Pressure Mounts For Mandatory Black Box Cover For Newly Qualified Motorists.

One of the UK’s major insurers is calling on the Government to consider making telematics-based “black box” insurance compulsory for young and newly qualified drivers during their first year on the road.

The proposal from Aviva follows new analysis suggesting inexperienced motorists are significantly more likely to be involved in accidents and make insurance claims than those with more driving experience. They found that 11% of drivers in their first year make a collision-related claim, compared with 5% among more experienced motorists.

The company argues that telematics insurance, which tracks driving behaviour such as speed, braking, acceleration, cornering, and mobile phone use, can help improve safety outcomes. They claim their data shows that collision claims among inexperienced drivers using telematics policies fall by nearly 50%, compared with a reduction of around 30% for those on standard insurance policies.

Owen Morris, chief executive of UK personal lines at Aviva, said: “Sadly, too many people are seriously injured or killed on our roads every year through driving inexperience and poorer driving behaviours involving young drivers. While numbers have fallen, that number is still too high, leaving families devastated at the loss of loved ones. Action needs to be taken to make our roads safer, not just for young drivers, but also for vulnerable road users and other motorists who may be involved in accidents where a younger person is driving.

By monitoring when, where and how people are driving, telematics can act as a ‘virtual coach’, providing advice on improving riskier behaviours, incentivising safer driving and helping to reduce premiums. While other measures, such as progressive licences, could improve driving in inexperienced motorists, we'd encourage the UK Government to consider making telematics policies a legal requirement for young people during their first year of driving.”

Government figures cited by Aviva show that drivers aged 17–24, while representing a small proportion of licence holders, are involved in a disproportionately high number of serious collisions. Data also indicates that thousands of people are killed or seriously injured each year in crashes involving young drivers.

Aviva also points to behavioural patterns among younger motorists, including a greater tendency towards speeding, harsh braking and other risky driving actions. The insurer says these behaviours are strongly reflected in its telematics data, with the majority of poor driving scores linked to sharp acceleration, braking and cornering. However, it also notes that more than half of drivers who initially receive low scores improve over time after receiving personalised feedback through telematics systems.

A separate survey cited by the company suggests broad public support for the idea, with a majority of respondents backing mandatory black box insurance for new drivers, including a significant proportion of young motorists themselves.