Direct Line, a leading provider of car insurance, has asked that the new careless driving law should also encompass those drivers who are uninsured.
The new law, which came into force today, means drivers can be charged with death by careless driving, with a maximum penalty of 5 years in jail. Drivers who cause death through driving without car insurance, having no licence or having been disqualified face up to two years in jail according to Direct Line.
A spokeswoman from Direct Line felt that this situation should be reviewed as a matter of urgency since it appears somewhat unfair that the person who is breaking more laws gets a lesser sentence than the more law abiding one.
Hastings Direct has been fined GBP735,000 by the FSA (Financial Services Authority) for treating its customers unfairly. The car insurance company was found to have cancelled over 4,500 policies following a pricing error.
The problem was caused by the Hastings Direct car insurance quotation system, which generated quotes that were lower than the market rate. The insurer then decided to cancel these policies, a step that was not acceptable according to the FSA.
Although a cancellation clause was included within the policies the FSA felt that Hastings Direct should have considered other options first rather than invoking the cancellations. They believe that it is not acceptable to cancel cover because of what is simply a pricing error.
It comes as little surprise to anyone that the young drivers on our roads today are being charged much more for their car insurance than their older counterparts. The differences though are considerable.
A study has been carried out by an independent body, looking at the typical premiums being paid to car insurance companies such as Swinton Insurance and others like them. The research has found a difference of 115 percent between the national average car insurance cost and that paid by young drivers. The average figure for the nation is GBP439, while young drivers are paying GBP989. This works out for the young driver at nearly 70 percent of their cars value.
Could this be the reason some young drivers go without insurance it has been asked. In fact some young drivers have even had insurance declined simply because of their age, though Swinton are not understood to be one of the insurers that has done this.
