AA welcomes clamp down on careless drivers

By Tom Farley, Fri 15 Aug 2008 - Published in Car Insurance

One of the UK's leading car insurance providers has welcomed the Ministry of Justice's announcement that it plans to clamp down on careless drivers.

AA Insurance claims that new laws, which will allow courts to impose a prison sentence on drivers who cause death through not paying enough attention while behind the wheel, will make roads safer.

Avoidable distractions - such as using a mobile, eating or drinking and applying make-up - will also be taken into account during sentencing.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "Already many insurers significantly increase premiums or refuse cover for drivers who are convicted of careless driving, including convictions linked to the use of hand-held mobile telephones."

A survey of insurers revealed half would refuse a quote for a driver with a hand-held mobile phone offence and a careless driving offence, while those that did put up their prices by up to 50 per cent.

Meanwhile, Norwich Union has warned that a drink driving conviction could "seriously" increase the cost of car insurance.

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