+) in the first few years of driving, you're banned my son.
If your MOT is out of date, your insurance isn't valid.
If you're a pre-booked only cab driver and you pick someone up that hasn't booked through the operator, your insurance is invalid.
If you're delivering pizza in your own motor, your insurance is invalid.
If you're doing a little courier work in your SDP insured car, you're not covered.
You're not covered if you've made modifications to the vehicle, even by putting bigger (safer) tyres on with your alloy wheels, upgrading the brakes or adding a roll
When I moved here from Australia, I got a quote on the car I drive back home (I was 27 at this stage and had been driving 8 years). The car I paid AUD$2,000/yr for would cost me £13,000/yr (somewhere around US$20,000) to insure.
Obviously that was just a "fuck off" quote.. but even a few years later (29 at this stage) when I was trying to insure a 15 year old 1.1 Nova, I was paying £500/yr for tpft (the car was worth £200). Now at 31, I still pay £800/yr for
The UK system is complete bollox - penalties on postcode, age, sex, occupation and the insurance companies try to get out of it irrespective. A friend of mine who works in the geek industry had trouble categorising their job - they didn't fit into any of their pre-defined categories. When asked what the consequences of being in the wrong category, the rep said "you'd be uninsured" - so the company is more than happy to take your money and give you insurance, but then when it comes to the crunch (literally)
I've been driving a 1994 Diesel Ford Fiesta now for nearly two years and I am 22, I passed my test just over two years ago. My Fiesta is in group 7 for insurance.
Insurance costs went as follows: 1st year: ~£1100 2nd year: ~£550
Next month when I renew I have been quoted £250. I will be 23 and have 2 years no claims discount.
Perhaps that Nova was a lot because Novas tend to be driven by boyracers. It is odd that you're paying so much for that BMW. I've heard
My roommate paid less than that for a '75 Chevy Nova when he was 17, and he was from a family in which all the males got lots and lots of tickets.
My '73 Karmann Ghia runs me about $65 a month for full coverage, well beyond the legal minimum. I'm a 24 year old female. It was about $75 a month when I started driving.
My '73 Karmann Ghia runs me about $65 a month for full coverage, well beyond the legal minimum. I'm a 24 year old female. It was about $75 a month when I started driving.
I think I may have found a key difference. Being female is like an automatic 50% off sale for young drivers.
No, they're absolutely right. In fact, my second car (a 2-litre 2000-reg Accord), being insured just before my 21st birthday, having held a clean license for 4 years, cost me £2300 for comprehensive insurance. That's about $4000. Many insurers simply wouldn't insure me on that car. The rates weren't much lower for my brother on a slightly older 1.6l Civic.
When I was 17/18, there's no way I could consider having my own insurance -- most young drivers in the UK are named on their parents' insurance,
When I lived in the US, when I was under 25, it cost me $2400 to insure my ten year old, low performing pickup truck for one year - liability and theft only. The limits were the minimum for Texas (i.e. $15K accidental damage, $45K personal injury). In the UK, the liability limits from the policy you quite is £millions.
And as another poster pointed out, 17 year old drivers SUCK. They think they are good but they aren't. Yes, I was the same. I lost count of how many of my friends crashed (with
Do you actually have any evidence that the insurance companies are ripping you off? Is there some reason why you might think that this extremely competitive sector is cartelling to raise the prices of your bracket and not others?
Actually, insurance companies like to have more information so that they can more precisely price each persons insurance and gain an advantage over the competition (which is, I am told, rather fierce).
Personally, (if we ignore issues of privacy for the moment), I am quite happ
What about emergencies? (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe it's different in Britain though. I imagine there is less road there.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Buy a Volvo 340 1.7GLE and watch your fuel consumption and insurance costs plummet, and your top speed and reliability increase by about an order of magnitude.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Or maybe it's just your insurance company being an arse. I added my girlfriend to the insurance for my Citroën GSA (1985, 1300cc, one of only three left in Scotland) for 20 quid for the whole year. When I wanted to add her to the insurance for my Citroën CX (1988, 2200cc, a bit more common but still unusual), it was over £250, more than doubling my usual yearly insurance
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
GPS is about the ONLY way you
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
I'm terrified by the suggestion that school grades could have an impact on insurance rates. Credit scores are bad enough. What's your ability to turn in paperwork got to do with your ability to watch the road, keep your tire pressure right, or anything else that actually influences safety?
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
It's true that I don't have the experiance mentioned by another poster (such as being rear-ended) but I love driving and I do things like say "hey its snowing" and go to
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
Heh... funny...
Last year, I was 24, driving a K reg 1.2i (1992) Nova. £430 fully comp.
This year, I'm 25, driving a K reg 1.2i (1992) Nova. £450 fully comp. Where the hell is my discount everyone speaks about? I have 7 years no claims discount, alarm, garage, etc.
My mate has a Lancia Delta Integrale Turbo, 1 year no claims, £500. Parked on street, etc. Playing about, I asked his insurance company to give me a quote for
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
If you get those 8 points (or anything 6+) in the first few years of driving, you're banned my son.
Ain't the UK great?
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
If you're a pre-booked only cab driver and you pick someone up that hasn't booked through the operator, your insurance is invalid.
If you're delivering pizza in your own motor, your insurance is invalid.
If you're doing a little courier work in your SDP insured car, you're not covered.
You're not covered if you've made modifications to the vehicle, even by putting bigger (safer) tyres on with your alloy wheels, upgrading the brakes or adding a roll
Re: (Score:1)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
When I moved here from Australia, I got a quote on the car I drive back home (I was 27 at this stage and had been driving 8 years). The car I paid AUD$2,000/yr for would cost me £13,000/yr (somewhere around US$20,000) to insure.
Obviously that was just a "fuck off" quote.. but even a few years later (29 at this stage) when I was trying to insure a 15 year old 1.1 Nova, I was paying £500/yr for tpft (the car was worth £200). Now at 31, I still pay £800/yr for
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
I've been driving a 1994 Diesel Ford Fiesta now for nearly two years and I am 22, I passed my test just over two years ago. My Fiesta is in group 7 for insurance.
Insurance costs went as follows:
1st year: ~£1100
2nd year: ~£550
Next month when I renew I have been quoted £250. I will be 23 and have 2 years no claims discount.
Perhaps that Nova was a lot because Novas tend to be driven by boyracers. It is odd that you're paying so much for that BMW. I've heard
Re: (Score:2)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
My roommate paid less than that for a '75 Chevy Nova when he was 17, and he was from a family in which all the males got lots and lots of tickets.
My '73 Karmann Ghia runs me about $65 a month for full coverage, well beyond the legal minimum. I'm a 24 year old female. It was about $75 a month when I started driving.
-Jenn
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:3, Informative)
I think I may have found a key difference. Being female is like an automatic 50% off sale for young drivers.
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
Not BS at all. (Score:2)
When I was 17/18, there's no way I could consider having my own insurance -- most young drivers in the UK are named on their parents' insurance,
Re:Not BS at all. (Score:1)
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:2)
When I lived in the US, when I was under 25, it cost me $2400 to insure my ten year old, low performing pickup truck for one year - liability and theft only. The limits were the minimum for Texas (i.e. $15K accidental damage, $45K personal injury). In the UK, the liability limits from the policy you quite is £millions.
And as another poster pointed out, 17 year old drivers SUCK. They think they are good but they aren't. Yes, I was the same. I lost count of how many of my friends crashed (with
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
This is just the initial scheme, brought in under the banner of security, for taxing our road usage rather than fuel consumption.
As Benjamin Franklin said: "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes."
Re:What about emergencies? (Score:1)
Actually, insurance companies like to have more information so that they can more precisely price each persons insurance and gain an advantage over the competition (which is, I am told, rather fierce).
Personally, (if we ignore issues of privacy for the moment), I am quite happ
Re: (Score:2)