Why should someone who is say 40 get cheaper car insurance than a 17 year old?

In a perfect world they should not. Everybody should be judged as an individual, but unfortunately there isn't a way to easily do that. The reason younger drivers have to pay more is because statistics show that they are more likely to make a claim. But you are right, it is totally unfair on the responsible teenagers that are careful, they are being punished through no fault of their own. The same argument could be used against some of the elderly drivers. How many times have you seen an elderly person driving who clearly cannot drive properly, probably because they can't see and hear very well, but they probably get the cheapest insurance. But the elderly will often (not always) have accidents at low speed and the claims are for broken wing mirrors or a minor scrape. The best thing you can do as a young driver is start with a small car with a small engine and with no modifications. Each year you drive you will earn a no claims bonus and your insurance will slowly get cheaper. It's not the fairest system in the world, but every young person is in the same boat. If you want somebody to blame look towards the many young drivers who modify an old renault clio with ridiculous body kits, tinted windows, an exhaust the size of the channel tunnel and replace the back seat with a speaker. They then tear around at silly speeds thinking they are billy big bollox, there is your cause

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RE Why should someone who is say 40 get cheaper car insurance than a 17 year old?

If for instance they passed on the same day, why should a 17 year be categorised as less responsible than a 40 year old in terms of driving ability?

Particularly when chances are due to the insurance gaps and most probably the earnings of these two hypothetical people the 40 year old would be able to afford a more powerful car...

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RE Why should someone who is say 40 get cheaper car insurance than a 17 year old?

If for instance they passed on the same day, why should a 17 year be categorised as less responsible than a 40 year old in terms of driving ability? Particularly when chances are ...show more

It's statistics!............ It's MUCH more likely that a 17 year old has an accident and makes a claim than a 40 year old. You may well get a 17 year old who is a safer driver than a 40 year old but because the vast majority of 40 year-olds are safer than the vast majority of 17 year olds, then the 40 year olds will always get cheaper premiums.

Remember that it's not speed that kills, it's the collision!

Because they have stacks and stacks of data which shows that, on average, younger drivers are more likely to be involved in accidents. They don't much care for the reasoning, be it inexperience, youthful bravado, or only being able to afford lemons with no brakes. Just that according to their actuarial tables, if you're young, you're more likely to bump into stuff. It doesn't matter one jot to them that you personally might be the most careful driver in the world.

Irritating, isn't it? Until recently, I was in the same boat (25 is like this magical age at which you become responsible). Never had an accident. I like to think I'm doing my small part driving down insurance prices fractionally. :)

Because statistically a newly qualified 17 year old is more likely to cause an accident, than a newly qualified 40 year old.

That is a basic and provable fact, rather than your vague guesswork.

here's the secret: of all 17 year olds who die, 37% of them do so while driving their "new" car, having just got hold of their driving license.

Not so with 40 year olds, who (if you think about it) are the 17 year olds who 23 year prior survived and are still alive now to tell the story, they have been "selected" and "shortlisted" by life, the road, experience, chance, luck, call it what you want they made it to be mature, they are not GREEN and sitting ducks any more.

Fail.

17 y/o = immature

40 y/o = mature

Insurance rates are based on the risk and expense of paying claims. If premiums were insufficient to pay claims, the company would eventually go bankrupt.

Age is an easy attribute to measure and verify when choosing an index to risk. Attempting to reliably measure/verify ability, responsibility and other factors is much more subjective, leading to discrimination claims.

It might be because it's deemed a 40 year old has gotten over the "look at me in my brand new car" craze, and is more likely to drive slower.