convicted driver insurance Compare quotes to find the best insurance policy for you
In the UK, convicted driver insurance“ refers to car insurance specifically designed for drivers who have a driving conviction, such as speeding or drink-driving, on their record. These policies recognize the increased risk associated with having a conviction and will likely result in higher premiums compared to standard car insurance.
Key aspects of convicted driver insurance:
Increased Risk:
Insurers view drivers with convictions as higher risk, leading to higher premiums.
Specialised Insurance
Some insurance companies specialize in covering drivers with convictions, offering policies to those who may struggle to find coverage elsewhere.
Policy Levels:
Convicted driver insurance offers the same types of coverage as standard car insurance, including comprehensive, third-party, fire and theft, and third-party only.
Disclosure is Crucial:
It’s essential to declare any driving convictions to your insurer during the application process. Failing to do so can invalidate your policy.
Unspent Convictions
Insurers typically consider unspent convictions, meaning those within the rehabitability period (after which they become “spent”), when determining premiums.
Timeframe:
While the exact timeframe varies, convictions typically remain unspent and on record for a period ranging from 4 to 11 years,
Spent Convictions:
Once a conviction is spent, it generally doesn’t affect insurance premiums or the ability to obtain coverage.
Why it’s important:
Driving without insurance is illegal:Driving a vehicle without valid insurance in the UK is a serious offense.
Insurance is essential for road safety:Having insurance provides financial protection in the event of an accident or incident.
Dedicated support:Specialist insurers understand the challenges faced by convicted drivers and can help find affordable coverage
Insurance for convicted drivers in the UK: a guide to securing cover
For drivers in the UK with a driving conviction, securing car insurance can be more challenging and expensive than for those with a clean record. Insurers view drivers with unspent convictions as a higher risk, which is reflected in increased premiums. However, it is a legal requirement to have car insurance in the UK, so it is essential to find appropriate cover. This guide provides comprehensive information on convicted driver insurance, including factors affecting premiums, how to find suitable policies, and ways to potentially reduce costs.
Understanding convicted driver insurance
Convicted driver insurance is essentially a standard car insurance policy adapted for those with driving convictions. It covers the same range of options as regular insurance, including:
Third-party only: This is the minimum legal requirement, covering damage to other people, their vehicles, or property.
Third-party, fire and theft: This includes the above, plus cover for your vehicle against fire damage and theft.
Comprehensive: This offers the highest level of protection, covering all of the above, plus damage to your own vehicle in an accident, regardless of fault.
The key difference is that insurers offering convicted driver policies consider the impact of your driving convictions on your risk profile when calculating premiums.
Declaring convictions
It is crucial to declare any unspent driving convictions when applying for or renewing car insurance. Failing to do so can invalidate your policy, leading to non-payment of claims and potential legal consequences, including prosecution.
Unspent convictions: These are convictions that have not yet reached their defined time limit under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
Spent convictions: Once a conviction becomes spent, it does not need to be disclosed to insurers, regardless of the questions they ask. You can check if your conviction is spent using resources like Unlock’s online disclosure calculator or by requesting a copy of your criminal record.
Impact of convictions on insurance premiums
The severity and type of driving conviction significantly impact insurance premiums. Insurers assess the risk associated with each conviction and adjust premiums accordingly.
Severity of conviction: More serious offences like drink-driving (DR10, DR30) or dangerous driving (DD) are viewed as higher risk and lead to larger premium increases compared to less severe offences like speeding (SP30, SP50) or using a mobile phone (CU80).
Recency of conviction: The closer the conviction is to the present, the more impact it will have on premiums.
Number of convictions: Multiple convictions further indicate a higher risk and will likely result in increased premiums.
Finding convicted driver insurance
Standard insurance providers may refuse to cover drivers with convictions, but several options exist:
Specialist insurers: Many insurers specialize in providing policies for convicted drivers, understanding the unique needs and challenges these individuals face.
Specialist brokers: These brokers work with various insurers and can help find the most suitable and affordable policies for convicted drivers. Websites like Unlock and the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) offer directories of specialist brokers.
Comparison websites: While some comparison sites may not feature specialist policies, others like www.mustard.co.uk and Multi Quote Time cater to convicted drivers and allow comparison of quotes from various insurers.
Reducing convicted driver insurance costs
While higher premiums are common, several steps can be taken to potentially reduce convicted driver insurance costs:
Comparison is key: Always compare quotes from multiple insurers to find the best deal.
Increased voluntary excess: Opting for a higher voluntary excess (the amount you pay towards a claim) can lower your premiums, but ensure it is an amount you can comfortably afford.
Pay annually: Paying for your insurance annually, if possible, can be cheaper than monthly installments due to the absence of interest charges.
Choose your car wisely: Cars in lower insurance groups are generally cheaper to insure, so consider this when choosing a vehicle.
Reduce mileage: Driving fewer miles can signal lower risk to insurers and potentially lead to lower premiums.
Enhanced security: Investing in vehicle security features like alarms and immobilizers, or parking in a secure location, can reduce the risk of theft and potentially lower premiums.
Telematics (black box) insurance: This involves installing a device in your car that monitors driving habits, potentially rewarding safe driving with lower premiums, especially beneficial for young or inexperienced drivers.
Advanced driving courses: Completing courses like drink-drive rehabilitation or offender retraining schemes can demonstrate a commitment to safer driving and may lead to premium reductions.
Maintain a clean record: The longer you drive without further convictions, the lower your risk profile becomes, leading to potential premium reductions over time.
Add a named driver with a clean record: Adding an experienced driver with a good driving history to your policy may help to bring down the overall cost.
Special considerations
Age and experience: Younger drivers and those with less driving experience, coupled with convictions, are likely to face higher premiums.
New driver probationary period: New drivers are subject to a two-year probationary period where accumulating 6 or more penalty points can lead to licence revocation.
Conviction codes: Specific conviction codes like CU80 (using a mobile phone), SP30, SP50, SP10 (speeding offences), DR10, DR30 (drink-driving offences), and IN10 (driving without insurance) carry varying levels of impact on premiums.
Securing car insurance as a convicted driver in the UK requires diligent research and exploration of specialized options. By understanding the factors influencing premiums, actively seeking specialist insurers or brokers, and implementing strategies to potentially reduce costs, it is possible to find appropriate and affordable cover and get back on the road legally and safely.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
