17-Year Old Insurance Impossible???

vaio

I’m impressed, what does s(he) do for a living & what car does s(he) have?

thegirlintheattic

Spiderham wrote: »

And how do they cope before they pass their test?

School bus before sixth form, parents driving them around, a very dodgy public transport system. Take your pick. Most of the sixth formers in my village have to sit on a bus for an hour and a half each way to get them to sixth form, and can often be waiting more than an hour for a bus to turn up to take them home.

As for working, depending on where you work a car might be the only option.

mikey72

vaio wrote: »

I’m impressed, what does s(he) do for a living & what car does s(he) have?

She.

Full time education, just going to university this year.
The car is a classic mini, bought, taxed, mot'ed and insured by her, paid for by a paper round before school for many years, working with me over summers, and years of birthday money.

All the maintenance is done by her, I assist and point her in the right direction when she's learning.

I confess I pay the petrol for her to run it to school and back, she picks her sisters up after school for it, and saves me having to pay for an annual bus pass (that only runs to the school and back)

When she's at uni she plans to look for a job as well.

Spiderham

Clifford_Pope wrote: »

They use "Mum & Dad Taxis Unlimited".

thenudeone wrote: »

They beg their parents or spend an hour each way on two buses just to travel 10 miles!

mikey72 wrote: »

Either the don't work, or get the school bus.
Then they leave school, and get a job, which they can't then get to, or they go to sixth form, and don't get a pass for the school bus anymore, and have to find their own way there.

Fair enough though, they could all stay at home and claim off the state.

thegirlintheattic wrote: »

School bus before sixth form, parents driving them around, a very dodgy public transport system. Take your pick. Most of the sixth formers in my village have to sit on a bus for an hour and a half each way to get them to sixth form, and can often be waiting more than an hour for a bus to turn up to take them home.

As for working, depending on where you work a car might be the only option.

But how about people who leave school at 16 or haven't passed their test when they leave school at 18?

My issue has two parts, firstly people seem to think they have some inalienable right to drive a car which I disagree with. Secondly, everyone says it is impossible to operate without one, but a lot of these young people will have had to cope without and why can't they continue as they were if driving is unaffordable?

mikey72

Spiderham wrote: »

But how about people who leave school at 16 or haven't passed their test when they leave school at 18?

My issue has two parts, firstly people seem to think they have some inalienable right to drive a car which I disagree with. Secondly, everyone says it is impossible to operate without one, but a lot of these young people will have had to cope without and why can't they continue as they were if driving is unaffordable?

What about them?
They don't need a car.
Do you have one, and if you do do you know anyone else your age who hasn't?
Does that mean you don't need one, and could catch a bus?

Spiderham

mikey72 wrote: »

What about them?
They don't need a car.
Do you have one, and if you do do you know anyone else your age who hasn't?
Does that mean you don't need one, and could catch a bus?

I don't have a car, living in London it isn't that great a necessity, plus I can't justify the cost of running a car compared to benefit.
Some friends do, some don't have cars. I used to have one back in the days before I went to university (6 years ago), and paid for my own insurance, petrol etc. (Insurance was about £1,200 per year, fortunately I earned enough in my part time job in the preceding 12 months to pay it in one lump sum).

My point here is that people do need to get to work who don't drive anyway, under 17s and those who haven't passed test yet for example so surely it is possible (albeit very inconvenient). If people can't afford to run a car, they shouldn't. I don't think people have an inalienable right to have a car and if you can't afford to run it you should consider your other options.

mikey72

Spiderham wrote: »

I don't have a car, living in London it isn't that great a necessity, plus I can't justify the cost of running a car compared to benefit.
Some friends do, some don't have cars. I used to have one back in the days before I went to university (6 years ago), and paid for my own insurance, petrol etc. (Insurance was about £1,200 per year, fortunately I earned enough in my part time job in the preceding 12 months to pay it in one lump sum).

My point here is that people do need to get to work who don't drive anyway, under 17s and those who haven't passed test yet for example so surely it is possible (albeit very inconvenient). If people can't afford to run a car, they shouldn't. I don't think people have an inalienable right to have a car and if you can't afford to run it you should consider your other options.

We don't have an underground system either. It doesn't mean I think you should be able to manage without one, and you should get a job as a bar-tender or waitress at the village pub, because it 's the only job within walking distance.

I also think it's very hypercritical to argue that it's fair that people in exactly the same position as you where, should be priced out now, and should just have to live with it.
I was in the same position, I needed the car for work at that age, and I took the car onto university as well, and it was affordable then.

Spiderham

mikey72 wrote: »

We don't have an underground system either. It doesn't mean I think you should be able to manage without one, and you should get a job as a bar-tender or waitress at the village pub, because it 's the only job within walking distance.

I also think it's very hypercritical to argue that it's fair that people in exactly the same position as you where, should be priced out now, and should just have to live with it.
I was in the same position, I needed the car for work at that age, and I took the car onto university as well, and it was affordable then.

I don't think it is hypocritical, I only got a car because I could afford one. Prior to passing my test I got the bus and walked to places (this was in North West England, so bus networks weren't great). It was a pain but I dealt with it. Insurance was bloody expensive when I got it (£1500 at first, dropping to the aforementioned £1200 when I did Pass Plus). Living in South East London, we don't have an underground system, just trains and buses.

You have to live within your means. What's the alternative, insurers intentionally subsidise young drivers and people in remote areas at a massive loss? How do you decide what groups deserve reductions and which don't. It's also hard to run owing to the rules regarding competition and non-collusion in the industry. Insurers set rates according to the risk they calculate, so premiums should be representative of average risk, if they aren't it's bad for the insurer.

Hadrian

Spiderham wrote: »

But how about people who leave school at 16 or haven't passed their test when they leave school at 18?

My issue has two parts, firstly people seem to think they have some inalienable right to drive a car which I disagree with. Secondly, everyone says it is impossible to operate without one, but a lot of these young people will have had to cope without and why can't they continue as they were if driving is unaffordable?

Thankfully someone has the guts to express the opinion that it is not an unalienable right to own a car, never mind get insurance. Society these days has forgotten, if they ever knew it, the difference between WANT and NEED. I'll never forget the face my 17 year old nephew(he's 20 now and they still ask for £1450) had on when he eventually realised that insurance companys regarded him as an accident waiting to happen. Hands up all those who would comprehensably insure a 17 year old!

mikey72

Oddly enough, I sort of agree with you. I agree with the congestion charges, I think every city should have them, and all staff car parks should be made into council run pay and display.
That would reduce a lot of claims as traffic reduces dramatically.
The profits could go into subsidised public transport.