Being convicted of drink driving (a DR10 penalty) can result in many negative outcomes. You could face a large fine, a hefty levy of points on your licence, a driving ban for 12 months, and even, in some cases, a prison sentence. It will also alter your current insurance policy when you obtain points on your licence after a conviction. Insurance policies are conducted in the “utmost good faith” of a policy taker, and keeping the insurer fully appraised of your situation during your policy is a must, with the failure to do so often resulting in the insurer refusing to honour the policy if such changes have not been specified.
A driving ban would also result in the driver being in breach of the insurance policy, which is valid only if the policy taker holds a valid licence. It can also have lasting effects on someone’s insurance premiums in the future, as well as making it more difficult to find an insurer after a conviction. Insurers measure the statistical probability of a person claiming the future to calculate their costs. Because those with previous drunk driving convictions are more likely to claim in the future, according to the industry statistical profiling, they are considered a higher risk to insure for insurance companies, resulting in higher premiums and even – in some cases – a refusal to insure. While this is not the case at Insurance Revolution, it’s worth knowing what kind of financial impact a drink driving conviction may have when looking at the general insurance market.
Research from the UK’s number one price comparison site, moneysupermarket.com, revealed some startling insights. Certain factors will have different relative influences on the cost increase expected by motorists with a DR10 conviction – factors such as postcode, the type of car and the age of the driver.
This reaction by the industry is in light of some eyebrow-raising facts from The Department of Transport, claiming six per cent of road casualties and 14 per cent of road deaths occurred through accidents in which a driver was over the limit. Additionally, on average, 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year in drink-drive collisions. The Home Office added that a staggering one in eight drivers (12.5%) admitted to driving after what they believed was an ‘over the limit’ amount to be driving a vehicle in the previous year.
This kind of statistic, as well as the industry’s belief that a previous offence makes one more likely to make a claim in the future, determines such a steep average increase for drivers with a DR10 conviction. And while, in any best-case scenario, drivers will avoid a conviction in the first place, here at Insurance Revolution, we understand how difficult it can be and specialise in being able to offer competitively priced policies for those convicted of a drunk driving offence. So, if you have obtained a DR-related conviction in the past, call us today for a competitive drink driver insurance quote.
* Sourced by www.moneysupermarket.com 06.12.2010
Based on a 40-year-old male living in Maidstone ME15 with a five-year NCD, with a 2006 Ford Focus
Parked in a driveway, travelling no more than 12,000 miles per year
DR10 penalty – 6 points on license, 40 MC found in blood, £1,000 fine, and 12-month ban.