New Survey by ingenie, Car Insurance Specialist for 17-25 Year Olds, Finds Attitude to Driving is a Problem for Young Drivers - But Most are Ready and Willing to Improve

LONDON, March 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

• 98% of young drivers surveyed rated themselves as good or average drivers
  • Of the young women questioned, 52% said they drive well, 59% said dad drives well, but only 48% said the same of mum
  • Of the young men questioned, 67% said they drive well, however only 64% said dad drives well, and only 39% said the same of mum
• 83% accepted their driving could be improved
• 62% agreed that gaining years of experience on the road would help them improve
• 70% of young drivers insured with ingenie have received quarterly discounts for better driving, according to ingenie customer data

It's no secret that young drivers are a high-risk group. One in five has a crash during their first 6 months on the road.

ingenie is working to change that with black box insurance that's not only cheaper but acts as a co-pilot. It accurately measures driving habits to set fairer premiums while giving young drivers the guidance and feedback they need to improve, easily available via a smartphone app.

ingenie has developed a great understanding of why young drivers have such a high number of crashes, working with Cranfield University on driving trends and driver psychology, and recently commissioning a study that polled 1,000 young drivers and parents to help understand their attitudes to the road.

ingenie's research showed that over-confidence is prevalent among young drivers, with 98% rating themselves as good or average drivers. Young females generally thought they were better drivers than mum, while young males generally thought they were better behind the wheel than both mum and dad.

But this positive perception of their own driving doesn't stack up with the high number of crashes they have, suggesting that, as well as inexperience, it's the attitude young drivers have towards the road that's behind the high number of crashes.

More encouragingly 83% of young drivers also accepted their driving could be improved and 62% agreed that gaining years of experience on the road would help them get better. This means the vast majority are willing to learn.

But not necessarily from their parents! In fact, almost a third of those surveyed believed they picked up bad habits such as speeding and even drink driving from mum and dad.

Gary Lineker, ingenie investor and ambassador, said: "Parents play an important role in defining the kind of drivers their children grow up to be. Helping them develop the right attitude to the road and setting a good example from an early age will give them the best chance of staying safe once they get behind the wheel."

Commenting on the results, Richard King, CEO and founder of ingenie said: "ingenie rates young drivers on their own merits when it comes to car insurance, but statistics show it's a combination of attitude, behaviour and inexperience that causes the high number of crashes this age group has. We're helping tackle the problem by giving young people plenty of feedback on how they're doing, reviewing their premiums every three months and automatically applying discounts for good driving.

"So far, the vast majority of young drivers insured with us have been shown to make positive improvements to their driving - 70% of our community have received a quarterly discount for better driving. After one year with ingenie, our customers' renewal premiums were on average more than 50% cheaper than their starting price. Ultimately we want to play our part in creating safer roads - not just for young drivers, but for all road users."

See the full results of the survey: http://www.ingenie.com/blog/2013/03/young-drivers-parents-survey

Notes to Editors

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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.

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