The Association of British Insurers (ABI) want restrictions imposed on Britons teenagers with respect to the amount of passengers they are able to carry six months after passing their test.

Reports are circulating stating that teenage drivers are at an increased risk of being involved in an accident the more people they have riding along in the car with them.

The ABI have released statistics showing 286 youths between 16-19 were killed whilst driving or being driven by friends. The figures show a 39% increased risk of accidents for one passenger in the car, 85% higher with two passengers and remarkably 182% higher when the car is fully stocked.

To bypass this critical time period, the ABI is urging the government to place restrictions on young drivers concentrating on the amount of passengers allowed in the car to just one passenger. They speculate that an introduction of this rule would save just under 300 lives every year.

Signs

A spokesperson for no claims discount commented, "one of the first things to watch out for is a car crammed with passengers, especially teenage ones. As well as distracting the driver teenage passengers may also encourage him/her to take unnecessary risks. Another factor to be aware of is whether someone has enough experience to cope with certain driving conditions. Driving on an unknown route, for example, may test an inexperienced driver's capabilities.

"Personality is another variable and perhaps the most crucial. Put simply, if the driver is young and impetuous and has a reputation for taking risks it might be better to avoid getting in a car with them!" they added.

Premiums

Any such accident, young driver or not, will result in a significant rise in car insurance premiums which seems to be the natural order of events for the past year. This has been reiterated following research comments from uSwitch and Sheilas' stating a slow economy and tighter budgets has forced their hand to some respect with regards to rising premiums.

Throwing their opinions into the already crowded ring the AA has reiterated most drivers’ fears of rising insurance. Latest reports show a 2% increase already this year with more probably planned. The average premium now costs £486 for comprehensive cover to the average driver.

A spokesperson for no claims discount went on to state however, "although car insurance premiums may be on the increase, overall premium changes will be different among various consumer demographics. For instance, both the AA and Yahoo! UK Finance note that the largest increases are expected to be among young drivers, who still cause a disproportionate number of accidents. Experienced and mature drivers with impeccable driving histories may be able to avoid these premium increases."