A TOP road safety campaigner has called for innovative new measures to stop young drivers being priced off the road.

It comes after the case of Chris Berry was highlighted in The Bolton News yesterday.

Kevin Clinton, head of road safety for the national charity RoSPA, said it highlighted a wider issue with young drivers obtaining insurance.

And he would like to see a “pay as you go” scheme to give young drivers the chance to prove they can be sensible on the roads.

Mr Clinton said: “There’s a real dilemma when it comes to insurance for young people.

Insurers know that young drivers, especially young men, are more likely to make expensive claims than other age groups, so it is understandable that they charge higher premiums.

“However, premiums at this level make insurance totally unaffordable for young drivers, and there is a real risk that they will decide to drive uninsured.

“The situation is unfair, because young drivers are not going to be able to get experience and skills under their belts unless they can afford to drive on the roads — and it seems that they can’t afford to buy insurance without any experience.

“One answer may be to implement a ‘pay as you go’ scheme, where a black box is fitted to the driver’s vehicle and insurance is directly related to where and how the car is driven.”

RoSPA has carried out research into young motorists as part of an extensive campaign to improve road safety.

The Department for Transport says it accepts the rising cost of motor insurance is a problem for young people and learner drivers, and admitted: “They are finding that increases are making insurance unaffordable.”

It says it is working with the insurance industry to address the problem.

A spokesman said: “We also intend to work with the insurance industry on whether new insurance products can be developed, with discounts where young drivers have chosen enhanced training pre- and/or post test; or are happy to accept in return restrictions such as not driving at night.”