Penalty Points & Insurance

The-Game

Mate of mine got stopped last week for speeding, was something like 25km over the limit. This came up as a topic of conversation with the lads the other night and there was some confusion about whether or not the 2 points will increase his insurance premium. Me and some of the others thought it takes 4 points to bring up your premium others said more.

Has anyone any ideas is it 2, 4 or more that increase your premium???

macroman

I can't see 2 points doing much to his insurance premium.

Random

Generally 2 points shouldn't affect your insurance from what people are saying and the feedback I've heard from some insurance companys when asking (including my own).

You should declare them to your insurance company anyway.

Seth Brundle

Random wrote: »

You should declare them to your insurance company anyway.

We recently had this debate.
Telling the insurance company will depend on what is stipulated within the policy documents. However, as most companys do not enquire about points (as they have no access to the database) then presumably they don't say anything regarding them.

Anan1

I don't think most ins cos will load for 2 points, but i'm pretty sure Hibernian gave me a discount for 0. (which is, I suppose, a loading for 2 by another name)

FearDark

I had 2 points added to my licence and they didnt make a blind bit of difference to my insurance. Still its nice to have them gone now.

I remember the girl on the phone telling me that they only care when you have 4 points and basicly expect people to get 2 points at sone stage.

bookerboy

Would six points make a major difference to your insurance?(Not saying i have or haven't)

The-Game

FearDark wrote: »

I had 2 points added to my licence and they didnt make a blind bit of difference to my insurance. Still its nice to have them gone now.

I remember the girl on the phone telling me that they only care when you have 4 points and basicly expect people to get 2 points at sone stage.

Yeah most people seem to have gotten done for something at this stage now!

antodeco

I got 4 points in one go for undertaking on the motorway. I then got another 4 points for challenging 2 points (no record of me speeding, just a letter from a Garda who saw me doing it. Judge accepted his word over mine, without evidence)

Ho hum :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

What was the actual 'charge' with regard to the undertaking on the left as it does not appear to be listed directly on penaltypoints.ie (see beow with both fixed payment and court conviction points awarded)?

Driving without reasonable consideration 2 / 4
Driving on the hard shoulder on a motorway 1 / 3
Driver found to be driving carelessly (introduced 4 June 2004) M / 5

The-Game

antodeco wrote: »

I got 4 points in one go for undertaking on the motorway. I then got another 4 points for challenging 2 points (no record of me speeding, just a letter from a Garda who saw me doing it. Judge accepted his word over mine, without evidence)

Ho hum :rolleyes:

How much of a fine did you get nailed with for that in the end??

antodeco

kbannon wrote: »

What was the actual 'charge' with regard to the undertaking on the left as it does not appear to be listed directly on penaltypoints.ie (see beow with both fixed payment and court conviction points awarded)?

Driving without reasonable consideration 2 / 4
Driving on the hard shoulder on a motorway 1 / 3
Driver found to be driving carelessly (introduced 4 June 2004) M / 5

Trying to remember. Think it was failing to overtake on the right (even though I was actually coming off at the next exit and was going quicker than the other cars all in the right lane).

The-Game wrote: »

How much of a fine did you get nailed with for that in the end??

Just the 4!

Seth Brundle

antodeco wrote: »

Trying to remember. Think it was failing to overtake on the right (even though I was actually coming off at the next exit and was going quicker than the other cars all in the right lane).

In that case, you shouldn't have gotten points as the charge doesn't exist (with regard to live points offences). Were you done under one of the other offences then you should have got 2 points (or 4 if contested unsuccessfully in court)

antodeco

kbannon wrote: »

In that case, you shouldn't have gotten points as the charge doesn't exist (with regard to live points offences). Were you done under one of the other offences then you should have got 2 points (or 4 if contested unsuccessfully in court)

Hmm, it could be "dangerous overtaking". Im thinking back at how I got a fine in the post, I paid it, but never got any notification of points.

The-Game

antodeco wrote: »

Hmm, it could be "dangerous overtaking". Im thinking back at how I got a fine in the post, I paid it, but never got any notification of points.

Seemingly you don't get notification of the points and dont get informed when they have expired either!!

Random

You have to get notification of your penalty points in the post and they have to give you notice before adding them.

Henry Ford III

kbannon wrote: »

We recently had this debate.
Telling the insurance company will depend on what is stipulated within the policy documents. However, as most companys do not enquire about points (as they have no access to the database) then presumably they don't say anything regarding them.

No.

The policyholder has an obligation under insurance law to disclose anything "material" to the assessment of the risk.

2 penalty points may or may not affect the premium, but the duty to disclose still applies regardless.

Seth Brundle

The-Game wrote: »

Seemingly you don't get notification of the points and dont get informed when they have expired either!!

That's nonsense. How else would you know when they start (or even know about them at all)?

Henry Ford III wrote: »

No.

The policyholder has an obligation under insurance law to disclose anything "material" to the assessment of the risk.

2 penalty points may or may not affect the premium, but the duty to disclose still applies regardless.

When applying for insurance with many companys, it is not requested (by them) as they have no access to the NVDF.

Henry Ford III

kbannon wrote: »

When applying for insurance with many companys, it is not requested (by them) as they have no access to the NVDF.

That doesn't matter. The responsibility to declare anything "material" rests with the proposer. Always.

The-Game

Henry Ford III wrote: »

That doesn't matter. The responsibility to declare anything "material" rests with the proposer. Always.

True. That's generally stated in your policy somewhere too that if you acquire any points while your under policy that you have to inform them.

dubmick

am I correct in saying that they expire after 3 years?

daveharnett

Henry Ford III wrote: »

That doesn't matter. The responsibility to declare anything "material" rests with the proposer. Always.

Surely what's material is open to interpretation? If the insurers don't load for two points, then is it material? Do you need to call your insurers if you're feeling stressed, or in a hurry?

Henry Ford III

daveharnett wrote: »

Surely what's material is open to interpretation? If the insurers don't load for two points, then is it material? Do you need to call your insurers if you're feeling stressed, or in a hurry?

The only interpretation is by the insurers, not the policyholders. Insurance Law is pretty specific.