Insurance rise for drivers caught on mobile phone
June 18, 2008
Motorists who use their mobile phones behind the wheel and get caught may have to pay more for car insurance. Top insurers now see the offence as serious as unsafe driving and drivers found guilty could pay up to 30% more. Norwich Union, Zurich, Alliance and Leicester, Churchill, and Allianz all ask drivers whether they have a conviction for using their mobile phone and they take it into account when processing quotes.
Penalties for the offence went from a £30 fine to a £60 fine in February. This is when many insurers re-priced their policies.
According to the AA, the average annual car insurance is £682 this means that those convicted of the offence could pay an extra £204 a year. The company who has put up premiums by 30% for those who are convicted is Allianz.
A spokesman for Allianz, Mark Bishop said “We decided to raise our premiums for drivers convicted of the offence to 30% in April. We hope that other insurers will follow our lead.”
Ian Crowder, a spokesman for the AA said “This is a responsible approach by insurers. In our experience, drivers who have been convicted of using their phones tend to pick up more claims and are therefore deemed to be more dangerous. Drivers who use their phones are big risk in terms of their lack of awareness, concentration on surroundings and failure to control the car properly. This is why a mobile phone offence often goes hand in hand with a careless driving offence.”
Using a mobile phone has been an illegal offence since December 2003. However the number of drivers who are caught breaking the law is rising.
For information on Zurich, Norwich Union, Alliance and Leicester, Allianz and Churchill visit their websites:
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