According to a new survey, almost a quarter of drivers lie to their insurer about penalty points
A new survey carried out by the RAC, has found that almost a quarter of drivers withhold the fact that they have penalty points on their licence when it comes to insuring their vehicle.
Many motorists in the UK are basically lying to their insurers by not informing them that they have points on their licence, which could invalidate their insurance in the event of a claim and may possibly lead to prosecution.
The roadside assistance company discovered that 23% of drivers haven’t told their insurer about having penalty points on their licence.
Across the UK, there are 2.8 million motorists currently on the road with penalty points on their driving licence, which equates to around 654,158 motorists driving on our roads, risking an incident that could see their insurance policy classed as invalid.
According to the RAC, it’s an offence under the Road Traffic Act to withhold important information from your insurer when taking out a policy, so not informing them of any penalty points you might have on your licence is classed as an offence.
What the RAC did find alarming was the fact that 18% of those questioned admitted that they would still keep penalty points on their driving licence from their insurer.
The main reason motorists fail to inform their insurer about penalty points is to ensure their premium remains low, the RAC believes.
What the study also discovered, is that 10% of motorists claimed they knew of a driver who’d been handed penalty points but had convinced their partner to take them on their behalf.
“It is the duty of every driver to inform their insurer of any circumstance that might affect the contract they have with them, both during the insurance term and at renewal,” said Mark Godfrey, RAC insurance director.
Mr Godfrey also added that drivers not informing their insurers of penalty points are committing a serious offence that could invalidate their insurance and may even lead to prosecution. His advice to all drivers is to be fully honest when it comes to taking out car insurance, to ensure your policy remains intact and is able to protect you if and when the need may arise.
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