Awwww poor Luke

He's really had his nose point out of joint tonight.

He's working hard and saving for his first car,buying it isn't the issue,it's insuring it that a problem.
He's looking at a cost of between £1800 - £2500
To add him on my car it's going to cost around £2000

Anyway Lizzie comes back tonight and announces that her b/f now has a car His parents have brought it for him for his 17th birthday in december, and they are going to insure it for him too,but his Mum has apparently warned him any showing off and we will take the keys back

Luke hasn't said much but it has wound him up a tad,poor kid,O/H has said he will appreciate it more because he's had to work hard to get his car and insure it.

I agree, I had to buy and insure my own first car (which cost more than the car was worth at the time).

I really appreciated it far more than I would have if my folks had bought it for me. He's far more likely to look after it, knowing he is having to pay for any damage.

When Pats son had his first car he came asking his dad to insure him, Pat said No, because if you have to save and do it you'll take better care when your driving....and it worked

Its an expense though isn't it

I saved really hard for my first car, but my parents bought my YOUNGER [!!!} brother a car before I was 17..I was a bit miffed but carried on saving, when one day we were out shopping and pulled into a car garage and my dad said, which car do you like...and bought me my first car a litte fiesta..I would never of been able to afford it myself as it was only about 18months old, but dad said he wanted to be sure I was driving something safe
I was over the moon, and the money I saved up was enough for my insurance so it was great

The price of insurance for young drivers really shocked me. What shocked me more was that the boys insurance is so much more than the girls!

I spoke to our brokers last week, and he said it was high because according to the stats,they are a 90% risk of having an accident in the first 12 months of driving and 60% chance of causing injury even death on the roads,so they want the young drivers off the roads,hence why the insurance is so expensive.

On the way back from picking him up from work last friday,we did come accross the typical boy racers,four young lads in the car and the driver,all acting like idiots and he was revving hell out of the car while waiting for the lights to change,I said to Luke there you go that is a typical example of why your insurance is so expensive.

Some of Luke's old school friends are driving and he has been offered lifts by them and he won't get in the car with them because they drive like idiots,so at least he does have some common sense and respect for other road users.

I'm 22 and have had a license since just before I turned 18 yet I am still waiting to get my first car! I could afford to buy a cheap 2nd hand car but then wouldn't be able to run it, insure it, tax it, MOT it, pay for any (probably inevitable) bumps so I've just not bothered yet!

My parents can't afford to buy it all for me like many of my friends parents can (some of them even have personalised number plates!) but it doesn't bother me anymore. I know that my first car is going to be extra special because I have bought it myself because I can afford it!

So I know exactly how Luke must be feeling right now, but in the long run, the car will mean more to him than his friends cars probably mean to them because it will be completely his

S xoxox

There is a an insurance I heard of that is insure as you drive sort of thing which is you don;t drive between certain hours ie after certain time of night that may be cheaper. Can't help with links or any more info but may help.

And I agree work and save and you look after it, get it given and it can be misused.

have you tried a company called I Kube? It's specifically for young drivers.
When my son passed last year at 18 he went with them as we found nothing cheaper than £1800 with other companies (some as much as 3k) even for his little 1 litre corsa.
They fit a tracker on the car & they can't use the car between 11pm & 5am (as that's when most accidents are caused) and as I said to my Luke - if you are out after 11pm - chances are you will be having a drink!
The cost for him with the tracker, fully comp & with a waiver on the excess fee was £950!
If you do use the car after 11pm you are charged a one off fee for that night of £45.

Well worth it I think - and much less of a worry as a parent thinking of them out driving at night!

Sal, yes I do feel sorry for Luke, but the statistics the insurance companies use are not fiction they are real life fact. When I was his age I also faced paying more for my insurance but the excess was nothing like as high as it is now and that was partly because there were far fewer young male car owners then.

As others have said I'm sure he'll appreciate it much more when he can eventually get a car and if he's seen or heard about some young male drivers who've been in accidents (And he will see or hear about such) then that will make him more careful and hopefully prevent him from ending up in the same way.