It is looking like I will have to go this route for the Lad to get a Sub £1500 insurance quote on a 1.0 Polo.

Does anyone have any experience of having a Box fitted? Good or Bad

 

Cheers

No experience personally but I work in insurance. In short the telematics will look at how you drive and the insurance premiums will go up or down depending on the data. Personally, I am staying as far clear as possible but its personal choice

I have heard horror stories about Insurance companies working with Police and if the 'Black Box' omits a signal that you are speeding then a fine and points will be sent out to the insureds address. To clarify by speeding I mean 10% above the stated limit, so doing 34mph in a 30 is classed as speeding.

 

I do not work in insurance or the Police so someone better addressed can advise, but this was in the paper about 2 months ago.

 

Personally I would steer clear of them but if needs must!

My little cousin had one for 2 years. We haven't really spoken about it but she never got points and must have gone over the limit a few times. I don't thibk she was that impressed though because I think that the price can only go up if it sees youre being a knob, but cant go down if you drive well.

 

It probably varies on both the price and the police thing between companies.

The criticism has been that it's a great way to charge people more, for not having one or for their driving. 1200 on a 1.0l polo! I assume you must either;

Live in Baghdad,

Have a chequered driving history, or

Be about 12?

And I think its about £150 to have it removed as it has to be done by an insurance approved garage as it belongs to the insurance company, I would steer clear and try insurance for different cars and see if its any cheaper, clios were cheap for shelk to insure when she started driving some years ago, also look on the martin lewis website as there are some hints and tips on how to get your insurance down

Before completely ruling it out there is another consideration, most if not all new/young/inexperienced drivers will push their new found freedom as far as they can, however with the knowledge the black box is keeping an eye on what goes on it hopefully keeps the new driver under a sort of supervision.

 

As a young drivers once myself and like many here I am sure I used every bit of the power from my 1.1 litre car ( yeh pathetic I know) and put myself and others no doubt in danger as a matter of course, four up coming from college at night was a recipe for disaster, many early hours driving like I had stolen it here there and every where, only luck and nothing else kept me safe as well as the local cops who made it their job to catch every idiot young driver were I lived, we hated them but they actually did a good job!!

 

So move on 20+ years, now as a Dad my view was very different every time my kids went out in their cars, found myself shouting to take it easy just like my dad did to me, yeh till you get around the corner!!

 

Given I see young drivers now with 1.0 litre engines that are twice the power of first car I had, I really do believe we need tools to educate them about staying safe and if this is one method, then it sound good to me, rather a teenage son or daughter moaning about insurance cost than a telephone call from the cops...

 

Jeff TT

I wouldn't worry too much about ins co's telling the police you were speeding as it would probably fall in to PDA. However I would think that police (in the future somewhere) may start requesting data following accidents etc. nothing on the cards at the minute that I know of but ill find out at work next time I'm speaking to the guru's on it

I hear what your saying jeff, however these boxes could potentially effect us all. The minority ruining it for the majority again.

 

Young drivers, their insurance and the rate of accidents they are involved in is undeniably an issue. Possibly some of it is media hounding and misuse of statistics, does today's 17 year old drive worse than yesterday's? Well the cars are faster but significantly better in terms of handling and brakes and let's not forget safety features. Obviously that doesn't help pedestrians. It must also be remembered that the vast majority if accidents I see and I suspect most people see involve people between 30 and 50 that likely should know better.

 

If the vast majority of new drivers are having/causing accidents we need to asses why, they recently passed a test that said they were fit to drive...if that isn't the case, then the test or training procedure is inadequate.

 

As a young drivers once myself and like many here I am sure I used every bit of the power from my 1.1 litre car ( yeh pathetic I know) and put myself and others no doubt in danger as a matter of course, four up coming from college at night was a recipe for disaster, many early hours driving like I had stolen it here there and every where, only luck and nothing else kept me safe as well as the local cops who made it their job to catch every idiot young driver were I lived, we hated them but they actually did a good job!!

 

I concur! I was 17 and driving a 1 litre fiat uno as my first car but treated it like an uno turbo. Was playing football when I was about 18 with some folk I recognised from my area but didn't personally know, one of them introduced himself and said "you're that guy with the wee fiat that doesn't slow down for corners aren't you?"

 

Luck saw me last 4 years before my first crash and changed my driving style / attitude. I still know how to get a buzz out of driving my zed, but in a safe manner these days now that I'm part of the 30+ club.

 

You can always tell a white lie if you're arranging the insurance as well and say that you will be getting a monthly highlight report by email of top speed etc since it was your card that paid for the policy hahaha properly put the fear up the youngsters!

I am only 24 but going on 40, if I could speak to 17 yr old me I would have a word. I am an only child first of my friends to drive and my parents are not petrol heads in the least. I learned from trial and error and after a few fast and cringeworthy years I have settled into a far more mature driving style. I was no hooligan or asbo but out in the countryside on the moors was brave and ignorant..

 

If you have to fit the box and have your kid sitting at 59mph for a few years, you can go out in your zed with them as a passenger and have them appreciate what it is to enjoy driving well, fast and safely. I had 1.0 and my owm company to find it all out for myself. I would have liked some pointers, would have saved on spray paint and bodge filler :-/

Hadn't thought of it that way Jeff, great point. If i was paying circa £1500 for insurance and thought that the 'black box' could up my premium or land me in trouble with the law (or worse my Dad) then I might be inclined to behave myself behind the wheel more so than if it wasn't there. Hope if I'm a parent one day I get wise too :thumbup1:

My son took a "Young driver policy" with co-op at 18 on a fiesta 1.3. It was the cheapest policy he could find. £1390. (£100 extra to spread the cost over 12 months)

They fitted a tracking device which observed his driving behaviour.He could log on and view what was called his "dashboard" and see graphics of his driving behaviour (speed, braking force, cornering, acceleration and time of travel, mileage etc.) The policy conditions meant that he could not drive between the hours of midnight and 5am on more than two nights per week. (This is deemed as high risk periods when young drivers are more likely to have accidents)

 

During the first year he received 2 cheques for a total of £145 from Co-op insurance for "good behaviour"!

 

After the first year he was going to change insurers because the night time driving curfew limited him. However the renewal was £690 and because it was so cheap he took it.

I think this has been a factor in him being a reasonably sensible driver. I can contrast his driving style to that of his older brother who had a "traditional" insurance policy (more expensive).

I think it has more positives than negatives.

1200 on a 1.0l polo! I assume you must either;

Live in Baghdad,

Have a chequered driving history, or

Be about 12?

 

WHAT?????

 

No to all of the above.:blink: and I said 1500 not 1200 and he is 17

 

I will have to check into this more regarding the police issues, as a parent who lost an 18 year old boy due to him speeding in the wrong place I fully agree with Jeff's points.

Not for me - as I hate the idea of Big Brother watching me; and I reckon Allan's suggestion is worth a punt first.....

 

.....But, I do concur with comments from Jeff, Misty and Guinnal regarding the potential benefits for young drivers!!! Thing is, despite police and press campaigns, I reckon the standards of driving in the UK are getting worse. I am not one of those "speed kills" wombles who thinks we should all be forced to drive everywhere at 26mph; but more and more young people (especially young girls) are driving excessively fast or aggressively in urban areas and car parks - where the chances of having an accident increase significantly.

 

These inexperienced folk drive their little 1.0 cars on the limit through towns and villages; often tailgating (and even overtaking) those of us sticking to the 30 limit. We were all young once, I know; and whilst speed itself is not necessarily dangerous, excessive speed for the prevailing traffic and weather conditions is. And it is on these factors that many young drivers need educating on. So whilst I would certainly not entertain a black box - if I did have a teenage son or daughter, I'd consider having one fitted to their car..:wink:

WHAT?????

 

No to all of the above.:blink: and I said 1500 not 1200 and he is 17

 

I will have to check into this more regarding the police issues, as a parent who lost an 18 year old boy due to him speeding in the wrong place I fully agree with Jeff's points.

 

It's not your policy then? I read it as it being your policy, didn't say anything to the contrary in your first post. Guess I missed the "for the lad" bit somehow. 1200 for a 17 year old is cheap. I was being overly sarcastic when I said 12 but yeah the being young will do it. £2k for the first year is pretty average. My mrs insurance nose dived in price once she hit 21. She's 24 now and it's about 500 a year for us both on her 1.0l hatch back, adding myself as a named driver to her policy reduced it by about £200 at the beginning when it was £800 with me on it as well.

£1200-1500 is a bargain for a 17 year old, my first years insurance was £1500 6 years ago, on a 1.1 peugeot 106

 

But then the second year it pretty much halved, but most essentially it gave you your freedom, which is worth the extra money of not having a black box. There are way too many restrictions on black boxes, from not driving after 10pm, to not driving in rush hours. And I believe there are fines for driving in these times? And then there is the charge of having it installed / removed at the end of the policy.

 

Essentially I am very glad i never had a black box, and 5 years no claims later, I can easily afford insurance on a Zed :)

Ok Lots of horror stories out there from the big old interweb.

I have spoken to 4 people that have actually had them fitted now

with none of them having issues it would appear Tesco only monitor mileage

and then increase premium the following year if you have been a real nob.

2 had the the box removed had no charge after 1 year and the other 2 it is still in the car

with the insurance company saying "it's not worth the hassle of removing".

 

I still have not decided yet however managed to get a quote for a 1.2 Leon,

£1200 value

8000 miles per year

In his own name with a full licience.

Tesco Black Box = £1310

Pivelage without box =£1540.

 

We must live in a posh part of Bagdad, my daughter is 24 and pays £540 for a 225 Audi TT with me and her mum named on it.:tt2:

1.4 Leon:oops:

Jeez I will get it right

1.2 2003 Ibiza

 

Sorry I have typed that many in i am puddled.

Email through today from Tesco 1.2 Ibiza s

 

£1,197.09 With a Box, mileage only.

 

Still shopping around 6 weeks to go yet:cool2: