The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is launching a groundbreaking survey in a bid to get better insurance deals for young male drivers.

The survey, for drivers aged between 17 and 21, is the brainchild of Rohan Bennett, a young advocate working at RoSPA through the Changemakers Foundation's Future Leaders programme.

Inspired by the difficulties he faced as a young driver in getting a reasonably-priced insurance deal, 20-year-old Rohan is investigating the motoring experiences of other young men, including the pricing of their car insurance and attitudes to driving.

He is seeking their views - whether they hold a provisional or full licence - through a short survey at www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngmaledrivers/. He hopes his research, titled Rohan's Offer Supports Positive Action, will enable them to access fairer insurance deals in the future.

Rohan, of West Bromwich, said: "Someone who is 24 might have had four crashes, and then when they become 25 there's a good chance their premiums will decrease.

"But as soon as I passed my test, I had to deal with high premiums even though I'd never had a crash. I've now been driving for nearly two years without crashing, but my car is costing me too much to insure - I've had to go for the cheaper option of insuring for six months at a time.

"I believe many young male drivers take care on the roads, but do not have that rewarded in fair insurance premiums because they are treated as a single group and their individual circumstances are not taken into account.


"Lots of young male drivers need a car to travel to college or work, and I'm interested to hear their views on insurance so we can make a strong case for reasonably-priced deals for young men." Insurance for young male drivers tends to be more expensive due to the particular risks faced by the group as a whole.

In 2007, 821 male drivers under the age of 20 and a further 1,025 aged 20-24 were killed or seriously injured on Britain's roads. The rate of young driver casualties is far higher than other age groups.

Results and analysis from the survey, which will be open until September 7, will be presented to insurance companies.

Rohan is RoSPA's second young advocate. The Future Leaders programme is designed for organisations which want to improve or increase the ways that they engage with young people.

RoSPA's mission is to save lives and reduce injuries.

Any donation, large or small, will help us to achieve our mission. Please click on www.rospa.com/donate

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents: Registered Charity No. 207823 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 231435. RoSPA Enterprises Limited (REL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. REL is a company registered in England and Wales 3021397.

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