Insurance firms 'being stricter with speeding offenders'

Date: 13/4/2012

Insurance companies are getting stricter with motorists who speed, new research has shown.

A study conducted by AA Insurance found many cover providers used to ignore first SP30 speeding offences.

However, the majority now take them into consideration and this is pushing up the price of premiums.

Indeed, a driver who receives a £60 fine is likely to find the total cost of the offence is four times this amount because the price of their policy will rise over three years.

Director of AA Insurance Simon Douglas said people with disregard for the law "are more likely to make a claim and their premium reflects that risk".

"Why should the majority of motorists who stay within the law, subsidise those who don't?" he added.

The government recently announced proposals to increase the fixed penalty notice for traffic offences such as speeding from £60 to £90.

However, research conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists found 51 per cent of drivers are against the idea.

Posted by Mary Treen