IN RESPONSE to A Logan’s complaint about the high cost of car insurance for young motorists (The Press, May 31), insurance companies have to concern themselves not only with the expense of repairing or replacing vehicles, but also with claims for other costs, including loss of earnings and medical bills and not only those of the driver (which is why it is a legal requirement for motorists to have third-party insurance).

Unfortunately, young drivers are involved in a disproportionate number of accidents compared with older divers. Thirteen per cent of 17 and 18-year-old drivers are likely to have a crash, compared with only 4.5 per cent of motorists in their 40s and two per cent of those over 50. Furthermore, the cost of accidents involving young motorists is twice the average because they are five times more likely to involve an injury. It is for these reasons that the cost of insurance for young drivers is so expensive. Insurance companies price on risk and statistics. It is not until drivers reach their mid-twenties that there is a significant reduction in the risk of being involved in an accident, at which point motoring insurance becomes more affordable.

J Watkinson, Pulleyn Drive, York.