Aviva has defended giving a 19-year-old driver a telematics based car insurance quote of £11,500 a year.
Naomi Bowler who has only been driving since December told the Daily Mail that the quote was almost six times as much as what she paid for her car.
But the insurer said that premiums were generally higher for younger drivers and that a new driver would pay more than an experienced driver regardless of claims.
An Aviva spokesperson added: “It’s a sad fact that young drivers are much more likely to be involved in a serious accident, often involving multiple passengers, and it is the cost of handling these claims, not the car itself, which is responsible for the majority of the cost of motor insurance faced by young drivers.
“There are specialist insurers in the market who offer insurance specifically for young drivers using telematics technology, which help to monitor driving behaviour, and young drivers may find these companies more competitive in their first years of driving.”
Drivers aged 17 to 19 make up only 1.5% of UK license holders but are involved in 12% of fatal and serious crashes, according to road safety charity Brake.
Almost a quarter (23%) of 18-24 year olds crash within two years of passing their driving test.
Young drivers are also more likely to be involved in fatal accidents at night time.
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