AXA spies on young Irish drivers

Young Irish drivers are begging to be spied on in a technology trial which offers discount insurance for participants if they are seen to be safe drivers. Car insurance premiums in Ireland are among the highest in Europe, with premiums up to IEP£4,000 (£3,139) a year - for a 20 year-old male with a one litre car in Dublin.

But clever fellows at AXA Insurance are now offering young Irish drivers satellite spying to prove they are safe drivers and they're queuing up to take part. The system - called Traksure - uses GPS and GSM technology to plot speed and location of participating drivers. This is mapped against a database of speed limits in Ireland.

"Speed is the factor in 75 per cent of accidents involving young drivers in Ireland," says Canice O'Reilly of O'Reilly Insurance - the brokers behind the scheme. Drivers who repeatedly exceed the speed limit will be thrown off the programme and charged full premiums plus penalties.

"We got the idea after a client demonstrated a GPS fleet management system," said Canice. AXA agreed to underwrite the trial. 500 young drivers will pay £950 to be fitted with the system.
"They pay up front, but they get a lower premium as a result," says O'Reilly. Drivers could save up to £3,000 over three years.

The Motor Insurance Justice Action Group (MIJAG) - which lobbies for lower premiums for young drivers - claims the plan is just a 'publicity stunt'.

The pilot programme should last six months to a year and is aimed at drivers in the 20 to 24
age-group.