Uninsured Drivers Risking it on the Roads

CHESTER, England, March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ –

        - One in seven UK motorists admit to driving a car they weren't insured for
        - Over a quarter of drivers drove without insurance in between policies
        - Younger drivers are biggest risk takers
        - Uninsured drivers add GBP30 on average to the cost of EVERY policy

One in seven (15 per cent) of UK motorists have admitted to breaking the law and
having driven at least once without insurance, with young drivers most likely to get
behind the wheel uninsured according to research by MoneySupermarket.com.1

Britain’s number one comparison site also found that six per cent of motorists admit
to knowingly getting behind the wheel of their own car with no cover, while a further six
per cent confess to borrowing someone else’s car without insurance.

Shockingly, 14 per cent of those who owned up to having driven without insurance
admitted they did so because they were unaware for the need for insurance behind the
wheel. Over a quarter (26 per cent) blamed being in-between insurance policies as the
reason for hitting the road uninsured, and seven per cent simply couldn’t be bothered to
arrange insurance cover. Twelve per cent couldn’t afford the insurance – compared to six
per cent this time last year.2

A cause for concern is the seven per cent who believe there is no point having
insurance as they don’t think they will have a crash. Additionally, 12 per cent said they
just hadn’t got round to renewing their policy yet, and were going to do so at a later
date.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket
[http://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance ], said: “It’s astonishing how many drivers
are still prepared to hit the road without insurance. Not only is it illegal but you could
face thousands of pounds in liability, a conviction, six points on your licence and a
hefty fine should you be caught out or be involved in a crash. To make matters worse,
uninsured drivers cost the insurance industry GBP500 million each year, which as a result
adds an average of GBP30 to every motorist’s premium.3

“The rising cost of motoring makes shopping around for the best deal crucial to ensure
you aren’t paying over the odds for your car insurance. The average saving using
MoneySupermarket is GBP300, so motorists need to do their research and not automatically
accept a renewal quote without checking there isn’t a better alternative.”4

According to MoneySupermarket research, younger motorists are the biggest risk takers
with a third of 18-34 year olds (30 per cent) admitting to driving a vehicle they weren’t
insured for, compared to just five per cent of over 55s. Men were also revealed to be
twice as likely to drive with no insurance than women. A fifth (19 per cent) admitted to
driving with no cover compared to 10 per cent of female drivers.

Peter Harrison continued: “The cost of insurance premiums for younger drivers will no
doubt have influenced the decision from some young drivers to forgo insurance altogether.
However, the penalties for not having insurance are great, and could even result in your
vehicle being confiscated. Although car insurance premiums for younger drivers are high,
having suitable insurance and proving you are a safe driver will help bring premiums down
over time. Not having insurance, and being caught without it, could result in you not
being insurable in the future.”

Notes to editors:

1 Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,003 UK adults aged 18+ from 8th
to 11th February 2013. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.

http://www.opinium.co.uk

2 Opinium Research carried out an online poll of 2019 British adults, of which, 1,483
drive, from 11-15 February 2011. Results have been weighted to nationally representative
criteria.

3 http://www.mib.org.uk/Media+Centre/en/Key+Facts/Default.htm

4 Average saving of GBP300 with MoneySupermarket.com when shopping for car insurance.
Based on online independent research by Consumer Intelligence during November 2012.

MoneySupermarket.com compares (at 30th Jan 2013)

        - 134 car insurance brands and 97 home insurance brands
        - 9 broadband providers and 20 energy providers
        - 31 unsecured loan and 5 secured loan providers
        - 62 mortgage lenders and 27 credit card providers
        - 62 savings providers and 37 current account providers.
        - Over 630,000 mobile phone deals

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        For further information, please contact:

        Paul Lawler / Kate Murphy
        +44(0)787-237-9545 / +44(0)1244-221978
        paul.lawler@moneysupermarket.com / kate.murphy@moneysupermarket.com

SOURCE MoneySupermarket.com