Insurance penalties for careless drivers

04 July 2008

Drivers with penalty points will pay significantly more for car insurance

Young drivers receive significant penalties from their car insurance providers if they have any points on their licences according to new research.

According to Confused.com, a 21 year old female driver from Manchester driving a 1.3 Ford Fiesta would see her motor insurance premium increase by 92%, or £895, if she received six penalty points on her driving licence. If the same driver received nine penalty points, she would face increases of 210%, or £2048.

The website also found that women in their fifties will see their premiums rise more than men in the same age bracket after receiving points.

Confused.com said that a 55 year old man driving a 3.0 litre BMW MX5 would face a 49% increase in their insurance premiums if they had six points on their licences. However, a 55 year old female insuring the same vehicle would see here premiums increase by 81%.

Carlton Hood, chief executive officer of the Confused.com warned of the long-term effects receiving points can have on car insurance premiums.

“As well as suffering from additional insurance costs immediately after gaining points on a licence, motorists are often asked by insurance companies whether they have received points in the last five years. If the answer is yes, insurance premiums remain high long after the points have expired,” he said.

He then goes on to point out that despite the large financial penalties faced by drivers with points, 3.2 million driving convictions were recorded on Confused.com over the course of the last 12 months.

The advice of the industry is to avoid careless driving.

“While speeding is a tempting option for some, we would advise our customers to think carefully before making poor driving decisions.

“Saving two minutes on your journey time by skipping a red light or driving over the speed limit not only endangers yourself and others around you, but you are risking a large fine, a tarnished licence and potentially higher car insurance premiums,” he added.

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