Over 50s motorists hitting alongside 34pc rising inwards car insurance premiums equally their driving is "unfairly" called into question

Drivers over the historic period of fifty are beingness "unfairly punished" every bit insurers take hiked prices past times to a greater extent than than a 3rd inwards 3 years every bit experts say they are seen every bit a growing liability on the road.

Rising costs are hitting older motorists despite the near recent official information showing they are involved inwards no to a greater extent than serious route accidents than they were 10 years ago.

According to enquiry past times Consumer Intelligence, a fiscal enquiry firm, annual premiums for over 50s take risen past times 34pc over the past times 3 years.

This is about 10pc to a greater extent than than the cost rises to take hitting 25-49 twelvemonth olds, who are beingness charged 24pc to a greater extent than for automobile insurance than they were inwards 2013.

Meanwhile 21 to 24-year-olds take seen increases of merely 2.9pc, with experts proverb a rising inwards "telematics" engineering science inwards which novel drivers are fitted with dark boxes tracking their movements take helped take their costs downward every bit they take fewer accidents.

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Traffic on the M56 freeway inwards Cheshire U.K. CREDIT: AKP PHOTOS / ALAMY
Ian Hughes, primary executive of Consumer Intelligence said older drivers were beingness charged to a greater extent than because a tipping betoken where older drivers would perish a "greater liability" on the route was fast approaching.

But figures from the Department of Transport present that despite the population of older people inwards Britain increasing faster than younger historic period groups, the issue beingness killed or sustaining serious injuries every bit a issue of a route traffic accident has declined over the past times 10 years.

It likewise showed the proportion of older drivers sustaining injuries from automobile accidents has remained stable over the past times 10 years.

Ian Crowder at the AA said older drivers' abilities were beingness unfairly called into enquiry every bit a issue of a stigma about older drivers.

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He said: "Every fourth dimension an older driver does something daft, at that place are calls for bans together with retests together with then on. But inwards fact many older drivers know their limits together with they are really to a greater extent than careful on the roads than younger drivers."

Much of the cost increases take come upwards every bit a issue of rises inwards Government levies on insurance deals called "standard insurance premium tax".

In 2015 the Treasury raised the grade of the taxation from 6pc to 9.5pc, adding about £20 to the average automobile insurance premium.

The displace was highly controversial together with was labelled a “stealth tax” at the fourth dimension with experts alert insurers would purpose it every bit an excuse to brand extra profits.

Ian Hughes, primary executive of Consumer Intelligence said: "People living longer together with driving for longer is driving upwards the cost of claims.

"There are to a greater extent than incidents alongside older drivers together with the costs of those incidents are higher. "Older drivers practise do good from lower rates every bit insurers perish on to compete for this grouping which is withal less probable to claim overall than other historic period groups.

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Road incidents involving older drivers are no to a greater extent than mutual than they were 10 years agone  CREDIT: TELEGRAPH


"However, nosotros predict a tipping betoken where the over 50s, together with peculiarly the over 70s, volition perish a greater liability every bit people perish on to drive tardily inwards life together with self declare their medical fitness to practise so."

Rob Cummings, Head of Motor at the Association of British Insurers, said: “Insurers desire to offering competitively priced motor insurance to assist motorists drive for every bit long every bit they are prophylactic to practise so, peculiarly every bit our ageing population way to a greater extent than older drivers on our roads.

"Many drivers of all ages currently look upwards higher motor insurance premiums, due to insurers beingness bombarded past times higher costs, such every bit a 100pc rising inwards Insurance Premium Tax inwards piffling over a year, together with recent increases inwards whiplash way claims. The cost of comprehend for older drivers likewise reflects their higher average claim costs.”

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