Glad I'm not 17 anymore

[warren t claim]

An 18 year old is now entitled to sit a full class 1 & 2 HGV course.

 

I'd of been shit dangerous driving a truck at that age, in fact I'm pretty sketchy at it now.

[jakebullet]

People of all ages just drive in a 10ft bubble, and don't look ahead at what's happening / could happen.

 

I went to asda for derv. Huge sign on the back pump, pumps 5 & 6  (the front pumps) not working. Another sign on the fence, and on pumps 5&6. So I stopped at the back and started to slowly fill up my omg planet rape 4x4. While I'm doing this 3 cars go past me and stop at the front pump. Only difference between the 1 young 'un and the 2 oldies is young 'un blezzed round fast and managed to get out of his saxo before noticing the signs. Other 2 managed to notice before opening doors.

[Barry Cade]

My daughter IS 17, and learning to drive . Theory test next week. I have said I would find a decent car for her and she takes care of the insurance ( she has a decent job)

 

Of course I set to task scouring Ebay, the Austin Metro owners club and proper Fiat Panda emporium, which was of course met with furious tutting, interspersed with a lot of sighing and some loud tapping on her phone..a full on teenage tantrum. She wants a Lupo. Scene tax-no thanks.

 

At 17 I razzed around in some pretty fancy motors. Mk2 Rs2000, Manta GTE's, Scirocco GTL.. but that's not possible nowadays. I've been getting quotes for her, and some are reasonable-ish. Peugeot 106, polo 1.0 that sort of thing. I have a problem here though. Modern cars are HUGE, and heavy. My daughter will be inexperienced and might make a mistake. The other driver may be in a ESP/DSC induced coma and just drive right through a little french shoebox. Is it really the best thing to do to get her a 5 star NCAP car and not let her drive it? Opinions are great, and I have my own, until it concerns me and mine, then the goalposts move a bit. Maybe a Landcruiser with a 6 inch chassis lift and Bull bars?

[Junkman]

Yeah, the times are over when you could get them a clapped out Ovlov 240 or Benz 200 dizzler @ 17.

However, this newfangled bargetosh is designed to do the majority of the crumpling when hitting one of those mobile recycling bins.

Just tell her to keep out of the way of my P6, since that will make minced meat out of anything getting in its trajectory.

[Junkman]

There are, however, other things that strike me as odd.

 

It hasn't been mentioned with one word, that insurance companies are nothing but legal fronts of the organised crime behind the financial oligarchy, that the premiums are totally unjustified on all levels, considering those gangsters file record profits every fiscal period and £££bumrape us all for no reason other than enabling themselves to lead the bubbly lifestyle. It would be well justified to surround the houses of the ones in charge and switch off water and electricity. The gas should be left on.

 

Today's juveniles accept all this, and many more things worthy of an uprising, as if they were axiomatic. We set the fucking country on fire for causes that affected us personally a lot less. I'm starting to sound like my father, but here is my message to the young folks:

 

Every generation has to do its own revolution!

 

And who knows, maybe a good few of us old farts will even join in.

[Spiny Norman]

Every big company makes profits of a magnitude unimaginable to Joe Bloggs, that's business and it really isn't worth losing sleep over, but my take on car insurance is a fair bit different.

 

The stats say that the 17-25 age group has a 1 in 4 likelihood of making an insurance claim in their first year of driving.

Now, given that a light tap on the bumper can cost a couple of grand to sort and severe damage is well into the thousands, to say nothing of the costs of compensation for injuries, isn't it more likely that instead of the kids being ripped off, it's really the old farts like you & me that are subsidising them by paying out a couple of hundred quid year in year out without so much as a windscreen claim?

 

Insurance is based on risk assessment and I wouldn't like to pick up the tab for when Jonny Fuckwit chucks his Corsa at a bus queue.

If there is rage to be deployed as a result of car insurance premiums going up (which they're not ATM anyway, they're coming down, even for kids) then shouldn't it be directed at the 'cartel' operations of the body repair outfits and the ambulance chasing lawyers who have cost us hundreds of millions by feeding off our own greed?

[phil_lihp]

If there is rage to be deployed as a result of car insurance premiums going up (which they're not ATM anyway, they're coming down, even for kids) then shouldn't it be directed at the 'cartel' operations of the body repair outfits and the ambulance chasing lawyers who have cost us hundreds of millions by feeding off our own greed?

 

^^ This.  Earlier this year, someone reversed into my Kia and dented the rear quarter slightly while I was in a shop, he admitted fault instantly and his insurance company were mostly excellent and sorted it out pretty quickly.  

 

However, the last 6 months have seen my phone ring daily - yes, daily - by overly friendly individuals calling about 'my accident' and being reluctant to explain who they actually work for.  It turns out to be said ambulance chasers and I am getting increasingly rude on the occasions I actually answer.  The moment they discover I wasn't inside the car when it happened, they quickly end the call as that means there's no potential injury claim.  

 

This, to me, is a huge reason for high insurance premiums, the insurers have to expect every last bump and prang to result in expensive legal costs and it's these companies that need to be dealt with.  

[brickwall]

There is big payouts too. there was one in the paper here where 2.3 million was paid out do to damage and injury. The bridge had to be partially rebuilt and a self employed guy's insurance sued the driver for loss of earnings for a year plus rehab and physio etc. He was a vet or something.

[e287yba]

^^ This.  Earlier this year, someone reversed into my Kia and dented the rear quarter slightly while I was in a shop, he admitted fault instantly and his insurance company were mostly excellent and sorted it out pretty quickly.  

 

However, the last 6 months have seen my phone ring daily - yes, daily - by overly friendly individuals calling about 'my accident' and being reluctant to explain who they actually work for.  It turns out to be said ambulance chasers and I am getting increasingly rude on the occasions I actually answer.  The moment they discover I wasn't inside the car when it happened, they quickly end the call as that means there's no potential injury claim.  

 

This, to me, is a huge reason for high insurance premiums, the insurers have to expect every last bump and prang to result in expensive legal costs and it's these companies that need to be dealt with.  

 

My wife rear-ended the barge in front at low speed on an icy road about 100 yards from our front door 4 years ago. His barge had bull bars and he never claimed; my wife claimed for the damage to the front end of the Jazz (circa 800 groats, it wasn't bad).

 

"The calls" started the day she put the car into the body shop and lasted around 3 years... Calls to both of us, as I was a named driver at the time.

 

 

There's a bloke on PistonHeads who claims to work in the insurance industry; he also claims that insurance companies and/or accident management companies selling the insureds' details to such 'solicitors'/accident management companies saves the insurance companies money because the insurance companies profit from this.

 

He seems unable to comprehend that the 'solicitor'/accident management company making a successful claim costs the insurance company significant (to you or I!) funds each time...

 

Feel free to discuss !!1!

 

 

(edit) Back on topic, I rode mopeds from when I was almost 17 for 3 1/2 years - 10,000 miles a year on average. Certifiable? Arguably yes!! But I soon learnt about grip and how it changes between wet and dry roads, the effects of rain after a dry spell, how grim ice is to try to ride on... Falling off when braking in a corner on a wet road happened farily soon . I would suggest that 12 months on a pink Honda Melody before entitlement to a provisional car licence should be compulsory...

 

(My first moped was a Honda Graduate, my second a red Honda Melody II Deluxe, then I dabbled with an unreliable MZ [pre-Simson?] S50 then a Suzuki Roadie which I rode from Brighton to Bury in 12 hours... Certifiable?? Oh YES!!)

 

My first car was a Mini Mayfair, it was paid for (£2k @ 6 years old) from my inheritance due from my father's parents, as were the lessons (a BSM crash course over 4 weeks) and insurance (£300 TPFT in 1990) and 12 months' Tax. It was a moneypit, but it handled well and I was lucky not to kill myself and others on too many occasions ! It was scrap by 1997 but I'd grown out of driving like an idiot by the time I was 26 anyway .

 

I was lucky to get my first car plus first year motoring cost free except petrol, I appreciate - but it was the moped years that got me where I am today (motoring-wide anyway )!!1!

[Partridge]

Even more so if it's a kit laden modern car which gets tapped. My Dad's OMGMPOWERTURBO BMW got it's rear bumper knocked earlier this year, and the cost to put it right was over 3k. The superfical damage was a dent in the plastic no bigger than a 20 p coin and a scratch. It could all be sorted with some filler and a rattle can and be made to look perfectly respectable.  But the parking sensors and some other gubbin I don't care to remember put the cost to repair it through the roof. It's a seven year old car next year, if it were much older I'd be suprised if they didn't try and write it off.

 

Now, given that a light tap on the bumper can cost a couple of grand to sort

[Cavcraft]

You know the 'cartel' of ambulance chasers who suddenly appear after an accident? The insurance companies sell your details on to them, so they aren't entirely blameless in all this.

I know for a fact that Direct Liars did this to me both times I was involved in an accident with their customers, even though they were at fault.

[Spiny Norman]

I get emails and texts from these chancers all the time and the last time I made any kind of insurance claim was in 2006 for a cracked windscreen.

[Barry Cade]

Well. I've just bought my daughters first car, and still a bit confused. After getting mad quotes for our Starlet, and slightly silly quotes for 1.0 Corsa's and Polo's.. her first car is a ....... VW Golf 1.4 16v. Insurance, with a black box is £864 a year fully comp? Over 300 quid less than a three pot Vaux. Has ABS, 4 airbags and a bit of grown up-ness about it. Bit tappety and a slight gearbox noise, but have a couple of months to cure all that. Near a years MOT and near 6 months tax. £350!

 

[Negative Creep]

I was going to suggest the difference is because the Corsa is the Barry Boys favourite, but the mk.4 Golf is heading that way (usually 2mm off the ground on fake Bentley wheels)

[phil_lihp]

That's one hell of a result, well done!  Insurance is a weird one, I suppose it's safe, has good residuals and a fairly staid image compared to the chav favourites.  Maybe that works in its favour, involved in less accidents per year or something statistical like that.  I have noticed a few young drivers around here in Rover 25s and 45s, possibly for the same reason.

[Partridge]

  I have noticed a few young drivers around here in Rover 25s and 45s, possibly for the same reason.

Well that's the 25 and 45 well and truly fucked.

[brickwall]

One guy from an insurance company seemed honest. He said they paid out massively for flooding over the last number of years and they just want to replenish their pot. The house always wins.

[DeeJay]

It doesn't matter how many driving tests, how stringent they are or how high the insurance is for new drivers, the scum bags will just ignore the lot.

£200 car, no tax, MOT, insurance or licence.

Get pulled by police? 

£!00 fine at 50p a week and 9 points on non existent licence.

[beko1987]

I have to say, I feel for the pisshat driver somewhat, the girl should have looked left, look right, look left again then cross. That's what I was taught.

 

And I agree with a pillars. If I drive the mErica I end up hunched up trying to look under the fucking massive lump of plastic that's in my way. Getting back in the xm is great after that!

[Cavcraft]

I don't agree with uninsured drivers, but faced with £3,000 in insurance costs, or running the risk in a £300 car with probably a maximum of £250 in fines and a ban, and you can sort of see why some people risk it.

[fordperv]

I think the skid pan training would be a good idea for New drivers, it probably wouldn't stop them driving like arseholes but it would arm them with what to do if it goes tits up, I say this because my dad used to let me drive his sierra in my early teens somewhere off road, wide open and slippery of coarse and taught me car control, mainly kicking the behind out and handling the slide, emergency braking etc I learnt a lot from him, it didn't stop me driving like an idiot at 17 but without being big headed or cocky I can say i could handle a car and knew what was safe

[Bobthebeard]

I am really glad I am not 17 any more!

 

A. I had lots of spots

B. I was a virgin

C. I had a rusty old car, no license and drove it everywhere. Often whilst pissed.

D. I had lots of spots.

E. I was a virgin.

F. I had spots and was a virgin....

[rml2345]

You know the 'cartel' of ambulance chasers who suddenly appear after an accident? The insurance companies sell your details on to them, so they aren't entirely blameless in all this.

I know for a fact that Direct Liars did this to me both times I was involved in an accident with their customers, even though they were at fault.

 

I'm absolutely convinced that my insurance company did this after the couple of prangs I had. One was no cost to the insurance company. I was TPFT and hit a wagon, the owner of which didn't claim as the wagon was fine. Started getting calls about the "Accident" and asked whether I want to make a claim. Explaining the circumstances usually shut them up.

Roll on a few years and I slide off a roundabout and write the car off. Fully comp. this time so I get a payment for more than the Yaris is worth. All seems fine until I get ambulance chasing bastards telephoning again on an own fault accident with no passengers. 

One of these days I'm going to agree to sue myself through my own insurance company with some of these shitehawks because I'm clearly a dangerous incompetent and deserve compensation for running out of skill at a crucial moment. 

That'll teach me. 

[Micrashed]

I dunno, kind of wish I was 17 again.

I could shag all night long and pretty Im sure my nob was longer back then.

These days it takes me all night to do what I used to do all night

[Guest Flynn]

The last thing we need is more red tape, especially against young adults. These articles really get my back up. Why do they think raising the driving age by one year is going to make any difference? Or stupid curfews. If anything, driver training should be taught from 16, like in the US with their "driver ed", ideally with an off road element. And then by 17 you can pass the test and get a licence, job done. End of the day I passed the IAM test and never drove like a lunatic a few years ago when I was a teenager, I was too worried about my car to risk bashing it. If someone wants to be stupid they will.

[HH-R]

I had about 24 lessons from never being in a driver's seat before and passed first time @ age 17 but I was very inexperienced and probably a bit shite. Really pleased I took the IAM course*, I think it's that and leaving a good safety gap that has stood me in good stead, even if someone is being a Chris Hunt you can usually avoid it with a gap (had two cars written off from being rear ended, but not much you can do about that).

 

*Didn't actually take the test due to unfortunate circumstances at the time but did the prep for it... meant to do it, months turned into years and it got forgotten about.

 

The recommendation is 40+ hours of tuition nowadays I think, or is it mandatory now?

[bub2006]

I only passed my test this year. Used to drive illegally when I was in my teens and should have took test years ago. I am not stupid anymore though. 28 years old,had 4 lessons. Passed theory and hazard first time as I did my driving test. Insurance still steep. Seems to be no reason behind insurance. The micra I have now costs same as my 1.4 xsara,the vectra was a fiver a month more,1 litre corsa was more than the vectra and the scenic was even more than that.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Utter wank, the only people who will benefit are the driving instructors and the government. Plus you'll end up with more unlicensed drivers.

 

You'd be better incorporating more focus on maturity and intelligence / common sense into the testing.

 

In my mind nobody learns to drive, they learn to pass the test, it's only after passing the test you truly start learning.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

When I was 17 I rode my bike like a twat and drove my car so irresponsibley I sometimes wonder why I'm not dead. I suspect it's because there was less traffic 35 years ago and my Cortina was slow and strong. Even my bike stunts only ever resulted in the occasional broken collarbone or finger.

If I was 17 now, I probably wouldn't have a bike, because they're only for middleaged blokes these days, but the fact that I could buy 130 mph bangers for a couple of hundred quid would mean much carnage and death would ensue.

My own kids all seem to have managed to avoid being tearaways and the youngest is still 17 , although she turns 18 in a couple of weeks and is already talking about a faster car now she's got a years NCB.

[HH-R]

 although she turns 18 in a couple of weeks and is already talking about a faster car now she's got a years NCB.

 

I can understand that, when I was 18 I was already dreaming of the heady heights of a Rover 45 1.4 from a 1 litre Micra. I can still remember the day I picked it up. Halcyon days.