Too Many Young Drivers Using Mobile Phone Behind the Wheel

According to motoring study commissioned by the car manufacturer Ford surveying young drivers aged 17 to 24, over 50% admitted using their mobile phone be texting, checking social media alerts and viewing. The survey which was conducted by Ford’s Driving Skills for Life scheme also discovered over 27% of those who took part illegally made a call by holding the mobile device to their ear instead of using the hands-free option.

Does Using My Mobile Phone Invalidate Car Insurance?

If a car accident occurred as the result of the driver illegally using their mobile phone, the subsequent claim could be rejected by the Insurer. This is not clear cut as some young driver insurance companies are more lenient than others and therefore, it pays to read your policy terms and conditions. In addition, there is the prospect of the driver being convicted as a result of the car accident and having to declare this at renewal which in most cases will increase renewal premiums considerably.

Hands Free Mobile Phone Use and the Law

As the law currently stands (July 2020), it is illegal to touch the phone whilst driving. It is permitted, if the vehicle is safely parked, however, this does apply if you are driving in traffic or stopped whilst waiting at traffic lights. In respect of hands free use, you are allowed to answer calls whilst driving so long as you are not touching the mobile phone device. The caveat to this is that the Police can still stop you if they believe you have been distracted whilst driving. Given the seriousness of this offence and several high profile cases involving motorists killing pedestrians because they were using illegally using their mobile phones, the Government increases the penalty in March 2017 to 6 points and a £200 fine.

Future Hands Free Law Changes

There is considerable unease among many road safety campaign groups and the Commons Transport Committee in respect of allowing the continuing use of hands-free mobile phones in vehicles as their view is this represents the same risk of accidents as using a hand held mobile device. In addition, some other campaigners are requesting that the law should be changed to force drivers to switch off their mobile phones completely meaning there is no distractions from text alerts, social media alerts and phone calls.

Road Safety Public Pressure

Cyclists often bear the brunt of collisions caused by reckless motorists with vigilantes such as Mike van Erp in London who claims to have caught over 358 drivers using their mobile devices illegally in one year. His most famous scalp included the celebrity Guy Ritchie as reported in this Daily Mail article complete with video of Guy Ritchie texting whilst driving in heavy traffic in London. For young drivers, they are at a slight disadvantage in that they are a generation who have grown up this technology which is second nature, however, road safety is paramount, hence is not inconceivable that the Law will be changing again in the future to prohibit further restrictions on the use of hands free mobile devices in the car.

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source https://www.coolyoungdrivers.com/too-many-young-drivers-using-mobile-phone-behind-the-wheel/

Black Box Car Insurance

Insurers offer discounts if your car is equipped with a special device known as telematics or black box car insurance. This type of car insurance is purchased by young drivers who are normally quoted very high premiums to drive their vehicles. Normally, drivers are charged a fixed premium for each mile allowed per year and a monthly fee for each mile they cover. The Black box or telematics as it is sometimes known is a technology that measures the way you drive, so the insurer can monitor your driving.

How does the Black Box Work?

A “black box” is simply a device attached to your vehicle that measures how well and safely you are driving such as speed and braking. The technology will constantly monitor how you are driving and provide data to show whether you are adhering to the insurance policy terms and conditions. Even if you rarely use your car, chances are that you will save money by opting for a black box policy, although be aware there is normally a fee payable to install the black box in your vehicle.
When you install the box in your car, it will monitor how you drive and give you reports and feedback about your ride and how you can improve it which is usually accessible via an app on your phone or logging into to the insurers website. The data collected is collected to help you in the event of an accident, just to assess your insurance risk, track the location of the car in the event of theft or manage certain claims. If the journey is consistent over a certain period of time and all the data it needs is available, you will continue to pay the quoted insurance premium.

Why is Black Box Insurance So Popular?

Higher premiums are for those drivers, who are statistically most likely to be involved in accidents. It is it fact that students and young drivers fall into this category. Black box insurance allows companies to advise a person on their real driving habits, rather than relying on statistics. The idea is that the box sends location data to a nearby satellite, allowing the insurance company to monitor how people drive and offer significant discounts on their insurance premiums. It is worth noting that you should you fall foul of what is required such as excessive speeding, the insurer has the right to cancel or amend the policy meaning you effectively pay higher premiums.

The Safety Benefits

Black box drivers tend to drive more conservatively, avoid fast acceleration wherever possible and never exceed the speed limit. You may have noticed that black box drivers put bumper stickers on their cars and inform other road users that they are not deliberately driving slowly, but only for cheap insurance. In some cases, the insurer may regulate the time you are allowed to drive eg you may be barred from driving late at night given this is a high-risk time. There is also likely be an agreed mileage limit for the duration of the insurance policy meaning you may pay a surcharge if you exceed this. There is no guarantee of course that a black box policy would be safer than a normal insurance policy, other than the incentive for policyholders to moderate their driving.

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source https://www.coolyoungdrivers.com/black-box-car-insurance/