Drivers 'stretching the truth' to get cheaper car insurance

16% of motorists have admitted to stretching the truth or even lying to get cheaper car insurance, a new survey has revealed.

The Green Insurer found the most common ‘untruth’ was falsely reducing annual mileage, something done by 65% of motorists who admitted stretching the truth.

Other common half-truths include declaring a car is kept in a garage when it isn’t, and putting the car in the name of a driver who was cheaper to insure. Nearly 1 in 5 admitted to this.

12% say their car is never used for work when, in reality, it is, while 11% fail to mention a previous claim such as a windscreen replacement.

Surprisingly some have even admitted to giving false details or lying about penalty points.

"It’s clear from our research that some motorists are taking drastic actions in an effort to try and reduce their costs," says The Green Insurer CEO Paul Baxter.

"Anyone tempted to misrepresent or embellish details on an insurance application should be aware that such actions can have serious consequences including policy cancellations or denied claims."

The majority of motorists, he added, are taking legal steps to try and reduce the cost of car insurance, such as using price comparison sites.

Almost 1 in 2 say they shop around to find the cheapest policy, with 13% saying they increase their excess or reduce optional add-ons such as no-claims protection.

Although they are an ever-less popular new car choice, 5% of drivers also said they bought a diesel car because they are cheaper to run.

Ask HJ

If I swap insurer do I have to tell them I made a claim for a windscreen replacement?

If I swap insurance providers do I have to tell them I made a claim for a windscreen replacement?

Yes, you should always tell your insurer, current or new, if you have made any claims in the past. Often, when you declare you have made a claim, ‘windscreen claim’ will be shown as an option and you can share the details. With the others, it's quite difficult for us to answer anything on legal processes as we don't have any insight on these - if we wanted to say something generic, it would be to raise their concerns with their insurer, or if they're not happy they can refer the case to the Financial Ombudsman: https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/

Answered by Rhydian Jones

More Questions