Does insurance know you have penalty points?

Johnboner

I have never received penalty points (yet) it seems like if you got 2 or 3 penalty points it would be a great excuse for them to increase their premiums as much as after a claim. Would getting any penalty points would make insurance unaffordable or do they even know?

Raging_Ninja

Johnboner wrote: »

I have never received penalty points (yet) it seems like if you got 2 or 3 penalty points it would be a great excuse for them to increase their premiums as much as after a claim. Would getting any penalty points would make insurance unaffordable or do they even know?

The problem is if you are involved in a crash and you didn't declare the penalty points. Your policy should have details regarding it.

Comhrá

I got two penalty points back in 2011 (doing 109 kmh in a 100 zone) and my insurance company charged me roughly €40 extra per year for the three years I had them.

I've been very careful to avoid points ever since, I might add. I also changed my insurance company and haven't gone back to them.

Oh by the way, I wouldn't even dream of not notifying the insurance company if you've got a few points........the consequences could be serious . Best be honest even if they scalp you a bit.

mgbgt1978

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/motor-insurance-firms-given-access-to-penalty-points-database-1.2727474

Probably more Insurers added since......

ml100

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/motor-insurance-firms-given-access-to-penalty-points-database-1.2727474

Probably more Insurers added since......

Renewing mine at the moment, I was with fbd a few years ago but moved because they were too expensive, I have tried them for the last two years but this year they asked for my driving licence number for the first time, I assume it was to check if I had points (I don't have any points) quote was still way off

CiniO

I wonder if there are any other countries than Ireland and UK, where insurers inflate insurance premiums based on penalty points.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder if there are any other countries than Ireland and UK, where insurers inflate insurance premiums based on penalty points.

In all fairness, that's a genuine reason to load a premium.

Johnboner

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder if there are any other countries than Ireland and UK, where insurers inflate insurance premiums based on penalty points.

There isn't most countries insure the car not the driver.

chicorytip

ml100 wrote:

Renewing mine at the moment, I was with fbd a few years ago but moved because they were too expensive, I have tried them for the last two years but this year they asked for my driving licence number for the first time, I assume it was to check if I had points (I don't have any points) quote was still way off

I think they ask for the number in order to verify the type of licence the proposer claims to hold rather than to check for penalty points which may have been accumulated.

mgbgt1978

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

In all fairness, that's a genuine reason to load a premium.

Not really, as it's far from fair.
For the thousands who get detected by GoSafe Cameras every year there are tens of thousands who go undetected.
Just because you don't have Points does not mean you are not regularly committing an offence.
If minor speeding is a genuine reason to load premiums would it not make more sense for all Insurers to follow the likes of Boxymo and install a telematics device? Then the Insurers wouldn't even have to check Penalty Point Records as they would have Live info from every single Customer .

Gumbo

Johnboner wrote: »

I have never received penalty points (yet) it seems like if you got 2 or 3 penalty points it would be a great excuse for them to increase their premiums as much as after a claim. Would getting any penalty points would make insurance unaffordable or do they even know?

Most insurance companies do not load the premiums for anything 3 or less points.

You have to declare it to them as even a claim when your not at fault can be questioned. My sisters car was robbed and she had to provide a copy of her licence record to AXA. It's a form you request from the RSA and it details out any current or previous points and endorsements.

bear1

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder if there are any other countries than Ireland and UK, where insurers inflate insurance premiums based on penalty points.

Italy.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Not really, as it's far from fair.
For the thousands who get detected by GoSafe Cameras every year there are tens of thousands who go undetected.
Just because you don't have Points does not mean you are not regularly committing an offence.
If minor speeding is a genuine reason to load premiums would it not make more sense for all Insurers to follow the likes of Boxymo and install a telematics device? Then the Insurers wouldn't even have to check Penalty Point Records as they would have Live info from every single Customer .

Seriously? Rather than base a judgement off a perfectly acceptable record such as penalty points, you'd rather see everyone have a telematics device in their car, because it's "fairer"?

What a brain fart of a post.

hognef

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

In all fairness, that's a genuine reason to load a premium.

Only if they have actual evidence suggesting a higher number of penalty points correlate with more frequent or larger claims.

grogi

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

Not really, as it's far from fair.
For the thousands who get detected by GoSafe Cameras every year there are tens of thousands who go undetected.
Just because you don't have Points does not mean you are not regularly committing an offence.
If minor speeding is a genuine reason to load premiums would it not make more sense for all Insurers to follow the likes of Boxymo and install a telematics device? Then the Insurers wouldn't even have to check Penalty Point Records as they would have Live info from every single Customer .

If you have points, you commited an offence. If you don't have any, you might have commited an offence...

It is enough to tip the propability balance.

Raging_Ninja

CiniO wrote: »

I wonder if there are any other countries than Ireland and UK, where insurers inflate insurance premiums based on penalty points.

I've seen it in the US, but it's based on the number and types of driving convictions so not a direct comparison.

mgbgt1978

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

Seriously? Rather than base a judgement off a perfectly acceptable record such as penalty points, you'd rather see everyone have a telematics device in their car, because it's "fairer"?

What a brain fart of a post.

No it's not serious. Hence the 'wink' at the end :rolleyes:.
Although surely a person with penalty points has already received their punishment with a Fine, the Points themselves, and the possibility of losing their Licence if they continue to rack up Points.
I don't think that Penalty points were introduced as a reason for Insurers to screw Drivers for even more money. Surely they are meant to deter Drivers from committing motoring offences.
From the RSA;
"Penalty points are designed to encourage safe driving and reduce casualties on our roads."
No mention there of being a "genuine reason to load a premium".

Liam McPoyle

Aviva are the only company that I know of that definitely apply a loading for any penalty points.

There may be others but I also know of a few that will not apply a loading for less than 6.

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

mgbgt1978 wrote: »

No it's not serious. Hence the 'wink' at the end :rolleyes:.

Right.

Although surely a person with penalty points has already received their punishment with a Fine, the Points themselves, and the possibility of losing their Licence if they continue to rack up Points.
I don't think that Penalty points were introduced as a reason for Insurers to screw Drivers for even more money. Surely they are meant to deter Drivers from committing motoring offences.
From the RSA;
"Penalty points are designed to encourage safe driving and reduce casualties on our roads."
No mention there of being a "genuine reason to load a premium".

They're not 'punishing' you, they're charging you a higher premium because you're seen as a bigger risk of having a claim made against the policy.

mgbgt1978

They kinda are punishing you.
You're being loaded because not because you were speeding/using a mobile etc, but because you were caught speeding/using a mobile.
As I'm sure you see yourself every day there are thousands of people out there exceeding the speed limit, talking on mobiles, and loads more offences.
Yet the vast majority of these people are not in any danger of having their premiums loaded, simply because they are either not detected or, in many cases, a guard isn't interested in pulling them.

So in that respect I don't think it's fair for Insurers to load premiums just because somebody has received a few points. Not when there are far more people out there committing exactly the same offences.

cplwhisper

If u provide ur licence number to AXA then they can read your PP history to a level

"#123456 has 3 pp in the last 3 yrs will flag" on system but particular data needs to confirmed by licence holder, prefairably in advance if system check

Axa don't charge for first 4 pp subject that got 2 offences which are speed, phone or seatbelt...

5 or more pp on individual licence will incur minimum 25% loading

That said any points, even 3 , issued by court may incur auto loading depending on offence handed down.

Pp Must be disclosed by drivers to their insurer , as failure to do so could invalidate a claim / policy for Non/Discliaure