Driving convictions up 5% on 2003

27 November 2005

Driving convictions are on the rise, according to the latest research from car and home insurance quote engine, www.confused.com. According to a study of almost 3.5 million drivers, 14% admitted having at least one conviction on their licences, up 5% on figures for 2003.

Despite the increase in convictions, the research reveals that speeding has actually fallen from 86% of convictions in 2003 to 81.6% of convictions in 2005. Amber gamblers – drivers who jump or run red lights - make up the next largest group of drivers, representing 5.3% of drivers with convictions, down 0.1% on 2003. Worryingly the number of drink drivers has almost doubled, growing from 2.3% of drivers with convictions in 2003, to 4% in 2005.

As for drivers previously caught without car insurance, the research has shown a dramatic increase in motorists who have subsequently taken out cover. In 2003 1.5% of such drivers went on to take out insurance, whereas in 2005 this figure had leapt to 2.9%. This, in itself, suggests that the recent crack down on motorists who drive without car insurance is starting to have a positive effect, forcing offenders to seek cover.

Commenting on the findings, Debra Williams, Deputy Managing Director of Confused.com said, "According to our sample study, 468,000 drivers were convicted for speeding, while 31,000 were caught jumping lights in 2005 alone. In each case these drivers are likely to have seen hikes in their car insurance premiums.

"Drivers with one conviction would have seen an increase of between 5-7% on their insurance, while motorists with multiple convictions will have seen dramatic insurance hikes up 21% for two convictions and between 40-52% for three convictions.

"Dismal as this may sound for drivers with convictions, our research shows that not all car insurers treat drivers with convictions in the same way, and therefore not all insurers will automatically increase your premiums. This makes shopping around for car insurance critical as drivers who search and switch typically find insurance £150 below that of their renewal quote."

www.Confused.com provides a free, real-time service to drivers, which instantly compares prices from 96% of the car insurance market, bringing back a full list of premiums in under five minutes. The service typically searches 170 car insurance rates to find the best available deal, and saves users an average of £150 on their annual car insurance premiums.

Source: EMEDIAWIRE

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