Brits Want to Slam the Brakes on Driver Litter

GUILDFORD, England, July 12, 2011 -

- Eight in 10 Want
to see Driver ‘Litterlouts’ Punished

As ministers consider changing the *Localism Bill which could
mean litter throwing drivers receive  £80 fixed penalty
notices, 81% of people agree that ‘Litterlouts‘ should be
punished, with more than one in three motorists (34%) wanting to
see offenders receive at least three points on their driving
according to href="www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk/en/home.html">Your Cover
insurance, Allianz Insurance’s href="www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk/en/products/car_insurance.html">
car insurance brand.

A survey commissioned by href="www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk/en/home.html">Your
Cover insurance reveals the depth of feeling motorists have
about the issue of highway littering. The research shows:

• 52% said that Litterlouts made them feel angry and
  frustrated
• 37% said they felt saddened by the fact that people were so
  lazy and disrespectful

The research also found that a quarter of people are prepared to
be have-a-go heroes and confront ‘Litterlouts‘. And as
people get older they are even more prepared to speak up, with a
third (31%) of over 55s saying they would stand up to littering
motorists, compared to just a fifth (21%) of 18 to 24-year-
olds.

Gareth McChesney, Head of Home and Motor Portfolio Management ,
Your Cover insurance said: “The research strongly indicates that
people want something done to tackle the problem of road rubbish.
If offenders were to receive points on their licence as a penalty,
they could see their insurance premiums rise too in the region of
£40 to £50 which would be most unwelcome with motorists already
facing steep rises in the cost of running a vehicle. There is a
simple solution to this issue. Motorists should simply keep their
rubbish in the car until they get to their destination when they
can dispose of it.”  

Despite Brits having strong feelings about littering, one in 10
(11%) people confess to having tossed rubbish from their cars. The
research also revealed that the top five concerns people have about
litter being thrown out of vehicles are:

1. The general mess it causes
2. Environmental damage
3. Bad example it sets for children
4. Potential for causing accidents
5. Potential to injure animals

Gareth McChesney continues:

“Litter is an environmental issue that upsets many people who
feel angry at seeing the British landscape being used as a rubbish
tip. Our research suggests that the public, on the whole, support
giving councils extra powers to tackle the problem of road litter
and make it easier to fine people seen throwing rubbish from
cars.

“At Your Cover insurance we also feel this issue is important
from a road safety perspective as it distracts and often annoys
people travelling in the vehicle behind the ‘Litterlout’ and could
cause an accident or create a road rage incident. Our research
shows that nearly half (49%) of people are concerned that littering
could cause accidents.”  

A survey of 2000 Britons was undertaken by 72Point on behalf of
Allianz Insurance during May 2011.

Allianz Insurance is one of the largest general insurers in the
UK and part of the Allianz SE Group, the largest property and
casualty insurer worldwide. Reassuringly in these uncertain
financial times, in July 2010 the Standard and Poor’s rating for
Allianz Insurance was reaffirmed as AA- with a stable outlook and
the rating of Allianz SE was also reaffirmed as AA with a stable
outlook. Also in July 2010, Allianz Insurance won the General
Insurer of the Year title at the prestigious British Insurance
Awards, the third time the Company has won the award in the last
six years. 

Your Cover insurance quotes are available online at href="www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk/">www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk.
 

* The href="services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/localism.html">Localism
Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 December 2010.
This Bill will shift power from central government back into the
hands of individuals, communities and councils. The Localism Bill
has been called upon to deal with the issue of litter, which would
make the registered keeper of a car liable for littering offences
in the same way they are for speeding tickets or fly-tipping.

For further information contact: Katie Donlan/Kate Mallett, Consolidated PR, Tel: +44(0)207-781-2376/ +44(0)207-781-2360, Email: katied at consolidatedpr.com/katem at consolidatedpr.com; Mark Bishop, Group Communications Manager, Allianz Insurance, Tel: +44(0)1483-552731Mob: +44(0)779-2567449, Email: mark.bishop at allianz.co.uk