| They are tiny bikes that reach great speeds and | | | | offence it is going to make a massive difference." |
| make a lot of noise. But police have had enough | | | | She says for example of how prosecutions can |
| of youths creating havoc on mini-motorbikes and | | | | drive up premiums, take an 18-year-old boy living |
| now have powers to seize the annoying and | | | | in Hove, East Essex. The youth drives a 2001 |
| sometimes dangerous toys. | | | | Ford Fiesta car. He has been prosecuted for |
| What's more, if children are riding these miniature | | | | dangerous driving and has only had his driver's |
| vehicles on the pavement or road, they face | | | | licence for a short time. To obtain fully |
| prosecution just like adults. Any penalty points | | | | comprehensive cover under a Direct Line |
| handed out by the court will be kept on file and | | | | insurance policy he would pay annual premiums of |
| activated as soon as they are old enough to | | | | £2473.80. Without the conviction the price |
| apply for a driver's licence. | | | | would be £1908.90. |
| For those who have penalty points, it becomes | | | | What is interesting about this is that if you take a |
| increasingly expensive to gain car insurance. And | | | | female of the same age, driving the same car |
| with respect to mini-motorbikes, you could have a | | | | and from the same area, she would pay just |
| situation where children have been prosecuted for | | | | £1218 without a conviction and £1576.05 |
| dangerous driving on these vehicles and then | | | | if she had a driving conviction. So she would in |
| struggle to find an insurance company willing to | | | | fact pay less for insurance even with a conviction |
| offer them a policy to insure their car once they | | | | than a male her age without one. Why the |
| are at the age of 17 and have passed their | | | | difference in price between young men and |
| driver's licence. The best case scenario is probably | | | | women? The spokeswoman says that it is |
| going to be that their premiums are sky high. | | | | because statistics show that one in three young |
| A spokeswoman for Direct Line Insurance says | | | | men have a serious accident within their first year |
| mini-motorbikes are now being treated as road | | | | of driving. |
| vehicles and drivers of them have to abide by all | | | | A spokeswoman at the Association of British |
| the same traffic rules as anyone else. But while | | | | Insurers says the chances are if you have been |
| police can now prosecute youths on | | | | caught speeding on a motor bike you are going to |
| mini-motorbikes, they are not entirely sure yet | | | | be more at risk behind the wheel of a car than |
| what the nuisance makers will be prosecuted with. | | | | others. It's a known fact that young men are the |
| "You could get prosecuted for uninsured driving, | | | | most at risk of having a car accident, which is |
| paying no road tax or driving without a licence," | | | | why they pay so much more for their car |
| she says. | | | | insurance. |
| She also points out that just how high insurance | | | | "I think they make up 3% of the driving |
| premiums will be for those with mini-motorbike | | | | population but account for over 30% of all of the |
| offences will depend on what police prosecute the | | | | driving convictions. It depends on the insurance |
| offenders with. "It depends on what the points | | | | company, but we (the insurance industry) insure |
| are for...For a speeding offence it is not going to | | | | on risk and therefore we calculate our premiums |
| make a big difference, but for a drink driving | | | | accordingly. |