Top tips for young drivers

For a young driver, hitting the road can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. To help you stay safe and savvy, we have five tips that every Gen Z driver should know. From the dangers of late-night driving to understanding your insurance coverage, these will help you stay safe behind the wheel.

1. Stay focused on the road

Using your phone for 20 seconds while driving increases your accident risk by over 60%.

According to The Discovery Insure Road Safety White Paper published in May 2024, twenty seconds doesn't sound like a lot?

Our lives are full of distractions, and it's incredibly easy to glance at our phones in traffic. We all do it. Alarmingly, our white paper found that distracted driving accidents more than doubled between 2021 and 2023.

Our number-one tip is this: don't use your phone while driving. That ping or call can wait. If you have to use your phone, Bluetooth and a smartphone mount is a must.

2. Avoid driving late a night

Night-time accidents between 22:00 and 04:00 are nine times more severe than daytime accidents.

With reduced visibility and drunk people on the roads, driving at night is objectively more dangerous than during the day. The Discovery Insure white paper confirms this, revealing that night driving increases the risk that an accident is fatal.

To keep safe during nighttime trips always opt for a take-me-home or e-hailing service if you can.

The good news? If you're a Discovery Insure client with a qualifying plan, you get discounted, safe travel options at any time of the day with the Drive Me benefit.

3. Know what you're covered for

Car insurance can be complicated. But it's important to understand what your policy covers.

So, look out for these keywords: "comprehensive cover", "personal liability", and "excess".

Comprehensive cover

Comprehensive insurance generally covers the cost of repairs or replacement of your vehicle if it is in an accident, stolen, destroyed in a fire, or damaged during extreme weather.

Personal liability

Comprehensive cover should include personal liability. This means that if you become legally responsible to pay someone else due to accidental death, damage, or injury, the insurer covers this. These costs can run into millions of rands.

Excess

An excess is the amount you must pay before your insurer covers the rest of your claim. This amount is decided before you take out your plan. It can be tempting to opt for a high excess as this often means a lower monthly premium. But you'll pay more if you claim.

Say you went for a R5,000 excess. If you have an accident and it'll cost R50,000 to fix your car, you'll pay R5,000 upfront. If you'd opted for a lower excess, you'd pay less.

Remember Discovery Insure Classic and Purple Plan clients pay no excess for theft - related or weather - related claims.

4. Keep good driving habits

Being a good driver doesn't happen overnight. Like any skill, it takes practice.

Discovery Insure data shows that Gen Z drivers are more mindful of their speed compared to older generations.

Discovery Insure uses advanced telematics technology to measure and reward good driving behaviour through their driver behaviour programme, Vitality Drive. Our DQ-Track, comprising the Discovery Insure smartphone app and the Vitality Drive Sensor, is easy to install in your car.

It collects information about your driving behaviour; the better you drive, the more Vitality Drive points you earn, and the more rewards you get. Like up to R1,500 of fuel in cash back each month.

Drivers on the Vitality Drive programme reduce their accident risk by 15% within the first month of joining.

It's easy to be a smart and savvy driver. Start your journey towards safer driving today by ensuring you have the right cover - and you're rewarded for good driving habits.