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AROUND three million motorists
are expected to get a speeding conviction this
year thanks mainly to the rise of the speed
camera. In just three years from 2000-2003, the
number of speeding fines issued using cameras
increased by seven times.
It is good for
road safety but when it comes to insuring your
car, it could be very bad news.
For those people
with more than one conviction, the price of
insurance rises steeply and could possibly lead
to them being turned away by some insurers.
Research by First
Alternative showed that half the drivers
questioned had no idea how speeding would affect
their premiums.
But the increase
in the cost of car insurance for a driver with
nine points could be as much 64 per cent,
according to Direct Line.
Under proposed
new legislation, motorists caught excessively
speeding will receive six points.
So the number of
people being caught is on the increase. And
insurers are finding that difficult to deal
with.
Emma Holyer of
Direct Line said the proliferation of speed
cameras meant it was getting harder for insurers
to underwrite properly.
She said: 'Some
speed cameras are appearing where the
authorities know they can catch people out, and
it's hard to put these in the same boat as
drivers who speed in built-up areas or where
they have been accidents.
'But the bottom
line is the more points you get the higher your
premium will be. This is because - according to
our internal statistics - you are much more
likely to have an accident if you have nine
points than if you have three.'
It's not good
trying to hide your conviction. Insurers always
ask if you have had any endorsements for
motoring offences within the last five years.
Failure to
disclose could result in your insurance being
invalidated. It means that any endorsement you
receive will affect the insurance premium you
pay every year for at least five years.
Many of the major
insurers won't quote online for someone with
more than two convictions. Emma said: 'We have
to take into account all the circumstances. But
if you've had three convictions in a short space
of time it's fair to say you've probably been
driving too fast.'
There are some brokers who target drivers with
convictions but the reduction in cost is likely
to be minimal.
According to First Alternative's survey, 31 per
cent of drivers had no idea whether penalty
points affect your premium and 11 per cent of
drivers incorrectly believe that penalty points
have no effect on your premium .
The research also showed that only half of
motorists know what the national speed limit
sign on a single carriageway means. Therefore a
number of motorists caught by speed cameras may
not be deliberately flouting the law or driving
dangerously - they just aren't aware of it.
The AA this week suggested that speed limits on
some motorways should be raised to 80mph in
certain conditions.
The situation is potentially going to get even
more complicated.
Last year Strathclyde Police launched trials of
'smart' cats' eyes, embedded in the centre-line
of the road, which can detect speeding drivers.
And the newest generation of speed cameras don't
flash and calculate your speed using rubber
strips in the road, they also snap your face and
registration plate.
The result is you could be caught speeding and
know nothing about it until the envelop drops
through your door. The true cost is likely to be
much more than just your fine
REALITY CHECK
DIRECT Line calculated the cost of insurance for
a 37-year-old female, driving a Ford Focus,
parked on a driveway, living in the
Pollokshields area of Glasgow.
Depending on what you get points for will make a
difference to your premium.
These have been based SP30offences (breaking the
30mph limit) which is the most common speeding
conviction.
The insurance was based on five years NCD and a
fully comprehensive premium.
-Premium no points - £248.85
-Premium with 3 points - £266.70
-Premium with 6 points - £302.40
-Premium with 9 points - £382.40 |
