Motorists fed up with speed cameras as car insurance premiums rise

Fri, 07 Apr 2006

Motorists are getting frustrated with the rising number of speed cameras on the UK's roads, according to research by an insurance provider.

Within a decade there has been a 328 per cent increase in speeding camera convictions with fines annually exceeding £114 million every year, reveals insurance provider, Swiftcover.

This in turn is driving up motor insurance costs, with insurance premiums potentially increasing by £36 million every year.

A report compiled by the research agency Datamonitor found that many drivers are fed up with the excessive use of speed cameras, believing they have little impact on improving standards of driving.

The research found that 69 per cent of drivers caught by the cameras thought they were driving safely at the time of being caught.

Over half said that they believe speed cameras can even result in poorer standards of driving, with drivers tending to "yo-yo" between speed cameras, erratically speeding up and then slowing down.

Andrew Blowers, chief executive at swiftcover believes that speed camera convictions can unfairly penalise safe drivers in terms of their car insurance premiums.

"The plague of speed cameras on the nation's roads hits the motorist hard in the pocket. Getting flashed by a camera is of course a double whammy for many as not only are they hit with the fine, but the conviction can lead to an increase in insurance premiums, " he said.

He argues that his company has found that drivers with one speeding conviction are just as safe as those with none, and with that in mind his company refuses to hike up insurance premiums for motorists caught out only once.

The Datamonitor survey supports his argument by revealing that four out of five people convicted of speeding had a completely clean licence when they were caught, with no history of other types of dangerous driving offences.

add to favouritesnewsletterlink to this pagesend to friendpost comments

Link to this page

Copy and Paste the following HTML into your page.



Simplyhealth Dental Plan

Affordable cover from only £7.50 per month. Join now and get first month FREE

Health cover, life insurance and PMIProtect Your Health

Find Critical illness, Life and Private Medical Insurance PMI policies.

Save money on your mortgageSave on Your Mortgage

Would you like to save money on your mortgage? Fill out our quick mortgage enquiry form.