LONDON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
On Monday young driver insurer ingenie pulled together a coalition of experts and high-profile individuals to call for more to be done to improve young driver road safety.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130627/625282 )
Former FIA President Max Mosley, sports presenter and father of four Gary Lineker, TV presenter Sophie Morgan who was paralysed in a car crash, broadcaster Jon Sopel, motoring journalist Quentin Willson and ingenie CEO Richard King all spoke at length about the need for more to be done, with more sensible, thoughtful proposals that embrace private sector innovation to be put forward.
This was followed by a live expert panel debate including Steve Broughton, ingenie Chairman, Andy Watson the CEO of Ageas, Bob Skerrett, Global Telematics Lead from RSA, Ian McIntosh CEO of RED Driving School, Dr Lisa Dorn a Driver Behaviour expert from Cranfield University and Adrian Walsh of RoadSafe.
The discussion came ahead of the government's green paper on young driver safety, which was due out on Tuesday June 25 but has now been postponed to the autumn.
The outcome of the event called for three broad changes, which will now be lobbied for by the high-profile group:
Car crashes remain the single bigger killer of under 30s. Speakers at the event believe that private sector innovators can play a major part in reducing the number of serious deaths and injuries that young drivers have on the road.
As an insurer that gathers data on its policyholders' driving trends using a black box, ingenie has unique insight on how young drivers really behave on our roads.
Speaking at the event, Richard King, founder and CEO of ingenie said: 'We are disappointed that the government has delayed the publication of this green paper. The issue has never been more important or topical. Split-second mistakes are causing life-changing injuries to kids on a daily basis. Car crashes are still the biggest killer of people under 30. We can, must - and have been doing something smart about it.'
Max Mosley said: "We must continue to champion the cause of road safety. If the government made black box insurance mandatory, I'd be against it on the grounds of civil liberties. But if a young person chooses to have it to prove they are a good driver and receive cheaper insurance then what is the problem? If a 17 year old drives like a 50 year old then it seems logical to me they should pay the same for their insurance, and this is what technology like ingenie allows and incentivises them to do."
Jon Sopel said: "What I've never quite understood is why, when my children were small, there was an incredible emphasis on cycling proficiency at school - but at 17 when they embarked upon the vastly more dangerous task of learning to driver - nothing."
Sophie Morgan said: "My message is really to young people themselves. I just want to say, please think about the responsibility you have to your friends - when you get in the car to drive your friends around you are taking their lives in your hands - so if you aren't thinking about yourself please, please think about them."
Gary Lineker said: "I feel passionately about helping young drivers stay safe on the road. What I've come to appreciate through my involvement with ingenie is how much parents can help get young people ready for the road. It's got to be more than just financial support through the process of learning to drive - it's got to be a team effort."
Quentin Willson said: "The young driver problem is an urgent social issue. We need a seismic change in young driver education. Technology such as ingenie, that acts as a co-pilot, can help us deliver this. We should embrace this black box technology to help young drivers improve. It is the private sector that must succeed where the government has consistently failed."
Notes to Editors
For more information and to view photos and videos from ingenie's 'Insure Safer Driving' event visit: http://www.ingenie.com/insure-safer-driving
Follow us on Twitter @ingenie
About ingenie
ingenie is a radical new way of insuring young drivers. We exclusively insure 17 to 25 year olds who often struggle to find affordable premiums elsewhere. Our policyholders join a community of young drivers who benefit from ingenie black box telematics technology that constantly assesses their driving performance.
We build a picture of a driver's individual style, awareness and safety on the road, rewarding those who drive well with cheaper insurance premiums and helping those who need improvement become safer.
Established in late 2011, ingenie offers a disruptive, fresh way of providing car insurance to young people and has quickly become a powerful digital brand in its own right.
The company counts footballer turned broadcaster Gary Lineker among its high-profile investors and ambassadors. Williams F1 is a key partner assisting in the development of telematics, high-profile brand promotion and road safety. The company is also backed by leading figures from UK business, including Sir Martin Broughton, Chairman of British Airways and Gavin Patterson, chief executive of BT Group plc.
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