How a driving conviction hits car insurance

Insurers are turning their backs on drink-drivers with many simply refusing to cover those convicted of driving under the influence.
As we enter the festive period when incidents of drink driving can increase, latest analysis of insurance quotations has shown that those convicted of the offence could be blacklisted by insurers, or else could face swingeing hikes in their insurance premiums.However, other insurers will not return a quote at all to drivers if they admit to receiving a DR10 penalty for drink driving.

And some will not insure drivers if they have been handed a driving ban in the last five years.

Steve Sweeney, head of motor insurance at moneysupermarket.com said: 'On top of a massive hike in insurance premium costs, any convicted motorist is likely to find themselves with the difficult task of trying to find a provider who is prepared to insure someone with a drink driving conviction.'

According to a recent survey carried out by the Home Office, a staggering one in eight drivers - or 12% - admitted to having driven after drinking what they believed was an 'over the limit' amount of alcohol in the previous year.

Steve Sweeney added: 'A conviction could lead to a £1,000 fine, a 12-month driving ban on their licence, and even a possible prison sentence.

'It is simply not worth taking the risk – the results of doing so can be costly and very damaging.'




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Man charged over car insurance claim

A MORLEY man is due to face court on a fraud charge after allegedly lying about the date of a car bingle so he could up his insurance cover before making a claim.
Police allege the man had only third party insurance cover on his car when he crashed it into another vehicle at a suburban service station in April this year.

It is alleged he asked the owner of the other vehicle to report the crash a day later, to give him time to change his insurance policy to full comprehensive cover.

He then allegedly made a claim giving a false date for the prang.

Fraud squad detectives later discovered the crash was recorded by the service station’s security cameras, which also recorded the date.

The man was charged with attempted fraud and is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court tomorrow.


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