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