There's good reason for that, of course. Young drivers are 10 times more likely to be involved in a crash than other motorists, and one in five will be involved in an incident in their first six months of driving.
As a result of this, a new study from Cardiff University recommends that a system of graduated driver licensing (GDL) be introduced. Effectively, that means newly qualified young drivers could be banned from driving at night, carrying passengers their own age and from drinking any alcohol at all.
But is banning new drivers from the road at certain times really the answer to building up their experience and making them safer motorists?
Steve Sweeney, moneysupermarket.com's head of car insurance, is worried it won't help. "I don't believe it will actually keep young motorists off the roads and sticking to the rules," he says.
"Young or newly qualified drivers are more at risk than experienced drivers whenever they get in the car, no matter whether it is night or day, and reducing the amount of time they are able to spend in their car will surely hinder their chances of gaining necessary experience on the road."
Instead, he argues for the compulsory introduction of night-time and motorway driving experience before a learner takes their test.
Car insurance for teenagers
Unfortunately, even the safest teenage drivers are tarred with the same brush as the reckless ones.
This is especially true when it comes to car insurance - an 18-year-old male driver doing 10,000 miles a year in a 2005 Ford Fiesta would face some frighteningly high premiums, even if he was the most careful of drivers. According to our research, the cheapest available quote comes in at £4,897.70, while the average cost of 10 quotes is an eye-watering £7,917.
While it's cheaper for female teenage drivers to get insurance, premiums are still painfully high and most teenagers will have to put off getting their own car for a good few years. Of course, that means that many of them will not be able to earn their own no-claims bonus, condemning them to even more years of sky-high premiums.
However, the insurer Swiftcover has suggested that a GDL scheme could actually cut car insurance costs for new drivers by as much as 10%.
"Various insurance schemes have come and gone which have looked at curbing night-time driving for younger drivers in exchange for lower premiums," Steve added. "But cover still remains expensive. While it will be hard for younger drivers to find competitive cover, there are ways to cut the costs."
So how can teenage drivers find cheaper car insurance?
The good news is that there are plenty of ways to bring down premiums to a slightly more realistic level for young motorists.
By taking the Pass Plus scheme with an approved driving instructor, newly-qualified motorists can learn more about driving in town, in all weathers, on rural roads, at night, on dual carriageways and on motorways.
Insurers appreciate this and some will knock as much as 35% off a driver's premiums in recognition of their enhanced safety.
But, if you're a young driver, there are other ways to pay less.
Shop around:
Don't automatically go with your parents' insurer, compare different car insurance providers to find the cheapest deal for you.
According to the Association of British Insurers, you can save 35% by comparing just five providers, while the average saving available through moneysupermarket.com is £237.
Go online
Some of the cheapest deals are available online, so always turn to the web for a comparison before purchasing a policy.
Limit your mileage
Do you have to drive to college every day? By limiting the number of miles you do a year, you could cut the cost of your policy.
One car insurance company - Insure the Box - even allows you to buy a limited number of miles and then pay-as-you-go for any more. It fits a device to your car that shows how many miles you do and even how safely you drive. Safe driving earns you free miles!
Make sure your car is secure
When you're choosing a car, make sure it has an alarm and immobiliser as this will affect your policy.
Choose a sensible car
Even if you can afford a flashier model, you probably won't be able to afford the insurance. Pick a vehicle with a smaller engine for your first car, or you'll end up paying an incredible amount to insure it.
Add your parents to your policy
If you add an older driver to your policy, it can actually bring the price down. Don't be tempted to make them the named driver, however. It might be cheaper, but this is called fronting and it's considered insurance fraud.
Car insurance companies are getting increasingly better at spotting fronting and, if they believe it has taken place, it can refuse to pay any claim.
Please note: Any rates or deals mentioned in this article were available at the time of writing.
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