Smoking at the wheel could be costly for drivers
Published On 16 October 2007
Drivers who are caught smoking at the wheel will now face three points on their licence, a £60 spot fine and a large climb in their car insurance premiums following changes to the Highway Code, it has been warned.Car insurance comparison service Confused.com told motorists that, in some cases, insurers could more than double their premiums, while other might refuse to offer a quote at all.
The website found that a 37-year-old male driving a 1.4 Ford Puma in Taunton with a three years no claims bonus would see an average premium increase of more than nine per cent following a smoking-related CD10 conviction (driving without due care).
A 21-year-old with a matching profile would be hit with a 21.7 per cent increase after one conviction, and more than 31 per cent after two. With two convictions the 21-year-old would also notice a 34 per cent drop in the number of insurers willing to quote for their insurance.
Debra Williams, managing director of Confused.com, said: "Driving without due care and attention is taken very seriously by insurers, and this is reflected in the amount by which premiums rise with CD10s on your licence.
Research from Zurich Insurance has revealed that one in ten parents and grandparents are unintentionally committing insurance fraud by sending a child off to university in a car which is primarily insured in their name.
