New driver news - Car insurance for young drivers and latest fatality data

Car insurance news - Motoring groups concerned by rise in road deaths

Although being involved in a crash can increase the price of a road user's car insurance, for young drivers and experienced motorists alike it is the more serious risk of injury or death which should deter them from reckless behaviour behind the wheel.

Worryingly, provisional figures for the number of road deaths in the first half of 2011, announced by the Department for Transport, show a 6.7% increase when compared with fatalities recorded at the same time last year.

The data was collected from January to June 2011, and has been compared with the same months in 2010. The statistics include accidents involving new drivers and more experienced motorists of all ages throughout the whole of the UK.

Understandably, road safety organisations and motoring groups are troubled by the rise in fatalities. The AA's head of road safety stated, "I am alarmed about this upward turn. It seems that cuts to road maintenance and road safety budgets and to traffic policing are beginning to bite."

Road safety minister Mike Penning did not seem quite as concerned, saying, "The number of people killed and injured on the roads in 2010 was particularly low and the most recent quarterly figures reflect the general downward trend of the last few years.

However, he added, "Any fatality is a tragedy and reducing road deaths remains a top priority for us. That is why we are taking forward measures to crack down on the most dangerous drivers while improving the driver training and testing process to make our roads safer for everyone."

One such driver training scheme, Pass Plus, aims to teach motorists the skills needed to drive safely in various challenging highway circumstances such as on motorways and in poor weather conditions.

Driver training schemes like Pass Plus should not only reduce the risk of suffering a crash, but can also help motorists receive cheaper car insurance. For young drivers who often struggle to find a good quote, extra courses after passing their practical driving test could be particularly useful.