Car Insurance- How to save money on future renewals

Habib2342
Habib2342 Posts: 137 Forumite
First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
in Motoring
Hello,

Regrettably i recently acquired 6 penalty points after being caught doing 54 mph in a 30 mph zone on my way to work in April. This has been documented at length on this website http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=73074913#post73074913.

As a result I have had to pay a fine equivalent to a week's gross wages and paid an increased premium to my insurer to reflect the increased risk I now present out there..Needless to say I am now very careful of my motoring usage. Going forward what steps can I take to reduce my future insurance premiums as the points will now stay on my licence for at least another 4 years and insurers will now increase their premiums ?

thanks,

habib.
«1

Comments

  • paddyandstumpy
    paddyandstumpy Posts: 1,486 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Habib2342 wrote: »
    Going forward what steps can I take to reduce my future insurance premiums

    Stop speeding - not adding further points will reduce the price over time.

    Habib2342 wrote: »
    as the points will now stay on my licence for at least another 4 years

    Points will stay on your license for 4 years but most insurers ask (and you're obliged to tell the truth!) for motoring offences in the last 5 years.

    It would be relatively easy for insurers to find out in the 5th year if you have had points in the last 5 years, so I wouldn't avoid disclosing it just because they aren't on your license anymore.
  • Habib2342
    Habib2342 Posts: 137 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    so my insurance levels won't go back to normal until 2022 ?
  • BeenThroughItAll
    BeenThroughItAll Posts: 5,018 Forumite
    Habib2342 wrote: »
    so my insurance levels won't go back to normal until 2022 ?

    Correct. April 2022 to be precise.
  • fiisch
    fiisch Posts: 510 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    The insurance will go down the older the convictions gets - they are at their worst now the points are fresh.

    There is nothing you can do to lessen the perceived insurance risk, other than maybe changing your car to something of a lower insurance grouping.

    Unless you're a young driver and the conviction was an SP30 (I'm assuming it was given it was in a 30mph zone), the number of points you've got doesn't make a dramatic difference, and most insurers accept a single SP30/50 as inevitable on most people's licences (I say this as a former insurance underwriter).

    I don't think you have too much to worry about personally regarding insurance cost, unless you get caught again / the conviction is more serious than an SP30....
  • BeenThroughItAll
    BeenThroughItAll Posts: 5,018 Forumite
    fiisch wrote: »
    The insurance will go down the older the convictions gets - they are at their worst now the points are fresh.

    There is nothing you can do to lessen the perceived insurance risk, other than maybe changing your car to something of a lower insurance grouping.

    Unless you're a young driver and the conviction was an SP30 (I'm assuming it was given it was in a 30mph zone), the number of points you've got doesn't make a dramatic difference, and most insurers accept a single SP30/50 as inevitable on most people's licences (I say this as a former insurance underwriter).

    I don't think you have too much to worry about personally regarding insurance cost, unless you get caught again / the conviction is more serious than an SP30....

    You know SP30 in no way implies speeding in a 30MPH limit, right?
  • fiisch
    fiisch Posts: 510 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    BeenThroughItAll wrote: »
    You know SP30 in no way implies speeding in a 30MPH limit, right?

    Of course I do, I'm ashamed to say I know the conviction codes by heart - an SP30 is any speeding offence not on a motorway, which would be an SP50..... That's pretty much the only speeding codes you see for driving a car (occasionally SP60 which is undefined, but same difference).

    My point was more around if it was something along the lines of a DD40 - dangerous driving - which can be awarded if the speed is excessive or, my personal favourite, DD80 - "Furious Driving"! :rotfl:

    When the DD codes come out, that's where premiums do increase substantially, for obvious reasons.
  • Habib2342
    Habib2342 Posts: 137 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post Combo Breaker
    Am I missing something here because I passed my theory and driving test in 2005 and this is the first time since then I've received a penalty of this magnitude ? Have they reviewed the syllabus where students have to learn the offence codes and speeding fines because I can't recall this being in the syllabus back then ?
  • BeenThroughItAll
    BeenThroughItAll Posts: 5,018 Forumite
    Habib2342 wrote: »
    Am I missing something here because I passed my theory and driving test in 2005 and this is the first time since then I've received a penalty of this magnitude ? Have they reviewed the syllabus where students have to learn the offence codes and speeding fines because I can't recall this being in the syllabus back then ?

    Where has anyone suggested that?

    Your main problem is that you are indignant about getting caught at almost double the speed limit. Funnily enough though, learning the speed limits and that exceeding them is illegal hasn't changed since you passed your test.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,213 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Habib2342 wrote: »
    Am I missing something here because I passed my theory and driving test in 2005 and this is the first time since then I've received a penalty of this magnitude ? Have they reviewed the syllabus where students have to learn the offence codes and speeding fines because I can't recall this being in the syllabus back then ?

    The syllabus consists of three books - the Highway Code, Know Your Traffic Signs, and Driving - the Essential Skills. See https://www.gov.uk/theory-test/revision-and-practice

    The only change since 2005 is that the actual test questions are no longer published.

    The penalty points and maximum fines (but not the codes) are listed in the HC, so you could have been asked about them.
  • neilmcl
    neilmcl Posts: 19,460 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    Habib2342 wrote: »
    Hello,

    Regrettably i recently acquired 6 penalty points after being caught doing 54 mph in a 30 mph zone on my way to work in April. This has been documented at length on this website http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?p=73074913#post73074913.

    As a result I have had to pay a fine equivalent to a week's gross wages and paid an increased premium to my insurer to reflect the increased risk I now present out there..Needless to say I am now very careful of my motoring usage. Going forward what steps can I take to reduce my future insurance premiums as the points will now stay on my licence for at least another 4 years and insurers will now increase their premiums ?

    thanks,

    habib.
    Maybe you should also take care and understand what a Motorway is, because the road that you driving on wasn't ;)

    The steps to take to reduce premiums is the same for all of us. Shop around and stop getting caught for speeding.
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