Hibernian & Penalty Points

Seth Brundle

from independent.ie

MOTORISTS with just five penalty points will be refused insurance cover by one of the country's biggest insurance companies from next month.

The move by Hibernian, in place from November 1, means applicants with five or more penalty points will be refused cover, the Irish Independent has learned.

Existing customers with six points or more will be hit with a 10pc loading. And for every point they have after that there will be a further 5pc loading.

This means that a driver with seven penalty points faces a 15pc loading on their insurance premium.

But the good news for existing motor policy holders who have so far picked up no points under the crackdown is that they are to get a full 10pc discount on their premiums at renewal time. The bonus means a cut of up to €100 on an average policy - and a €200 cut for a young driver currently being charged €2,000.

Treacy Hogan
Environment Correspondent

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by kbannon
from independent.ie

MOTORISTS with just five penalty points will be refused insurance cover by one of the country's biggest insurance companies from next month.

The move by Hibernian, in place from November 1, means applicants with five or more penalty points will be refused cover, the Irish Independent has learned.

Existing customers with six points or more will be hit with a 10pc loading. And for every point they have after that there will be a further 5pc loading.

This means that a driver with seven penalty points faces a 15pc loading on their insurance premium.

But the good news for existing motor policy holders who have so far picked up no points under the crackdown is that they are to get a full 10pc discount on their premiums at renewal time. The bonus means a cut of up to €100 on an average policy - and a €200 cut for a young driver currently being charged €2,000.

Treacy Hogan
Environment Correspondent

Refuse cover? Is it against the law to refuse cover?
Hibernian seem to be making up the rules as it goes along. They now make everyone do the ignition course regardless of age or car size.

A bunch of muppets

sceptre

Originally posted by Bond-James Bond
Refuse cover? Is it against the law to refuse cover?

Definitely on the grounds of age and presumably on any of the other grounds in the Equal Status Act. Being a dangeous muppet probably isn't listed there though:)

BogoBot

Originally posted by kbannon
from independent.ie

But the good news for existing motor policy holders who have so far picked up no points under the crackdown is that they are to get a full 10pc discount on their premiums at renewal time. The bonus means a cut of up to €100 on an average policy - and a €200 cut for a young driver currently being charged €2,000.

Treacy Hogan
Environment Correspondent

Anyone here know a "young driver" being charged €2,000? Early 20's with little or no experience?

That sentence might have been accurate five or six years ago.

Bogobot.

nellieswellies

Definitely on the grounds of age and presumably on any of the other grounds in the Equal Status Act. Being a dangeous muppet probably isn't listed there though

Yes but you are not legally being enough of a dangerous muppet for the state to deem you unfit to be on the road until you have 12 points clocked up.

rymus

what about someone with no penalty points given a 35-40% loading for no reason whatsoever? Any answer for that Hibernian?

Gmodified

Hibernian sucks big time. They screw people with cars and now with bikes too.

spockety

I presume of course that the 10% discount for not having any penalty points is in addition to the 10% discount year on year for no claims?

So at the end of the year you get 10% for no claims, and another further 10% for no points... right?? :P

rymus

yeah but as I've said above... those discounts only happen after theyve found some reason to raise your premium by 40% so in effect youre not getting a discount... rotten bastids :mad:

silverside

lads you're taking it personally. Face facts as young drivers with little experience, you are going to pay a lot for insurance, since ireland is an expensive country in which to have a crash, and somebody has to pay for it, so it will be the people who
A) have no track record
or
have shown they don't drive according to the rules of the road by clocking up penalty points.

If you dont like hibernian, feel free to shop around. The irish market is reasonably competitive, if anyone was making huge profits, someone would try to jump in with lower rates. Quinn Direct tried this at first and got stung.

What has and will make a difference is - competition and -enforcement of the driving laws. Insurance companies of course should be entitled to use all the information they can get hold of (penalty points, driving record, whether you wear a baseball cap, etc etc) to try and match risk and premium.

MadsL

The irish market is reasonably competitive

Really? Let's see...

My last but one policy was with One Direct - underwritten by Hibernian. Then I switched to Ford insure - underwritten by Hibernian, and now I'm insured with Hibernian (wonder who underwrites them).

Beginning to see a picture here...:rolleyes:

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by MadsL
Really? Let's see...

My last but one policy was with One Direct - underwritten by Hibernian. Then I switched to Ford insure - underwritten by Hibernian, and now I'm insured with Hibernian (wonder who underwrites them).

Beginning to see a picture here...:rolleyes:

Actually Hibernian would be underwrittten by Lloyds of London.

Cromwelly

Actually Hibernian would be underwrittten by Lloyds of London

Hibernian are the underwriters. They pass some of their risk to reinsurance companies of which there are only a handfull worldwide but they don't generally sell policies underwritten by Lloyds.

the evil belly

probably a bit different to most people here as a named driver but last year our insurance with hibernain was just under 2,200 and the renewal notica came and it's now gonna be just under 1,700. i've been on the policy 3 years, i'm 20 and with a full licence, the mother has a 50% ncb and it's on a 2001 1.5 litre almera hatchback thats supposedly woth 14 grand. got the 10% no points discount so how bad, it's just another reason not to behave like an utter knob when i'm behind the wheel

Faltermyer

Just thought id post something a little less negative about Hibernian.

Im 20, 2 years named, driving a '96 1.4 Honda Civic.

Got my own policy in July with Hibernian after being named with them for the past two years and its only €2348 3rd party F&T. Thats with breakdown assist, and a full 3rd party extension.

I got 20% NCD for my 2yrs named. And 30% off that again for IAM(they run Hibernian's Ignition scheme) membership. Once Im drivng 5 years(this year +2more), I can use my discount on bigger than a 1.4L. So Ill be 23 with a full NCB(as they give me same discount for named as it was with them), and a further 30% discount. All without any Tracker lark or having to deal with Quinn Direct!

Best quote I got otherwise was with Quinn Direct, of €3044, and that didnt have any benefits, and the 3rd party extension on it had restrictions(no jeeps, commercials or car-vans.). And that wouldnt go down for 2years because of their "introductory bonus".

Going to ring em soon to find out if I qualify for a refund on my policy or if It only applies from next year.

Bren

Faltermyer

Originally posted by silverside
ireland is an expensive country in which to have a crash

Quinn Direct tried this at first and got stung.

What has and will make a difference is - competition and -enforcement of the driving laws.

Agreed.

It is expensive. I remember hearing some statistic that of the average premium, ~40% goes towards legal costs!! In the UK it is ~10%, and in some part of Scandanavia only 2%. Though dont quote me on those figures please.

The problem is that next to the USA, we are one of the the most litigate societies in the world. We sue for everything, and when we do, we do it in style and sue for large amounts! Average whiplash claim here is ~€7000, in the UK, i think your lucky to top £1000!! Where do you think this money comes from?

Also, a rarely pointed out fact as to why young males have much higher insurance than women - In general, young guys travel around with a bunch of mates in the car, much more than young women do, therefore when there is a crash, there are 4 or 5claims as opposed to 1 or 2.

All this is not to say that I like paying high insurance(though I realise mine is reasonable compared to others- but thats not for no reason, ive kept my nose clean, and made the effort of doing advanced tests.), it is more to say that I realise that there is no personal vendetta on the part of Insurance companies to screw us. They are in business for christs sake, what, do you think they are there to help us? NO, they are there to make a profit like any other business.

Though, obviously, some consideration has to be given to the fact that they operate an industry where the product is not an option. It is, so to speak a complementary good in relation to a car - you cannot use a car without insurance. Not legally anyway. As such, there should be some government control.

Bren