Insurethebox: Young driver night-time ban would lead to more day accidents

Government plans for a curfew on young drivers would be “counter productive”, argues Insurethebox.

The debate over a curfew has exploded into the open once again, following the death of a young driver rushing home to beat his insurer’s curfew.

Oliver Pain and passenger, Harry Smith, were killed in Gloucestershire in November last year after Pain lost control of the car at 10.42pm – he was facing a £100 penalty if he missed the 11pm curfew, reports the Daily Mail.

The coroner said the curfew was a “very significant factor in his driving”.

Insurethebox’s data shows that the main reason 19 to 23 year olds crash is that they drive more often at night – not because they are more dangerous drivers.

The company argues that a curfew would, in fact, push up the number of accidents that occur during the day.

Insurethebox spokesperson Charlotte Halkett said: “We have dedicated a huge amount of effort to promoting safe motoring, and we believe that young people learn by experience.

“Preventing them from carrying lots of passengers of the same age really would be effective in our view. It would cut the number and severity of accidents. Banning them [from driving] at certain times, though, would be counter-productive.”