The speed awareness course rule you must follow or risk invalidating car insurance
Speed awareness courses offer drivers the chance to avoid three points on their driving licence if they've been caught speeding.
And with NimbleFins research finding the cost of car insurance rises 20% after a driving conviction, a speed awareness course is a popular option for drivers.
However, while attendees avoid a driving conviction, it could still come up when comparing car insurance.
Do you have to declare speed awareness course to insurance?
It is not a legal requirement to automatically inform insurers of a speed awareness course, but drivers must declare it if they are asked if they've taken one in the past five years. And if they say no, despite having taken the course, they could fall foul of non-disclosure.
Mark Tongue, joint CEO and founder of Select Car Leasing told Express.co.uk: “The reality is that some insurers might view the need to attend such a course as indicative of sub-standard driving behaviour, which could mean they charge slightly higher premiums despite the motorist having no formal penalty on their record.
“If your insurer specifically asks if you have attended a speed awareness course, and you fail to provide the correct information, it could invalidate your insurance policy.”
Do speed awareness courses affect insurance?
While some insurers may not weigh a speed awareness course heavily when pricing your car insurance policy, others view it as a sign you’ve committed a driving offence, even if you weren’t prosecuted.
Some comparison websites ask about speed awareness courses as standard. Even if it doesn’t result in a more expensive premium, giving false information is a form of insurance fraud.
If you later need to make a claim, an insurer could reject it on the basis that you provided inaccurate information. That could mean paying thousands out of pocket after an accident.
Car insurance providers do share information about their policy holders and if a driver has previously invalidated their cover they will likely find it a lot harder and more expensive to find insurance in the future.
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