Car Insurance by the mile

[kwicky]

Why don't the insurance companies cater for the pensioners? Their group drive the fewest miles and would benefit greatly.

[homer75]

Although they drive fewer miles they tend to be fairly high risk whilst driving them due to failing reflexes, eyesight, hearing and general debility. If anything, I'm surprised the premiums don't rise steeply with advancing years.

[flip-flop]

Absolutely - given the choice of being driven by a 20 year old or a 70 year old, the 20 year old would get my vote every time.

Whenever I see an old Nissan or a Volvo 340 and the driver is wearing a hat, I give them a very wide berth - especially if I'm on my push bike.

[jake-the-peg]

The statistics don't quite bear flip-flop out but close

When you adjust for the miles a year they drive and you adjust for the population of that agegroup holding a licence what you actually find is the most risky groups are women over 70

These are closely followed by men under 20

Men over 70 are actually pretty good - better than all groups of men and women under 40.

In fact women in this age group are 4 times more risky than the men

Of course retired people tend to drive less which is why they tend to be involved in less overall accidents as a fraction of the population.

The data comes from this report which was 1996 and 7 but I doubt there's been much change

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_mobi lity/documents/page/dft_mobility_030414-03.hcs p

[furrycheeky]

The other fact that seems to give the over 60s a good driving rating is the fact many have thier car repared without claim. I work in a garage and at least 3 times this year we have had repairs to both cars in a collision, where the elderly driver at fault took the repair bill without claiming on insurance.
I too would rather be driven by a 20 year old than a 65 year old.

[Toureman]

They do cater for pensioners. I am one, My Kawasaki costs me �70 a year to insure, it would cost �700 for someone under 20. And at least �300 for a 35 year old.

I am sure the insurance companies don't think I am "high risk"

Driving a motorbike I would not last long with slow reflexes.

I always give the prats on cycles a wide birth.

I have never made a claim on my car or M/Bike insurance.

Good answer JAKE.

[clancyblob]

Norwich Union are about to bring in a system where you pay your insurance by the mile, and by the time of day, and type of driver. They fit some sort of black box under the boot lid, and then bill you regularly accordingly, a sort of pay-as-you-go. A 17 year-old at chucking-out time in town would pay much much more per mile than if he /she were driving in the day in the country. I guess the insurance companies have enough statistics to work out which times of day and locations are riskiest for the particular group. An old gent doing 20 miles a week would therefore pay a lot less than high miles/high risk drivers.

[kwicky]

clancyblob Norwich Union is the one I am referring to. If you look on their web site there is a cut off point above 70 and these are not catered for. Another company the cut off point is 65.