Driven to distraction costing Brits £3.3 million a year

Distracted drivers are rife on our roads, and are risking hefty hikes to their car insurance premiums if they are caught being careless behind the wheel, says moneysupermarket.com.

Analysis reveals that the 16,485 motorists who are convicted of driving without due care and attention each year are not only facing a £60 fine and three points on their license but also an increase in their car insurance premiums of over £200 (27 per cent), amounting to an additional £3.3m on annual premiums.

Additional moneysupermarket.com research reveals that over eight in ten drivers (82 per cent) get preoccupied whilst driving. The top three distractions admitted by motorists include:

Changing stations on the radio/changing a CD (61 per cent)
Eating and drinking (51 per cent)
Taking mobile phone calls (23 per cent)

Furthermore, a fifth of drivers (16 per cent) admit sending text messages while driving, with over a third (36 per cent) of under 35s saying they had done this. Motorists also admit to ignoring basic safety measures, with 15 per cent of drivers not wearing a seatbelt. The research found motorists living in Northern Ireland are the biggest danger on the roads, with 87 per cent of drivers admitting to having been distracted to the point of driving without due care and attention - compared to 74 per cent of those living in the North West.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at moneysupermarket.com said: "The UK's roads are becoming busier every year so  taking your eyes off the road, even for a second to make a phone call or eat a quick snack, could lead to severe, or even fatal, consequences. More worryingly, as our research shows, some motorists are not only being unnecessarily distracted but are even failing to take basic safety precautions when driving such as wearing a seatbelt.

Motorists who are convicted of "driving without due care and attention" (conviction code CD10) can expect their insurance premiums to increase by an average 27 per cent - or £202 a year. In some instances, having a CD10 conviction could add as much as an extra £402 to the cost, an increase of 63 per cent.

Peter Harrison continued: "Although it may be unintentional, careless drivers are a menace on the roads and are a danger to both themselves and others. The penalties for this kind of behaviour are huge and can really impact on the cost of your insurance premiums. Not only are these bad driving habits, but also expensive habits if you are caught - it really isn't worth taking the risk."