No matter how magical Harry Potter’s alter ego Daniel Radcliffe may be behind the wheel, he’ll still have to pay more for his car insurance than notorious Babyshambles front-man Pete Doherty.
According to new research, if 18-year-old Radcliffe registered his Fiat Punto at his Fulham address he would face average annual premiums close to £3,700 - the highest being £4,296.39 through its4me car insurance - despite having a clean driving record.
By contrast, Pete Doherty could insure his car, a flashy Jaguar X-Type, at his Wiltshire address for an average annual premium of just over £1,000 - and possibly as cheap as £844.70 through Elephant car insurance.
This colossal difference - as much as 508 per cent in some instances - is made all the more perplexing by the fact that Doherty has a string of driving offenses including driving without an MOT, failing to comply with driving license conditions and car theft.
So why can Pete Doherty enjoy such comparatively cheap car insurance?
There are two determining factors. First is that Radcliffe lives in London, which typically faces some of the highest car insurance premiums in the UK. There are many reasons why the capital is hit with higher premiums including increased repair costs and higher crime rates.
The other factor is that Radcliffe is just 18 years old - more than a decade younger than 29-year-old Doherty. Young drivers are punished by reputation - male drivers under 21 are ten times more likely to be involved in a motoring accident than those aged around 30. As a result many insurers have stopped offering quotes to young drivers altogether.
If Radcliffe wants to secure cheap car insurance he’ll need to keep his license clean and build up a no-claims bonus. Car insurance providers will look on him more favourably if he undertakes an advanced drivers’ course, such as the Pass Plus certificate.
