Mobile phone offenders could pay far more for their vehicle insurance

According to a recent report many motorists that are caught and convicted of using their mobile phones whilst driving their vehicle could face far higher premiums for their car insurance cover in the future, with some facing additional costs of up to £200 a year on the cost of their cover.

A number of insurance firms have now started asking customers if they have a conviction for using their mobile phone whilst driving, and if so this factor is taken into account when working out the cost of cover. Penalties for this offence were increased earlier this year, and insurance firms say that they have also amended their terms and conditions to reflect this.

One official from an insurance firm said: ‘We decided to raise our premiums for drivers convicted of the offence to 30% in April. We hope that other insurers will follow our lead. We need to enforce the message that this is a dangerous and needless act.’

An official from the AA added: ‘This is a responsible approach by insurers. In our experience, drivers who have been convicted of using their phones tend to pick up more claims and are therefore deemed to be more dangerous. Drivers who use their phones are a big risk in terms of their lack of awareness, concentration on surroundings and failure to control the car properly.’