The ‘minor motoring offences’ committed by UK drivers that risk invalidating their insurance policies

The latest research from Tempcover has found that many British motorists are driving without the right insurance. A fifth (20%) of those surveyed admitted to test driving a car when making a private purchase without knowing if they have the correct driveaway insurance to take the car home. Over half (54%) of those who admitted to this were unaware they were committing a crime.

Many respondents were also unaware that they may not necessarily have the suitable cover to borrow a friend or relative’s car – 40% of those who didn’t check their insurance first had no idea this was illegal. Survey participants were also unaware that listing the following information incorrectly on their insurance applications is classed as insurance fraud that could invalidate the claim:

• Underestimating annual mileage (23%)
• Listing the incorrect occupation (20%)
• Declaring the wrong age (15%)
• Incorrectly listing the main driver incorrectly (13%)

The research forms part of a wider study on UK motorists’ views on ‘minor car crimes’. It found that an overwhelming number of British drivers (74%) believe they shouldn’t be charged for driving offences in cases where: they had a legitimate excuse (24%), they weren’t aware something was illegal (16%), there was no obvious signage to indicate something is illegal (15%), there should be a grace period from when new laws are introduced (14%), and it wasn’t covered in theory test (5%).

Tempcover’s research also found that Brits were unaware that eating or drinking at the wheel (42%), driving in inappropriate footwear such as flip flops or even barefoot (35%), playing music too loudly (31%), or failing to properly restrain a pet (25%), are all offenses if it was deemed to have caused dangerous driving.

Despite the first mobile phone driving laws being introduced 18 years ago, 24% still admit to handling their phone whilst driving and a shocking one in seven (14%) admit to texting on the road – a crime which a quarter (25%) of 25-34 year olds have admitted to. Regulations around mobile phone usage were tightened even further in April 2021 with a new law seeing drivers face six penalty points and a fine for touching their mobile phone for any reason while driving, closing a loophole that previously allowed motorists to take photos or videos at the wheel.

While many drivers expect to get away with committing these ‘minor’ offences, thousands are prosecuted every year for doing so. In 2019, 12,347 UK drivers were charged for careless driving offences, including unnecessarily slow driving or becoming distracted at the wheel by tasks such as eating and drinking. A further 11,402 were charged for using their mobile phone at the wheel in 2019, an offence which includes making a phone call, sending a text, accessing the internet or following a map with a hand-held mobile whilst on the road.

Tempcover CEO Alan Inskip says: “Regardless of how menial the offences may seem to be, they are in place to ensure the safety of drivers and their passengers. The reality is that breaching even the inconspicuous rules could see drivers face hefty fines and points on their license. These infringements could also potentially invalidate their claims, increasing the cost of insurance and making it difficult to find an insurer to cover them at all.”