New research from Churchill Car Insurance has provided an interesting insight into the number of claims that different professions are responsible for when it comes to driving. Overall, the research has shown that it is IT workers in the UK who come top of the list for making the most claims.

The research covered the total number of claims by profession over the last three years. IT workers were shown to have made the most claims for accidents, and after them came sales managers, followed by chefs and students. Also in the top ten worst professions for the number of claims made were doctors, hairdressers and social workers.

At the lower end of the table, farmers made the least number of claims during the three-year period. They were followed by aircraft fitters, store personnel and ambulance drivers.

So what links all these professions? Or is it just completely random that IT workers top the table?

Tony Chilcott, the head of Churchill Insurance, said that the number of claims made by each profession “reflects the long hours they work in a very stressful job”. This makes sense – people with stressful jobs are more tired and therefore increasingly likely to make a mistake on the journey back home at the end of the day.

He also came up with a reason as to why farmers came at the bottom of the table, suggesting that because they generally live in rural areas they are less likely to come into contact with other vehicles and the chances of having an accident is therefore less. He also suggested that because their work environment was less stressful this probably had an effect on their driving.

A report by the MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) has revealed that a fifth of young drivers don’t currently have insurance.

The MIB carried out its own research to discover that 243,000 17-20 year olds don’t currently have insurance whilst on the road. On top of this startling figure, one in 10 young drivers doesn’t even know that having insurance is an obligation. The figures are even more worrying in light of the fact that young drivers are four times more likely to be involved in accidents than other drivers.

Ashton West, the chief executive of MIB, said that young drivers represent a “significant number of uninsured drivers” and that the risk is huge with “1 in 5 newly qualified drivers having an accident in the first year of driving”.

AA Insurance director Simon Douglas said he was “not surprised”, but admitted that it was “shocking to see this statistic confirmed”.

One thing that could be putting young drivers off getting insurance is the prohibitive costs involved. A 17-year-old male can expect to pay anything up to £3,000 a year for their insurance policy, which many cannot afford.

But young drivers should think carefully about the risks involved in not taking out insurance. Punishments can include vehicle seizure, eight points on the license and up to two years in prison if involved in an accident where a fatality occurs.

Overall, 5% of motorists in the UK don’t have insurance, one of highest rates in Europe. Insurance companies have to pay £500 million a year because of this, adding an extra £30 to every individual’s policy.

Worries over high premiums and the loss of their no-claims discounts are
putting motorists off making insurance claims, according to research done
by the insurance comparison website, Confused.com. Recent research has
identified that a key factor in deciding whether a motorist is willing to
lose their no claims bonus is age, with younger motorists much less likely
to claim than those over 55.

With younger motorists already facing higher premiums, the loss of proof of
a good driving record in the form of their no-claims bonus can lose this group a
potential saving of up to 50% on the cost of their car insurance.
Confused.com have discovered that a significant majority (66%) of motorists
aged 18-24 decide not to claim in order to avoid jeopardising this bonus.

However, Confused.com cautions younger drivers to be wary of putting
themselves out of pocket by paying for expensive repairs or car replacement
where no third party is involved. They urge drivers to remember that while
accumulating years of no-claims discount is beneficial in obtaining a good insurance
quote, it might not make economic sense to neglect making a claim
significantly above their excess.

Confused.com say that motorists who have been forced to claim and have lost
their no-claims bonus can still get a good deal if they shop around for the
right policy. Motorists who are prepared to accept a higher excess and
restrict themselves to just the benefits they require, including perhaps the
options to protect their no-claims bonus, can help drive down the cost of
their premiums.