Levels of drink driving have reached their highest in ten years, as an increasing number of young motorists get behind the wheel despite being over the limit, police have said.

According to the latest research, drivers aged between 17 and 24 now account for more than a quarter of all those arrested for drink driving, a statistic which is not wasted on the insurance companies.

The latest figures from Scotland Yard show that young drivers make up a disproportionate number of offenders and casualties in drink related driving accidents, and it has called for government campaigners to do everything possible to get the anti-drink driving message across to younger drivers.

Commenting on the increasing number of young motorists driving while under the influence, Sergeant Ivan Stafford, of Leicestershire Police, said: “They’re the majority of the casualties, they’re the majority of the offenders. And the numbers of people being killed in drink related accidents have increased dramatically. They’re killing themselves and they’re mutilating themselves, which is such a tragic waste of life.”

According to independent online price comparison and switching service uSwitch.com, young motorists prosecuted for drink driving will find themselves majorly out of pocket when it comes to renewing their car insurance policy.

Young motorists pay an average motor insurance premium of £948, more than double the average UK premium of £409. However, a driving conviction could see this already inflated figure rise by a further 55 per cent.

At the top end of the table, the AA would charge an average 18 year old driving a Ford Fiesta 1.25 an astronomical premium of £1,795. However, a drink driving conviction would see this rise by 55 per cent to £2,790, an unmanageable figure for many drivers. The same driver with an insurance policy from Kwik-Fit would see their premium jump from £1,265 to £1.896, a 50 per cent increase.

“As well as the potential of having a ban imposed on them for drink driving, younger drivers will also be penalised by insurers for up to five years if they are convicted for a drink driving offence,” said Aron Thompson, head of insurance at uSwitch. Although insurance quotes can vary from provider to provider, he estimated that a young driver could see their insurance premiums rise by as much as £995.45 in year one following a conviction.

“In some cases, these young drivers that have had a drink driving conviction may not be able to find a new insurance provider as they present such a high risk,” he said. “However, if you have been convicted of drink driving, it’s always worth shopping around several providers to get the right policy at a competitive deal.”

With more and more cameras appearing on the roads an increasing number of drivers are being caught speeding. It is unlikely that more of us nowadays are speeding but merely that it is far easier than ever before for the police to catch us breaking the law. According to 2004 figures 2.1 million drivers were given speeding tickets that year, accounting for just over one third of all driving offences. You may well think that this could have a serious impact on the amount you pay in car insurance. It seems, however, that much depends on which insurance company you use.

Half of all UK insurers will ignore a one-off offence under SP30 (breaking the speed limit) whereas others will increase your premium by up to £1545. Offences under SP50 (speeding on a motorway) and SP60 (undefined speeding offence) are more serious and Swiftcover are the only insurers to ignore these. Insurers are likely to take a dim view of multiple offences on the basis that this demonstrates habitual behaviour rather than a one-off lapse. For two offences under SP30 you can expect your premium to rise by as much as 70 per cent or in some cases, particularly with young drivers, you may be refused insurance.

Motorists should not be tempted to lie to their insurance companies about how many points they have as the insurers can cross-check against a central data-base and if clients who are in an accident are found to have lied, their policy will be invalidated, leaving them with a hefty bill.

There are of course plenty other ways to get points on your licence such as having defective tyres or brakes, using a mobile phone or failing to stop after an accident; currently more than 6 million of us have points. For motorists who are close to losing their licence there is special insurance available from companies like Chauffeurplan and Keepumoving to cover the costs of alternative transport, from as little as £4 a month. Under the Chauffeurplan policy you are given £300 a week to cover taxis, trains, planes or even a private driver.

Some motorists may well see all this as good news. Points on the licence no longer mean dire financial repercussions and for the price of a couple of pints a month, disaster can be held at bay if you do lose your licence. The disquieting thing, however, is that someone along the line has to pay the price and it seems likely that it will be the drivers with clean licences who will end up subsidising the minority by general increases in their premiums.

Motorists in the UK are using illegal tactics in an effort to avoid receiving penalty points on their licence and possible convictions, according to new research from Churchill.

With more than 6,000 speed cameras currently active in the UK, 33 million drivers are forced to keep a check on their speed or suffer fines, penalty points and convictions. However Churchill has revealed that an increasing number of people are taking advantage of the fact that the speed cameras cannot identify who is actually driving the car at the time of an offence.

The car insurance provider found that nearly half a million motorists (495,000) have convinced someone else to ‘take the hit’ and claim responsibility for a speeding offence, in order to protect their own licence.

More shocking still, nine and a half million people (29 per cent of all drivers) admitted that they would accept points for a speeding offence on behalf of a loved one if it would save them from losing their licence, while seven and a half million drivers (23 per cent) would ask their partners to do so for them.

France Browning, a spokesperson at Churchill, commented on the new findings: “This research shows the lengths that some drivers will go to in order to stay on the roads despite committing driving offences such as speeding.

“Trying to escape convictions by swapping points with another person is highly illegal and can lead to prosecution,” she explained. “The way to avoid a speeding ban in the first place is simple – drive responsibly.”

The research indicates that British motorists are willing to break the law and swap points because they cannot bear to live without their cars. In fact, 21 per cent of those surveyed claimed that they would not be able to work if they lost their licence.
A further ten per cent admitted that they could not maintain their lifestyle and commitments with only one driver in the household, while nine per cent said that they rely on their car to take the children to school.

Although 88 per cent of motorists (29 million) admitted that they knew it was illegal to swap points, nearly one in ten said it was acceptable to swap points with their partners if they shared an insurance policy, and were at risk of paying higher premiums.

Graduated driving convictions

With nearly one million UK motorists a single speeding conviction away from a driving ban, there has been a lot of interest in recent government proposals for a new graduated penalty points system.

According to a survey conducted by Direct Line, 75 per cent of drivers support the proposed system which will provide a new points scheme that penalises drivers depending on how far over the limit they were travelling.

Currently, 16 per cent of all drivers hold points on their licence and speeding convictions account for 85 per cent of all of these points. In the last three years alone, speeding offences have cost the nation more than £300 million in fines.

Three out of five drivers have driven on auto-pilot, with no recollection of travelling from A to B, because of the distraction caused by children, according to new research from LV= General Insurance.

The car insurer’s study revealed that eight million drivers cited their children as a primary reason for loss of concentration when driving. Of nearly 150,000 road accidents that occurred last year, officials at the Department of Transport estimate that 2,895 were caused by distractions inside the vehicle.

Interestingly enough – considering the recent spate of legislation against using mobile phones when driving and proposals from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers’ Association (LARSOA) to ban motorists from smoking behind the wheel – drivers voted that children were more likely to cause them distraction than using mobile phones, audio equipment, eating, drinking or using satellite navigation.

LV= found that 57 per cent of drivers admitted to having driven without any recollection of how they got to their destination. More specifically, 59 per cent of women and 54 per cent of men admitted to driving on auto-pilot at some point, while 12 per cent of drivers aged between 18 and 29 admitted to being afflicted by a total loss of concentration on a regular basis. Conversely, only four per cent of the over 50s crowd admitted such.

“On today’s busy roads, with 16 per cent of accidents having fatal or serious consequences, it is vital to maintain 100 per cent concentration when behind the wheel,” commented Andrew Beard, a spokesperson for LV=. “It is frightening to think when can happen in the split second when drivers take their mind off the road.”

The survey indicated that fiddling with the CD player causes 57 per cent of drivers to look away from the road and 13 per cent to drive erratically, while smoking accounted for a loss of concentration in 28 per cent of respondents and caused 28 per cent to operate the vehicle with only one hand on the wheel.

“With the holiday season just around the corner, many families will be setting off on longer than usual car journeys,” warned Mr Beard. “Preparation is the key to help avoid in-car distractions. Packing the car with travel games and books before you set off will help to keep the children amused whilst on the move. You may also want to think about getting your CDs loaded and your radio tuned, so you can listen to your favourite tracks without having to fiddle with the audio equipment.”

He also recommended that drivers travelling long distances should map out the best route beforehand and plan for regular stops: “Taking breaks enables drivers to rest and allows children and pets to exert pent up energy. All of these things should help keep drivers minds focused solely on the road.”