Cheap car insurance after a ban – is there such a thing?
Finding cheap car insurance can be difficult, even if you’re an experienced, careful driver with a clean licence over the age of 25 (all the boxes insurance companies like ticked). Imagine, then, how much more difficult it is to get any kind of affordable car insurance if you have points on your licence or have had a ban? Cheap car insurance after a ban is a challenge for both the driver and many insurance companies.
Any form of endorsement on your licence, whether it’s three points for speeding, using your mobile phone while driving, or a drink-driving ban, will impact your ability to get cover later on. If you’re already with an insurance company, then expect your premiums to rocket up next time the renewal notice comes through. If you’re under the age of 25 (which is when you’re most at risk of getting those dreaded points), then it could be almost impossible to find cover.
Need help with your car insurance after a ban? Call us now on 0117 955 6835 for a quote.
One thing you must never do, though, is to try and hide the fact that you’ve had a run-in with the law. If you have a poor driving record, then you must be honest with your insurance company. If you do need to make a claim later on and you haven’t fully disclosed your driving history (including points, bans and accidents) then your insurance company may reject your claim and refuse to reinsure you. And that could leave you badly out of pocket.
Why are insurance companies so strict?
It’s all down to statistics. By its very nature, insurance of any kind is based on risk assessment. When you throw vehicles, inexperienced drivers, and adverse conditions into the mix then that risk level is high, but still acceptable. But statistically, criminally convicted drivers are still more likely to have an accident or become involved in one (even if it’s not their fault). This adds an additional level of risk into an already unpredictable situation, and that’s just a little bit too much risk for most insurance companies.
Some insurance companies will provide cover, as long as your conviction has nothing to do with driving, but others won’t, and also include CCJs and even bankruptcy as a reason to refuse insurance. It’s seen as a negative character indication, and while it may not be fair, insurance companies do have the right to refuse cover if they feel that an applicant is statistically too high a risk.
Remember too, that even if you’re not driving your car, it still needs to be either insured or registered as SORN (under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement or CIE rules that took effect in 2011). So, if you’re serving a ban but still have a vehicle registered in your name you will need to either SORN it or contact your insurance company and talk through your options with them.
How to get back in the insurance company’s good books
While some insurance companies can be very draconian about convictions, other are more prepared to give convicted drivers a second chance – but it will cost you. Until you’ve re-established that you’re a trustworthy driver (and that could take a few years), you’ll have to accept that your premiums are going to be higher than they would be if you had a clean licence. But the longer you keep a good driving record, the lower your premiums will get.
While the usual big names may be a little reluctant to offer you cover, especially if your conviction involves a ban for drink driving, there are specialist companies that are prepared to provide car insurance for convicted drivers. Again, you will need to accept that your premiums are going to be much higher, but at least you’ll be able to get back on the road legally and start to rebuild your reputation as a reliable driver.
You can also start to rebuild your reputation by agreeing to an insurance provider fitting a ‘black box’ into your car. This is also known as ‘telematics car insurance’, and is popular with younger drivers and those with convictions. Basically, you have a small, tamper-proof box fitted into your vehicle that records your driving behaviour (such as speed, harsh acceleration or braking, etc.) and relays that information back to the insurance provider. It also records your mileage, and your insurance company will then be able to ensure they’re asking a fair premium based on your actual driving, rather than those statistics we talked about earlier. You can also raise your excess to reduce your premiums, but make sure the excess you agree to is affordable.
After a certain amount of time, convictions can be regarded as ‘spent’, which means you no longer have to declare them to insurance providers. So, if you do have points or even a ban on your driving history, eventually you will be able to re-join the ranks of the ‘trusted drivers’ that insurance companies like.
Need advice? Call us now on 0117 955 6835 for a chat.