A growing outcry over age discrimination in car insurance practices has reached parliament, with elderly drivers reporting steep premium hikes and even outright exclusion from the private insurance market. The issue, long a source of frustration for thousands of citizens, is now moving forward for legislative debate and a vote within January.
According to Dimos Antoniou, president of the Observatory for the Third Age, the pending bills aim to finally regulate what he described as “a huge and persistent problem.” He accused insurance companies of evaluating drivers solely by age rather than actual driving ability, leading to abrupt and unjustified premium increases. “At 69 you might pay €200 or €300. The moment you turn 70, without a single accident in 20 years, the premium jumps to €400 or €500. That is the problem,” he said.
The proposed laws, which have already passed through the Human Rights Committee, introduce strict penalties for violations. Insurance companies found breaching the law could face fines of €10,000 per incident- a measure Antoniou believes will finally oblige companies to comply. “Until now many insurers ignored the legislation. This time they will have no choice,” he argued.
Antoniou cited several cases in which long-time policyholders were suddenly deemed unacceptable once they reached 80 years old. Some had been insured for decades, paying €15,000–€16,000 in premiums without ever making a claim, only to receive a message stating they were no longer wanted as customers. He described the practice as arbitrary and inhumane.
He stressed that the bill does not seek to allow unsafe drivers on the road. Instead, it aims to stop blanket policies that amount to age discrimination when paying car insurance. Under the proposal, assessments must be based on medical and functional criteria, supported by certified doctors’ statements — not merely on a person’s age.
Antoniou also noted the shared responsibility of medical professionals. If a doctor certifies someone as fit to drive when they are not, he said, accountability must follow in the event of an accident. “If a doctor signs off unjustifiably, then they too bear responsibility.”
A further point of concern is the contradiction between compulsory insurance and inaccessible premiums. “You cannot drive without insurance- it’s illegal. But when premiums become unaffordable, you are essentially pushing elderly citizens into illegality,” Antoniou warned.
Responding to insurers’ claims that the law will force companies to raise premiums for everyone else, Antoniou dismissed this as a “pressure tactic.” He noted that insurers have repeatedly failed to provide parliament with detailed accident statistics involving elderly drivers, despite being asked multiple times. Police figures indicate that only around 7% of older drivers are involved in accidents — without distinguishing whether they were victims or at fault. “You cannot load the cost of all road accidents onto older drivers,” he concluded.
As parliament prepares to debate the bills, the push to eliminate age discrimination in car insurance practices is gaining political and social momentum, with elderly citizens demanding fairness and transparency in a sector they depend on.
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