Being caught speeding or going through traffic lights at red is less than ideal – not to mention against the law- and can also be costly.
But tens of thousands of drivers are caught every year: figures published this week by the Taxpayers’ Alliance show that in 2008-9, more than £87 million was raised in speeding fines in the UK.
But as well as having to pay penalties of £60 a time, having points put on your licence could also increase the price of your car insurance premiums for the next five years.
As you would expect, more serious offences – such as drink-driving or careless driving – will have a greater impact on the cost of car insurance.
If you receive a conviction for a motoring offence, you will have points put on your licence. Minor offences carry three points, and if a total of 12 points are collected within a three-year period, you are likely to be banned from driving for six months.
When you apply for car insurance, providers will ask you about any convictions you have from the past five years. It is against the law to fail to disclose offences, and these will be taken into account when your premiums are set.
If your insurer sees evidence of speeding or driving carelessly, for example, it would expect you to be more likely to be involved in an accident: hence the more expensive cover.
Speeding
Most offences are dealt with using a fixed-penalty notice: this means a simple fine of £60, three points on a licence, but no need to go to court unless you want to contest the charge – for example if you weren’t driving the vehicle when the offence took place.
More serious cases of speeding can result in larger fines – up to £1,000 or £2,500 for motorway offences – as well as possible disqualification. But this is likely only to apply in cases where motorists were travelling at more than 30mph above the speed limit, or in poor driving conditions.
As speeding convictions are so common these days, they may not have a huge effect on your insurance premiums. But research suggests that many providers will increase the price of cover by as much as 20 per cent if an applicant even has the minimum number of points on their licence.
That’s why it is even more important to compare car insurance and get the best price when your motor insurance is next up for renewal.
Using your phone
Talking or texting on a handheld mobile phone risks incurring a fixed-penalty notice fine of £60, as well as three points on your licence.
Insurers may also see using a phone while driving as an indication that you are more likely to be involved in an accident, and raise your premiums as a result.
In more serious cases, this offence may also lead to a charge of careless driving, which could mean mainstream providers simply refuse to insure you altogether.
If you are turned down for cover, there are a number of insurers which specialise in policies for motorists with traffic-offence convictions.
Driving uninsured
Driving without insurance is against the law: a fixed-penalty notice means a fine of £200 and six points on your licence, although you could face prosecution and a fine of up to £5,000.
Drink-driving
Driving while your blood alcohol level is over the legal limit is a more serious offence than those listed above: if convicted you will receive an automatic driving ban, plus the prospect of up to six months in prison and a fine of as much as £5,000.
When you next need car insurance, you can expect the cost of premiums to have soared – that’s if you get the offer of cover at all.
Again, you could contact insurers which specialise in cover for motorists with convictions. You may also be able to attend a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which could result in lower premiums.
