Posts tagged elderly drivers insurance
Insurance for Older Women
Feb 11th
There have been a spate of articles recently about insurance for older people, and especially older women. This is an area that is a minefield of prejudice and conflicting opinion.
And whilst there is no doubt that the riskiest group of drivers on the road are the young, it is also true to say that elderly people pose a statistically higher risk to insurance companies than those in their middle age. They are, though, categorically much less dangerous than young drivers, and given this, it is surprising how hard it can be for older drivers to arrange insurance.
Many companies appear to be fearful of health-related issues causing accidents, and there are a number of other factors that appear to be at work. Premiums can be pushed up for all older drivers as slowly worsening reactions and the onset of old age result in, usually minor, bumps and knocks. But premiums shoot up faster for women.
Why is this? In many cases women suddenly take up the majority of driving after years of occasional use, when they lose their partner, or if he suffers health issues. Ladies also have longer lifespan and better health on average are also more likely to have a part time job, volunteer and socialise, which puts them on the road more.
All of this, though, should not stop an older driver from obtaining a competitive insurance quote, and although reports suggest that many mainstream companies are not offering insurance to over 80s, or even over-65 year-olds, there are competitive quotes available and we are able to offer and older drivers insurance quote for as long as you are able to safely drive.
And though younger drivers are much riskier, the unfair stereotypes of older drivers and women drivers being dangerous persist. Don’t look now, but, I think I’ve found the culprit:
All that Thai Jazz
Jan 29th
The Honda Jazz is one of the most popular small(ish) cars in the UK, and is particularly well-loved by one particular segment of the population.
So much so, that in a few short years the Jazz has become the archetypal carriage of people of a certain age. This has even baffled Honda – reputedly Toshiyuki Harada, one of their top executives came to Europe on a factfinding mission. As he was cruising down the M4, he was not overly surprised to see a Jazz screaming past him, like the proverbial bat out of hell. He was surprised to see that its sole occupant was an elderly woman.
In the rest of the world the Jazz is seen as a young person’s car, but Honda seem to have grudgingly accepted that its niche in the UK is as a versatile car for the baby boomers, as evidenced by the Honda UK website which emphasises ‘versatility, flexibility and adaptability’ (er, hang on, aren’t they all the same thing?) as well as the impressive safety credentials.
Compare that to Honda’s Thai site, which, by contrast, extols quite different virtues:
Life is colorful. Make up your world with powerful i-VTEC engine 1.5 litre, 120 PS, green power that is compatible to E20.
Feel sporty in every movement with 5 speed automatic transmission and Paddle Shift control.
Fascinate your world by designing and adjusting your Ultra Seat in various modes. Lets go! Your lifestyle is out there. Feel it! I’m So Jazz!
In Thailand the Jazz is the car for the young guy or girl about town, and the Honda Jazz Club of Thailand is one of the biggest automotive websites in the country with over 25,000 members posting from the comfort of their Ultra Seats.
And they modify them…
Boy, do they modify them…
Luckily, whether you want Honda Jazz insurance for older drivers, or modified car insurance for your Jazz, Adrian Flux can help. We’re So Jazz!
Pimp my Golf (Cart)
Oct 16th
Wired.com has a great podcast today covering elderly residents of Florida who have combined their passion for classic cars with their love of a spoilt walk. These geriatric motor fans have had their golf carts tricked out to look like their favourite historic automobiles.
Many of these carts have had seatbelts, wipers and other safety features added to make them street legal, and in theory there’s nothing to stop anyone in this country doing the same (but if your grandad wants to do it, he’ll want some custom car insurance from a company that offers affordable insurance for mature drivers).
There’s not really much I can add other than to exhort you to check out the photo-gallery…
What old people do for fun.
Apr 5th
Amid all the bad press that younger drivers get and the column inches filled with their problems getting car insurance, it’s easy to forget that elderly drivers often have trouble getting cover at a reasonable rate. It seems as though some insurance companies decide that any driver over ‘a certain age’ is a danger to the bottom line, despite the fact that everyone knows older drivers tend to drive safely and sedately for the most part.
Well, Adrian Flux can find older drivers insurance policies that offer a high level of cover, but don’t punish you for being mature in years.
Just as long as they don’t make a habit of doing this…