MSE News: Online driving records could cut car insurance bills

Aretnap

http://www.newsinsurances.co.uk/car-insurance-price-index-reveals-dramatic-drops-in-prices/0169493491

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/motorinsurance/10396910/Cost-of-car-insurance-falls-at-fastest-rate-in-20-years.html

My own premium this year is £175. Last year I was paying nearly £100 more than that. The only changes to my circumstances are that I'm now 39 rather than 38 and my car is 12 years old rather than 11.

But I read on an Internet forum that insurers are thieving bar stewards who never reduce prices for anyone, so I guess I must ave imagined that.

cepheus

The move to online will make the paper counterpart of a licence obsolete and will be phased out by 2015 in favour of a single, plastic photocard licence. Old-style paper licences, held by an estimated 10 million motorists, will be abolished shortly after

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/10559470/Car-insurance-premiums-will-come-down-as-Government-puts-all-driving-licence-records-online.html

I guess it will be the equivalent of applying for a new licence and 5+ year old points will be taken off (hopefully). At the time I declared the point and paid more.

It's a scandal that so many people got away without doing so. another example of crime pays.

adouglasmhor

Aretnap wrote: »

http://www.newsinsurances.co.uk/car-insurance-price-index-reveals-dramatic-drops-in-prices/0169493491

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/motorinsurance/10396910/Cost-of-car-insurance-falls-at-fastest-rate-in-20-years.html

My own premium this year is £175. Last year I was paying nearly £100 more than that. The only changes to my circumstances are that I'm now 39 rather than 38 and my car is 12 years old rather than 11.

But I read on an Internet forum that insurers are thieving bar stewards who never reduce prices for anyone, so I guess I must ave imagined that.

Wait till you hit 50

vaio

usefulmale wrote: »

That is the posters business but it doesn't alter the fact that so long as you are contactable at the address on your licence then it doesn't have to be your current address. My green paper licence has my parents address on it and I also moved out 25 years ago.

same here and I moved out in 1979.

The only reason DVLC will ever need to contact me is to send a reminder that my licence is about to expire when I'm 70 and when they do no doubt my parents (then aged 99) will leave the letter on the hall bookcase for me or one of my siblings to pick up and deal with just as they have done for the last 35 years.

As this is a flawless simple system that doesn't cost anything or generate any money for the government I full expect them to change it for something that generates money when they spot it.

AdrianC

All those being smug about still being on an old paper-only licence have got a shock in store when they find out that they're being phased out, and everybody will need to have a photocard in a couple of years time.

It's nearly 20yrs now since photocards came in, after all...

Nor do I see any significant increase in risk of identity theft because of this (I'm an IT techie, btw).

TBH, I'm in favour of it.

vaio

not sure about smug, more don't see the point in changing. I paid the going rate for my licence when I passed my test with the proviso that it's valid until I hit 70 and I can't see any reason to change that agreement.

Had I gone for a [STRIKE]id card[/STRIKE] photo licence when they were introduced I'd now be coming up to my second £20 photo renewal fee.......not very MSE is it.

More generally, I wouldn't be surprised if the driving licence went the way of the HMRC CIS card, was originally paper, then became photo and now is done entirely online. If DL goes the same way hopefully I'll miss out the photo stage completely

AdrianC

vaio wrote: »

If DL goes the same way hopefully I'll miss out the photo stage completely

Not unless it's introduced in the next year, since the old licences will cease to be valid in 2015. And since there's not even been any consultations on it...

vaio

AdrianC wrote: »

Not unless it's introduced in the next year, since the old licences will cease to be valid in 2015. And since there's not even been any consultations on it...

Don't suppose you have a link to that?

All I can find is variations on the paper counter part to a photo licence will be phased out starting in 2015 probably when drivers update their photo, nothing about my old paper licence which is valid until I hit 70

AdrianC

vaio wrote: »

Don't suppose you have a link to that?

All I can find is variations on the paper counter part to a photo licence will be phased out starting in 2015 probably when drivers update their photo

All part of the same thing. The photocard will be the only valid licence from 2015.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20968886
"Photo-card driving licences are set to become mandatory in 2015"

nothing about my old paper licence which is valid until I hit 70

Not quite. Your entitlement to drive is valid until 70, subject to future legislation changes. They make no promises about whether the sheet of paper will be valid or not.

cepheus

Don't suppose you have a link to that?

I've just answered all that in post 53!