Drivers swapping points to avoid ban
May 31, 2007 by admin
Filed under News, News-Insurance
British motorists are prepared to go to extreme lengths in order to avoid the possibility of losing their licence and paying higher car insurance premiums.
With more and more speed cameras cropping up across the UK, drivers are willingly swapping penalty points with their loved ones to avoid having ‘too many’ on one licence.
Insurance firm Churchill has found that 495,000 people have swapped points in the past and a further 9.5 million (29 per cent) would be prepared to do so.
Aside from having to pay increased car insurance premiums, most drivers admitted that they simply could not bear for their loved one to lose his or her licence.
The reasons for this vary, with 21 per cent claiming it would prevent their partner from working, nine per cent saying it would make getting the children to school too difficult and ten per cent not wanting to be the only driver in the house.
Most of the drivers questioned said that they were aware that swapping points is illegal but nine per cent think that it is acceptable.
“This research shows the lengths that some drivers will go to in order to stay on the roads despite committing driving offences such as speeding,” said Frances Browning from Churchill.
“Trying to escape convictions by swapping points with another person is highly illegal and can lead to prosecution. The way to avoid a speeding ban in the first place is simple – drive responsibly.”
Churchill has given its support to government proposals which would see driving convictions graduated, meaning someone who drives only a little over the speed limit receives fewer points than someone who drives well over the limit.
