New Zealand drivers under 25 years old are most at risk, according to claims data from AMI Insurance.
Based on the insurer’s data, drivers under the age of 25 are 26% more likely to have an accident, compared to all other drivers. This highlights the importance of driver training and safety, awareness from all drivers on the roads, and having insurance in case of an accident.
Northland has emerged as the riskiest region for young drivers, with the average rate of claims for drivers under 25 in Northland at 25%, or six percentage points higher than the nationwide average for under 25-year-olds (19%).
The East Coast was the second-riskiest region at 22%, followed by Hawkes Bay, Waikato and Bay of Plenty (all at 21%). Auckland and Canterbury at 18% and Wellington at 17% were near the national average, while Nelson’s young drivers had the lowest rate of claims at 15%.
“There are a lot of great young drivers out there, and some excellent driver education programmes, but these statistics show that we can’t be complacent when it comes to driver safety,” said Hamish Piercy, fleet risk manager for AMI and a former officer from the New Zealand Police’s serious crash unit. “It’s an unavoidable fact that to gain experience, you have to drive, so as a society we need to look at how we can enable that in safe ways.”
To help achieve this, AMI has entered a limited-time partnership with Fleetcoach, which offers an online driver education course that eligible AMI young driver customers can complete to receive a $250 discount on their vehicle policy excess. The course focuses on three key areas – core skills, distraction and inattention, and speed.
“We’re hoping this will encourage more young people to take up insurance, and to know that we’re on their side in case things go wrong,” said Wayne Tippet, AMI executive general manager, claims. “I think it’s particularly important as we head into the summer months and road trip season.”
