The MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) has sent out a stern warning to parents who are illegally ‘fronting’ their children’s vehicles, warning them that they are committing insurance fraud and the penalties could be severe.

According to research carried out by the MIB and Aviva, 41% of parents are currently fronting car insurance policies for their children even though they are aware that it is illegal.

The practice of fronting involves the parent of a young driver adding themselves to the insurance policy as the main driver of the vehicle in question. This means that the insurance company thinks that the main driver is older and more experienced, and the premium is reduced as a result.

However, the vehicle is actually being driven by an inexperienced driver, and may not even be kept at the address specified.

It seems that the attraction of a lower premium for young drivers is just too hard to resist, especially at the moment when premiums are continuing to rise and young drivers are forced to pay more than anyone else. But despite how unfair this situation might seem, it is a reality that must be dealt with.

The consequences of committing this kind of car insurance fraud can be serious. Not only is there a risk of prosecution, but if the child has an accident then they could find themselves uninsured should they make a claim.

The survey also revealed that up to 70% of people polled are unaware of what fronting is. The MIB wants more people to become aware of the illegal practice to prevent them committing fraud and having to face the consequences.

A moment’s absent mindedness at the petrol pump can be disastrous for both car and wallet, with recent research from BIBA (British Insurance Brokers’ Association) highlighting the fact that around a third of motor policies do not cover “misfuelling” incidents.

Around 150,000 of us fall into the misfuelling trap each year, with diesel drivers far more likely to succumb to the error due to the shape of the filler neck and nozzle. Only 5% of incidents relate to drivers putting diesel into their cars instead of petrol.

If you realise what you have done, on no account should you just drive away, hoping for the best. Not only could your repair costs rocket from around £300 for a fuel drain to as much as £6,000 for serious engine damage but you could also invalidate your insurance policy since you may then be deemed to have failed to take due care.

Instead, make sure that you notify the petrol station, breakdown service and your insurer straight away. If you are lucky your insurance company will treat the incident as accidental damage and pay for the repairs. However, many policies contain exclusions for misfuelling and third-party policies are unlikely to provide cover.

If it makes you feel any better you are not alone, with Wayne Rooney having incurred a bill of £6,000 after putting petrol in his wife Coleen’s Range Rover Sport V8. Even police drivers are not immune, with the Met having spent over a quarter of a million pounds since 2006 sorting out damage from the misfuelling of their cars.

The most likely times for the problem to occur are, perhaps predictably, Monday mornings and Friday evenings.