Driven to Distraction Costing Brits £3.3 Million* a Year
By Moneysupermarket.com, PRNESunday, July 17, 2011
CHESTER, England, July 18, 2011 -
A Conviction for “Driving Without
due Care and Attention” Increases Motor
Insurance Premiums by up to 27 per Cent
Changing Music, Eating and Drinking
While Driving Among Worst Habits Behind the
Wheel
Distracted drivers are rife on our roads, and are risking hefty
hikes to their car insurance premiums if they are caught being
careless behind the wheel, says
Analysis, by Britain’s number one comparison site reveals that
the 16,485 motorists who are convicted of driving without due care
and attention each year are not only facing a £60 fine and three
points on their license but also an increase in their car insurance
premiums of over £200 (27 per cent), amounting to an additional
£3.3m on annual premiums.
Additional moneysupermarket.com research reveals that over eight
in ten drivers (82 per cent) get preoccupied whilst
driving[1]. The top three
distractions admitted by motorists include:
- Changing stations on the radio/changing a CD (61 per cent)
- Eating and drinking (51 per cent)
- Taking mobile phone calls (23 per cent)
Furthermore, a fifth of drivers (16 per cent) admit sending text
messages while driving, with over a third (36 per cent) of under
35s saying they had done this. Motorists also admit to ignoring
basic safety measures, with 15 per cent of drivers not wearing a
seatbelt. The research found motorists living in Northern Ireland
are the biggest danger on the roads, with 87 per cent of drivers
admitting to having been distracted to the point of driving without
due care and attention - compared to 74 per cent of those living in
the North West.
Peter Harrison,
insurance expert at moneysupermarket.com said: “The
UK’s roads are becoming busier every year so taking your eyes
off the road, even for a second to make a phone call or eat a quick
snack, could lead to severe, or even fatal, consequences. More
worryingly, as our research shows, some motorists are not only
being unnecessarily distracted but are even failing to take basic
safety precautions when driving such as wearing a seatbelt.
Motorists who are convicted of “driving without due care and
attention” (conviction code CD10) can expect their insurance
premiums to increase by an average 27 per cent - or £202 a
year[2]. In some instances, having
a CD10 conviction could add as much as an extra £402 to the cost,
an increase of 63 per cent.
Peter Harrisoncontinued: “Although it may be
unintentional, careless drivers are a menace on the roads and are a
danger to both themselves and others. The penalties for this kind
of behaviour are huge and can really impact on the cost of your
insurance premiums. Not only are these bad driving habits, but also
expensive habits if you are caught - it really isn’t worth taking
the risk.”
Notes to Editors:
*Number of CD10 Convictions in 2010 - 16,485 *£202.56
[1] Research undertaken by
Opinium Research based on poll of 2,030 British adults carried out
May 28 - 31 2011.
[Driving Distractions by
type]
Percentage of
Driving Distraction motorists
[Changed stations on the
radio/changed CD/ changed music on
my IPOD] [61%]
[Had a drink] [51%]
[Eaten a snack] [51%]
[Taken/made calls on a non
hands-free mobile phone] [23%]
[Slowed down to watch accidents] [21%]
[Sent text messages on a mobile
phone] [16%]
[Not used your seatbelt] [15%]
[Fallen asleep/dozed] [5%]
[Applied
aftershave/perfume/lipstick/make-up] [5%]
[Updated my profile/been on facebook
via my mobile phone/smart phone] [2%]
[Tweeted via my mobile phone/smart
phone] [1%]
[2]Motor insurance premiums
for a clean licence vs. a CD10 conviction code:
Licence with
a CD10
Provider Clean Licence conviction
AXA GBP603.53 GBP1,006.12
Swiftcover GBP640.98 GBP806.95
Privilege GBP699.60 GBP1,019.72
LV= GBP720.49 N/A
esure GBP777.16 N/A
Churchill GBP867.08 GBP1,239.14
Endsleigh GBP883.08 GBP1,525.87
Average GBP741.70 GBP944.26
Sourced by
08.06.2011
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Tags: Chester, England, July 18, Moneysupermarket.com, United Kingdom
