Soaring car insurance may drive over-65s off the road

ELDERLY motorists face being driven off the road by rapidly rising insurance bills, with renewal quotes jumping by hundreds of pounds.

Some have been denied insurance altogether, with premiums rising to record highs, despite being among the “safest” drivers on the road.

The problems for older drivers have emerged as insurers are to be questioned by the Commons treasury committee today.

They are expected to be asked why there have been such large rises in insurance premiums and consumer dissatisfaction, following a surge in ombudsman complaints.

There are currently a record 6.19 million people aged 70 or over who hold full driving licences in Britain, up from just under four million a decade ago.

Insurers have targeted over-65s in particular with rising quotes for car policies, which went up by 43pc in the year up to January, according to price comparison site Quotezone.

Steve Gooding, the director of the RAC Foundation, said that the higher number of older drivers on the road was responsible for pushing up premiums across the age group .

He said the “relative frailty” of older drivers means they are more likely to be seriously hurt in an accident, and once they get beyond their early 80s their risk of having a crash starts to rise again, and this is probably reflected in their insurance premiums.

A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers, a trade body, said: “Insurers are aware of the financial challenges customers are facing and are determined to keep motor insurance as competitively priced as possible.”