Cll launches telematics consultation after coroner raises concerns over young driver safety

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has launched a national consultation into the use of telematics and the role insurers can play in improving road safety for young drivers.

The consultation follows a report from the Coroner’s Office of Coventry and Warwickshire into the deaths of Harry Purcell and Matilda Seccombe, who were killed in a crash involving a 17-year-old driver later convicted of causing death by careless driving.

The coroner identified the CII as being well placed to convene the insurance profession and explore how insurers could contribute more effectively to improving driving behaviours among younger motorists, particularly through telematics technology.

The consultation will gather views from insurers, stakeholders and public interest groups on how telematics products are currently used, how clearly they are explained to consumers and whether the sector could do more to support safer driving outcomes.

The move comes against a backdrop of persistent concern around accident rates involving newly qualified drivers.

According to figures cited by the CII, around one in five drivers are involved in a collision within a year of passing their driving test, while younger motorists are disproportionately linked to speed-related crashes.

Safety focus

Telematics products, often used to monitor driving behaviours such as speed, braking and mileage, have become increasingly prominent within the motor insurance market as insurers look to encourage safer driving and offer lower premiums to younger customers.

The coroner’s report, however, raised concerns around inconsistencies in how telematics is applied across the market and whether its safety benefits are communicated effectively to drivers and parents.

Matthew Hill, chief executive at the CII, said: “We welcome the Coroner’s recognition of the role the CII can play in bringing together interested parties to contribute to improving road safety.”

Hill added that the consultation represented “an important step” in understanding how the profession could help improve road safety.

“We will enlist support from our members, the wider sector and other stakeholders to make a demonstrable difference and save lives,” he said.