‘It’s clear from our research that some motorists are taking drastic actions in an effort to try and reduce their costs,’ says chief executive
One in six motorists have admitted to lying or stretching the truth on their car insurance applications in order to reduce the cost of their cover.
That was according to research conducted by The Green Insurer, which identified underreporting annual mileage as the most common falsehood used by drivers, with 65% of those who confessed to having stretched the truth admitting to doing so.
Other common falsifications included applicants saying their car was housed in a garage when it wasn’t (18%), putting their policy in the name of a less expensive to insure driver (18%), saying their car was never used for work when it was (12%) and neglecting to mention details such as penalty points or previous claims (11%).
Legal measures
The survey also identified that motorists are taking legal measures to minimise the cost of their cover.
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Some 47% of drivers said they shopped around for cheaper policies, 13% said they had reduced optional extras and add-ons to their policies and 5% said they had bought a diesel car as they are cheaper to run.
Paul Baxter, chief executive at The Green Insurer, said: “Car insurance bills are coming down but it’s clear from our research that some motorists are taking drastic actions in an effort to try and reduce their costs.
“While it’s good to see that the majority of drivers are taking sensible approaches, such as using price comparison sites to shop around for the best deal, anyone tempted to misrepresent or embellish details on an insurance application should be aware that such actions can have serious consequences including policy cancellations or denied claims.”
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