Penalty points - insurance increase

gw23

I got a speeding ticket for doing 38mph in a 30mph limit. I was actually following the ambulance that had my 95 year old Mum in it en route to the hospital, but it wasn't a blue lighter, so hey-ho I accept I was over the speed limit.

I've got the choice of paying and getting 3 penalty points or doing the speed awareness course. The course is about 45 miles away and costs £87.50 - so that's going to cost me at least £100 with my travel costs. I'm the sole carer for my Mum and it will probably mean getting in someone else to cover for me for at least part of the day, so that could be another £50 or thereabouts

I've done a quick motor insurance comparison declaring the 3 penalty points and it doesn't appear that my insurance would increase that much - looks to be around £20. In which case, with all the aggravation involved, I'd rather pay the increase and take the points.

Really wanting to just check with you folks if anyone has experienced a gigantic increase in their insurance after getting 3 points - to confirm to myself that I haven't missed something and the increase would not be that bad.

Thanks.

nidO

It'll probably vary fairly widely from insurer to insurer how much loading they apply for having 3 points.

Also bear in mind that while your current insurer may not load a policy that much with only 3 points its possible it skyrockets with 6, which could majorly shaft you if you end up getting another ticket in the next few years.

Personally, i'd do the course if it's been offered to be on the safe side, even if it does end up costing marginally more in the first year or two.

kingstreet

An old saying from PepiPoo;-

"It's easier to defend the first quarter of your licence, than the last."

If you aren't within limit + 10% + 9mph next time, you won't be offered a SAC.

Quentin

gw23 wrote: »

Really wanting to just check with you folks if anyone has experienced a gigantic increase in their insurance after getting 3 points - to confirm to myself that I haven't missed something and the increase would not be that bad.

Thanks.

3 points for sp30 makes little impact as you have seen.

In any case you should scour the market at renewal time irrespective of the renewal premium your current insurer offers you.

Nasqueron

I believe you get 3 years from the first SAC where you cannot be offered one again and have to get points - do they not offer one closer (or were you in a different police constabulary to the one you live in when you were zapped)?

gw23

Thanks everyone.

No Nasqueron, that's the closest one to me - same police constabulary - just want to punish us all even more for our sins I guess! And yes you're right it is 3 years before you can get offered one again.

Difficult one - I've had blemish free driving for over 40 years and I need to weigh up the chances of getting another ticket within 3 years. I never knowingly exceed the speed limit and I think I was about 1 - 200 yds into the 30mph - the road is 40mph for about 2 miles and then changes to 30. It was very early on a Sunday morning, a very quiet road (don't think I saw another car) and I suppose my mind was on what would happen to my Mum and I just didn't realise I'd already hit the 30mph bit.

Thanks again for your replies, they'll all help me come to the final decision.

forgotmyname

I took the points. The time off work would have cost me more than the course + any increase in insurance premium.

I was with direct line back then, I dont remember them charging me extra?
In fact i dont remember paying anything.

System

Nasqueron wrote: »

I believe you get 3 years from the first SAC where you cannot be offered one again and have to get points - do they not offer one closer (or were you in a different police constabulary to the one you live in when you were zapped)?

The police area makes no difference. If your are offered a SAC you can take it wherever you wish (in England & Wales, not sure how Scotland fairs). I took mine in a neighbouring area because it was cheaper than the one in my police area, neither area being where I was nabbed

Aretnap

!!!!!! wrote: »

The police area makes no difference. If your are offered a SAC you can take it wherever you wish (in England & Wales, not sure how Scotland fairs).

This only applies where the police force is signed up to the national scheme - which includes the large majority of them, but not all of them. Last time I checked the exceptions were Dorset (who are stubbornly independent, and will only let you do a course in their own area), and Scotland and Wiltshire (who don't do courses at all).

Aretnap

gw23 wrote: »

I've done a quick motor insurance comparison declaring the 3 penalty points and it doesn't appear that my insurance would increase that much - looks to be around £20. In which case, with all the aggravation involved, I'd rather pay the increase and take the points.

One thing to bear in mind is that the points remain declarable for 5 years and rating factors are variable - the fact that it only makes £20 of difference now doesn't necessarily mean that it will only make £20 of difference in 2019.

The effect of a single speeding conviction on your insurance premium has increased in recent years (link) and the trend might well continue. At least part of the reason is speed awareness courses. Once upon a time having 3 points for speeding probably meant that you'd been caught once, just over the speed limit. Nowadays most people in that situation do a speed awareness course instead, so most people who have 3 points will either have been caught twice or will have been significantly over the speed limit - hence the stronger association with increased risk.

Another factor may be the ruling which prevents insurers pricing their product differently according to the gender of the customer - forcing them to apply greater weight to the factors which they can still price on. Especially factors which correlate with gender - if more men than women get speeding tickets, which I suspect they do.

System

Dorset do a Driver Awareness course which covers a greater range of qualifying offences than the SAC so probably don't want to duplicate part of an existing course which they would have to do if they signed up to the national scheme