Mobile-mad motorists face insurance price hike

A third (30 per cent) of British motorists admit illegally using their mobile phone while driving and not only face a £60 fine and three penalty points, but also risk a 54 per cent hike on motor insurance premiums if caught, reveals moneysupermarket.com.

The survey from the price comparison site found over a fifth of motorists (21 per cent) admit to reading or writing a text whilst driving, with those in the South West most text-obsessed (25 per cent). Motor-mouth men are more likely than their female counterparts to use their mobile whilst stopped at traffic lights (21 and 14 per cent respectively), while 14 per cent of motorists talk and drive at the same time.

Popular insurers LV= and Swiftcover will provide competitive cover for motorists without a mobile phone conviction (£161 and £176 respectively for a 40 year old male driver) but will not return a quote for the same motorist who has been caught using a mobile behind the wheel (see table in notes to editors). For those drivers, the next most competitive premium is £248 - an increase of 54 per cent.

Peter Gerrard, head of insurance research at price comparison site moneysupermarket.com, said: "We're a nation of mobile lovers and can't seem to let go of our phones even while driving. However, it's been illegal to use a hand-held mobile for nearly five years and whether it's to read a text or simply answering just to let the caller know you are driving, diverting your attention from the road for even a second can be catastrophic.

"What's worse is that this is not a rare occurrence and over one in eight of these drivers (13 per cent) admit using their mobile on a weekly basis or more. Motorists caught on their mobile when driving will not only face a fine of £60 and three penalty points but will also find their insurance premium drastically affected as well."

The poll reveals Londoners are the worst for using their phones without a hands-free kit while driving (17 per cent). Perhaps unsurprisingly the mobile generation of twenty-somethings are the worst of all age groups for using their mobile behind the wheel.

Peter Gerrard continued: "It is clear the ramifications for mobile-mad motorists will hit wallets hard - facing a hike on their premiums is a huge blow, especially when faced with a fine as well."