BLACK boxes similar to those used by airlines are being used to monitor driving standards, cutting the number of accidents and lowering premiums.
About 30,000 drivers aged between 17 and 25 signed up for the telematics insurance scheme, which involves fitting a device the size of an iPod in their vehicles.
The devices are programmed to measure speed, cornering, braking, acceleration and night-time driving.
Customers who took part in the initiative through Co-operative Insurance scored from one (poor) to five, (excellent) based on data collated from the box. The aim is to obtain lower premiums.
The company said it had repaid £6 million, an average of £188 per person, to its best-driving young customers since the introduction of the scheme two years ago.
Grant Mitchell, head of motor insurance, said the cost for young people was an on-going problem, but added: "However, our telematics scheme is a solution to this, and it's helping to make insurance more affordable for young motorists who drive safely.
"Not only that, but our data shows that people with this type of insurance tend to drive more safely, as the number of car accidents is significantly less among drivers with telematics insurance compared to those without."
The information provided by the black box is collated by the insurance company every 90 days.
Since the scheme launched, the firm said accident rates among young drivers had dropped by one-fifth.
The data also revealed bumps and crashes among customers with telematics insurance tend to be less serious compared to those with standard insurance.
The young drivers can access the smartbox information at any time and adjust their driving if necessary.
One in three male drivers aged 17 to 20 has an accident within the first two years of passing their test. An 18-year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in a crash as a 48-year-old.
The UK Government is considering measures to cut accidents involving young drivers, which may means curfews for new motorists and restrictions on passengers numbers.
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