Most motorists simply renew cover with their existing insurer or shop around for a better deal. Nowadays, in fact, it very rarely pays to stick with your current insurer and customer loyalty seems to matter little.
However it is so important to provide accurate information for a quote or you might find yourself in a very serious financial and legal position in the event of a claim. One of the cardinal principles governing insurance is that of “utmost good faith” and this applies as much to customers as to insurance companies.
Few people enjoy the process of completing quote forms online and some of the questions seem unnecessarily onerous; exactly how many years a full licence has been held (does it really matter if is 27 or 28 years, for heaven’s sake, and what was the precise date I passed the test?) but the importance of completing the details accurately cannot be underestimated and a false answer can come back to haunt you.
Recent research conducted by Consumer Intelligence indicates that 1 in 12 drivers has admitted to giving incorrect answers to insurers and this equates to a potential 2.4 million drivers driving around on policies with incorrect information.
It does matter to state where you park the car overnight, what your likely annual mileage is, who the main driver is (take particular care with sons and daughters) and whether you use your vehicle for personal business purposes. Similarly it matters a lot to come clean – however painful it is – about points on your licence and even, with some insurers, whether you have been on a Driver Awareness Course which hasn’t involved points at all. Unfortunately disclosing points will increase your premium but if you were later forced to make a claim and undisclosed points were discovered this could have severe consequences which might range from a refusal to meet a claim to voiding of your insurance from inception, which in turn would leave you uninsured on the day and potentially facing prosecution for driving with no insurance.
Now what is it with MyLicence? Well, very soon the insurance companies will have their own access to DVLA to check your licence for themselves. This is a new scheme called, you’ve guessed it, MyLicence, which is being tested from February 2014 with a view to full implementation soon afterwards. Perhaps this will avoid much difficulty over the accuracy of driver records but utmost good faith will always apply and that tedious online form still needs all your attention.
At Newnham & Jordan Solicitors we are able to assist and advise you with regard to a variety of motoring offences and motoring issues.
Call us now on 0845 680 7871
This article is intended for general information purposes only and shall not be deemed to be, or constitute legal advice. Newnham & Jordan Solicitors, in Wimborne Dorset, cannot accept responsibility for any loss as a result of acts or omissions taken in respect of this article or any external articles it may refer or link to.
