The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) has issued a formal response to a Regulation 28 Report to Prevent Future Deaths from the Coroner’s Office of Coventry and Warwickshire, outlining steps to improve industry practice around young driver safety.
In a statement, the professional body expressed “deep condolences” to the families of Harry Purcell and Matilda (Tilly) Seccombe and said it remained committed to working with insurers and other stakeholders to help prevent similar incidents.
The response follows an inquest into a collision that killed three teenagers. The coroner’s report identified two principal areas of concern. These included a lack of consistent industry practice in identifying potential misuse of named driver arrangements, known as ‘fronting’, where a young driver may be the main user of a vehicle but is insured only as a named driver. It also highlighted a lack of a uniform approach to how telematics products are applied and communicated to young drivers and their families.
In response, the CII said it would begin a coordinated programme of engagement and guidance development aimed at raising standards and improving consistency across the sector.
As part of that work, the organisation will write to all general insurance firms holding Corporate Chartered status to draw attention to the Regulation 28 findings. It also plans to work with insurers, trade associations, road safety groups, driver training bodies, consumer groups, and the Financial Conduct Authority to encourage higher prioritisation of young drivers as potentially vulnerable customers.
The CII said the engagement would seek greater consistency in identifying misuse of named driver arrangements, in promoting telematics to younger motorists and in applying good practice to the use of telematics data.
The body will also develop guidance to identify effective methods for influencing behavioural change among younger drivers and to outline operational processes for proactive risk management, including how data can be collected, interpreted, and acted upon.
A four-month consultation period will run until June 2026, with final guidance scheduled for publication by the end of 2026.
According to background information provided by the CII, around 1.66m telematics policies were in force in 2022. Over a similar 20-year period ending in 2024, killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties involving drivers aged 17 to 24 fell by 61%, a rate 40% faster than the decline seen among older drivers.
The CII noted that a self-regulatory approach to mandating telematics is unlikely to work. Market research suggests 62% of UK motorists are worried about sharing personal location information. Furthermore, 83% of drivers aged 17 to 19 choose telematics primarily because it is cheaper, saving a median of £2,172 compared to traditional policies.
The CII said that treating young drivers as a potentially vulnerable customer group, in line with the FCA’s expectations on vulnerability, could support more uniform good practice. The body argued that new drivers are vulnerable because they lack experience with insurance and may lack the financial resilience to afford vehicles with advanced safety features.
Industry analysts at Consumer Intelligence noted in a report that policy-switching rates among young drivers have plummeted. The rate of under-25s actively searching for new quotes fell from 63.4% to 44.4% over the past year, suggesting that young motorists are increasingly prioritising brand trust and long-term commitment over the search for the lowest headline price.
Further pressure for reform has mounted following the January announcement by infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins regarding the introduction of Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). Scheduled for October 2026, the scheme will be the first of its kind in the UK, introducing a mandatory six-month learning period and restrictions on carrying young passengers at night.
Kimmins described the move as the “most significant reform to driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years,” aimed squarely at the 17–23 age group which accounts for 24% of fatal collisions despite holding just 8% of licences.
