Over three quarters of 18-24 year olds admit they buckle to social pressures causing them to make decisions they later regret, new research reveals today. Furthermore, half said they would join a friendship group that was popular even though they didn’t like the people in it.

Young males are more likely to take risks

The research also exposes the difference between genders when taking risks and making poor decisions with more than twice as many young men (11%) compared to women (5%) agreeing that they took risks all the time.  The results also show that when women do take risks, they are three times as likely to regret their decision compared to men.

Attitudes towards uninsured driving

Young people’s attitudes towards risks are particularly alarming when it comes to road safety. As uninsured and ‘hit and run’ drivers kill around 120 people and injure 29,000 every year, uninsured driving is a serious issue that needs addressing.

The survey highlights the risks young people are taking when it comes to car insurance:

• 1 in 4 of  18-24 year olds admit that they have considered not taking out car insurance to save money
• A third of men aged 18-24 years state that they have not taken out car insurance to save money
• When asked if they had ever got in a car with a friend who didn’t have the correct car insurance, around double the amount of men (20%) compared to women (11%) admit that they have and regretted it

Ashton West OBE, MIB Chief Executive, says: “We want to avoid millennials regretting their decisions particularly when it comes to taking a risk on car insurance. Our aim is to get young people talking to each other about the serious issue of uninsured driving. Our new video as part of our Gone in Seconds campaign aims to get their attention and at the same time highlights one of the consequences.”

Notes to editors

Gone in Seconds campaign

The results support the launch of a new video as part of an ongoing awareness campaign called Gone in Seconds launched by MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) to tackle uninsured driving in the UK.

MIB’s new campaign film, which is an homage to the horror film genre, communicates the consequences that are associated if caught without car insurance. To watch the film, go to www.goneinseconds.org.uk

Consequences of driving uninsured

There are consequences for driving without insurance as well as keeping a car without insurance. For those caught driving without insurance the consequences include:

• seizure of the vehicle by police
• six points on their driving licence
• £300 fixed penalty fine.

Registered keepers, whose vehicle is not declared as off the road (SORN), must have insurance. Penalties under continuous insurance enforcement include:

• a fixed penalty of £100
• having the vehicle clamped, seized and destroyed
• Court prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000.

Additional poll findings

• Nearly a fifth of 18-24 year olds (17.5%) admit they make impulsive decisions even though they know it will later come back to haunt them.