Careless drivers hit by long-term financial penalties

Confused.com, UK car insurance comparison site, can reveal that drivers with penalty points on their licence will pay up to 60% - or £370 - more for their car insurance than those with a clean licence. Recent Confused.com research shows that young drivers are significantly penalised for receiving points on their licences. For example, a 21-year-old female from Manchester, driving a 1.3 Ford Fiesta would suffer a 92% increase - or £895 difference - in her insurance premium as a result of receiving six penalty points on her licence. Worse than this, nine penalty points would mean a 210% increase - or £2048.

Interestingly women in their fifties face higher premiums than their male counterparts when hit with penalty points. While a 55 year old man from Bristol driving a 3.0 litre BMW MX5 would see a 49% increase after receiving six points on his licence, a woman with the same credentials faces a whopping 81% rise in her insurance premium.

Carlton Hood, chief executive officer of Confused.com, said: "As well as suffering from additional insurance costs immediately after gaining points on a licence, motorists are often asked by insurance companies whether they have received points in the last five years. If the answer is yes, insurance premiums remain high long after the points have expired. However, steep financial penalties do not seem to be acting as a deterrent, with a worrying 3.2 million driving convictions recorded on Confused.com in the last twelve months.

"While speeding is a tempting option for some, we would advise our customers to think carefully before making poor driving decisions. Saving two minutes on your journey time by skipping a red light or driving over the speed limit not only endangers yourself and others around you, but you are risking a large fine, a tarnished licence and potentially higher insurance premiums."