UNFORTUNATELY, young drivers tend to pay over-the-odds for car insurance because of the boy-racer stereotype that precedes them.
No matter how conscientious you are as a young person, all that the insurer cares about is your age, and therefore; experience.
Car insurance premiums have soared for everyone this year, but the young have been hit particularly badly, it appears.
Commenting on the recent AA British Premium Index figures, AA Director Simon Douglas said: “The biggest premium increases are reserved for customers buying TPFT cover, typically bought by young drivers buying cheaper, older cars.”
With that in mind, here are some ‘do’s and don’ts’ to make sure you get the right coverage at the best price possible.
1. Don’t perpetuate the stereotype! By this we mean don’t go for turbo-charged, fuel-injected cars with garish spoilers and alloy wheels, at least for the first two years after passing your test. Instead, aim to drive a car that has a small engine, or is in the lowest possible insurance group – it might not seem as cool to you at the time, but that souped-up Saxo you’ve got your eye on probably won’t seem as cool when you’re looking back in ten years’ time!
2. Don’t commit fraud: If you will be the main driver and/or registered keeper of the car you are insuring, never insure it in your parents’ name and put yourself down as a named driver. This common practice is known as “fronting” and in the event of an accident it could mean the claim is not paid. Worse still, you could be charged with driving without insurance, which won’t help your premiums in the long run.
3. Do your homework: Use the web and see what you can get for your money. Check out the big price-comparison sites like MoneySupermaket and GoCompare, but remember that insurers like Aviva are not on them. Also there are hundreds of articles like this one with tips on how to lower your car insurance premiums, do some reading and see if any of them work.
4. Do compare coverage: Assess the cost of third party, fire and theft (TPFT) cover against a fully-comprehensive policy. It may be cheaper to take out a TPFT policy but this isn’t always the case, as we saw in the latest AA British Premium Index, and you may be able to get better coverage at a similar price.
5. Do ask about the excess: Find out if you can get a cheaper quote if you accept a larger voluntary excess. This is the amount you would pay in the event of a claim before your insurer we pay up. Generally the more excess you are willing to pay, the cheaper the premium will be (although research suggests this isn’t always the case.) You should also be realistic about how much you could genuinely afford to pay in excess charges in the event of a claim.
6. Do prove you are a conscientious driver: Completing a Pass Plus course, which teaches new drivers extra skills such as; driving at night, driving in inclement weather and city driving, will show you are mindful of being a safe driver, and insurers recognise this in your premium.

From edo Competition have decided that the Aston Martin DBS is still much to be desired in terms of dynamism and power, and therefore have developed a tuning package for the model. German experts have stressed primarily not the mechanics of cars, except make 21-inch wheels and interior, which can be made according to personal preferences of the client or remain unchanged. The standard 6.0-liter V12 engine has received more 33 h.p. as its power has already reached 550 h.p. and its maximum torque increased from 570 to 600 Nm. With the additional power the car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h for 4.1 sec and can develope to 320 km/h. To achieve this performance, engineers have modified the edo Competition ECU-it, have made use of new exhaust system, the sound is controlled remotely, and replace air filters. Aston Martin DBS is also equipped with adjustable sports suspension and brakes super-powerful who are 6-stroke calipers, 405 mm front discs and 380 mm back.
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At the end of last week by Aston Martin spread information about the new special versions of the Carbon Black models and DBS V12 Vantage. They are characterized by a special color and less weight than standard models and will appear in the showroom of the company in March. Special form of the name derives not from the presence of carbon elements in some parts of the exterior and the name of their color – Carbon Black, whose application to the body takes about 50 hours of human labor. The seats of both cars are made of carbon fiber and Kevlar, which are due by 17 kilograms. lighter than standard. They are dressed in black leather and nappa leather, embroidered with gray thread. V12 Vantage Carbon Black has a 700-watt audio system company, where she DBS Carbon Black is Bang & Olufsen. Under the covers of both machines is a standard 6.0-liter V12 engine with a power 510 h.p. at 6 500 rev/min. and a maximum torque of 570 Nm, at 5 750 rev/min. “Carbon fiber” DBS accelerates from 0-100 km/h for 4.2 sec. a special V12 Vantage – with 0.1 sec slower.
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