Lying motorists to be weeded out by insurance firms

It has been reported recently that motorists that try and hide or lie about convictions when they apply for insurance cover are to find themselves at the centre of a crackdown by the insurance industry.

Having convictions for driving offences can serious hamper the cost of your cover or even the chances of getting cover, and as a result of this many people that apply for cover try and hide their past driving convictions. However, this is something that the insurance industry is now taking very seriously and plans to tackle.

According to research carried out by the Association of British Insurers as many as one in five drivers has thought about lying on their insurance applications form in a bid to get a better deal or to ensure that they are accepted for cover.

The ABI now wants insurance firms to get access to the driving history of applicants who are looking for cover as a result of so many drivers failing to disclose important information such as past convictions.

The ABI is said to be in negotiations with the DVLA to find out whether it would be possible for insurance companies to gain access to this sort of data when people apply for insurance cover.

An ABI official said: ‘ Fraudulent motor claims are on the rise and it costs all policyholders around £30 to £40 extra on their premium to cover this. We are talking to the DVLA about consent and data protection issues to see if we can get consent at point of sale.’

Another insurance industry official said: ‘There is an increasing core of motorists who fraudulently fill out their forms, missing out their convictions to get the cheapest quote. Insurers are expected to provide unlimited liability cover, so we should be able to get details of convictions.’

Tags: Association of British Insurers, car insurance, car insurance fraud, Driving, economics, insurance cover, better deal