Car insurance news
Overcrowding puts cheap car insurance at risk, warn insurers
Young drivers are having too hard a time finding a cheap car insurance deal and as a result are overcrowding their vehicles, Direct Line have announced.
In a survey carried out by the cheap car insurance company, it was found that 20% of young people feel forced to let some of their friends join them in their car, even if this involved exceeding the maximum number of seats. They found 20,000 of young drivers had to share a car, many doing so because of the high cost of motoring.
Emma Hoyler from Direct Line commented, "With fewer first time drivers owning their own car there can be increased pressure on those with one to drive all their friends around.
"We're calling on all drivers and especially young drivers to avoid overcrowding and ensure all passengers are wearing seatbelts at all times."
There are several consequences of overcrowding a car which can contribute to increased chance of accident and injury. Having a fully loaded car will cause weight and balance issues and may result in the driver losing control, especially if travelling fast.
The additional problems brought by peer pressure and messing around in the car can cause the young driver to stop concentrating on the road, thus increasing the likelihood of an accident. This was supported by the findings in the study, which show that 40% of those surveyed reported they had nearly had an accident after being distracted by people and objects within the car.
A spokesman for Duck2water Car Insurance Services, a motor insurance company, said, "Overcrowding isn't worth it. If you get in an accident that is your fault, as well as risking harm coming to you and your friends, you may well lose your cheap car insurance premium."