In this day and age, when everything from applying for a passport to ordering your weekly supermarket shopping can be done online, it has become an increasing source of frustration for motorists to learn that their car insurance documents still have to be sent by post. The unreliability of our postal system, particularly during strikes such as the one last year, has caused problems for many.

Now, after five years of discussions and negotiations, electronic delivery of insurance certificates is about to become a reality. The necessary Order was laid before Parliament on March 30th and the change in legislation will be finalised on April 20th.

At the heart of the protracted consultation period were concerns surrounding security but these have been addressed in a variety of ways, meaning that motorists can rest assured that the scope for fraud and identity theft has been minimised.

Insurance certificates will be delivered either by email attachment or by the motorist logging on to a password-protected account where the certificate can be retrieved and printed out if required. The only situations in which the certificate has to be produced physically are when buying a new car or when purchasing road tax at the Post Office. For motorists who do not have the internet, insurance companies will still deliver the certificate by post.

Not only will motorists benefit from the new system’s convenience but the industry will save over £10 million in printing and postage costs and the environment will of course benefit from the reduction in carbon emissions.

After carrying out research into over one million car insurance customers on its books, the AA has revealed that male drivers are one-and-a-half times more likely to possess a driving conviction than female drivers.

Overall, the research revealed that 18% of motorists have at least one driving conviction, with 4% possessing two or more. This shows a large increase since the last time the survey was carried out 10 years ago, when the total figure was 14%.

One reason for this could be the proliferation of speed cameras in recent years, which have led to many more people getting a conviction for speeding. Indeed, of all the convictions, 85% are for speeding offences. In contrast, the second-highest offence, skipping traffic lights, makes up just 9% of the total convictions.

Further down the list, drink-driving makes up 2% of convictions, with men more than twice as likely to have a drink-driving conviction than women. Bottom of the list are driving without insurance and driving using a mobile phone.

The research also revealed that younger drivers are more likely to have a conviction than older drivers. In the 25-34 age group for male drivers, 23.4% have at least one driving conviction.

In terms of the country as a whole, Northern Ireland saw the lowest level of drivers with convictions, with only 9% of men and 6% of women holding a conviction. The highest rate was in the Midlands, where 31.5% of men and 16.6% of women have a driving conviction to their name.

The latest research from Aviva has shown that young learners who spend time behind the wheel with their parents as well as in paid driving lessons are more likely to pass their test on the first attempt and less likely to suffer an accident in their first year of driving.

Aviva stated that their research shows that aided drivers were 17% more likely to pass their test on the first attempt, whereas in contrast, 50% of unaided drivers required four or more attempts to pass their test. More startling were the findings which showed that over 25% of unaided drivers were likely to suffer a crash during their first year of driving.

The cost of insurance for young drivers is usually sky-high, due to the anticipated risk of insuring them. The research would suggest that those learners aided by their parents will be subject to proportionately lower costs in terms of multiple tests, high insurance premiums and repair bills.

Despite the clear advantages of parental experience Aviva has also warned that parents must be careful not to pass on their bad habits. The most common instances were improper use of the steering wheel: either incorrect hand positions on the steering wheel (33%) or, just as commonly, steering with one hand on the wheel (32%). Other examples of bad practice included looking over the shoulder instead of using mirrors (19%) and being abusive to other road users (16%).

Nigel Bartram, Aviva motoring expert was quick to point out the influence that parents could have on their children’s driving. He stated in particular the importance of taking driving seriously, pointing out that children learn from their parents’ actions as well as the style in which they drive. It is therefore necessary that parents, “set a good example at all times.”

In light of these findings, Aviva has published a guide entitled “Road to Success” which offers advice for parents in helping their teenagers prepare for life on the roads. If anything this research has certainly shown that, for parents, it pays (and handsomely) to take the time and effort to help their child learn to drive.

The guide, “Road to Success” can be found here.