Swinton: penalty points won't drive up premiums

Swinton has announced that drivers who have penalty points on their licence will not automatically be charged higher premiums.

Commenting on the news, the ABI said the move reflects a change in attitude by the insurance industry.

As the number of motorists in the UK with penalty points grows insurers are beginning to recognize that points can be picked up for a variety of reasons and they do not always signal a risky driver.

“Insurance providers are having to accept that points alone can no longer be used as a yardstick for driver evaluation.

Neil Ackinclose, head of Swinton Specialist

As a result of the increase in the number of motorists now saddled with penalty points, Swinton said they will be looking at each case individually.

Neil Ackinclose, head of Swinton Specialist, explained: “A 2006 YouGov survey estimated that 16% of drivers now have points on their license. As that figure continues to grow - with some estimating the actual number of pointed drivers to be in the region of 10 million - insurance providers are having to accept that points alone can no longer be used as a yardstick for driver evaluation.

The vast majority of licence points are for speeding offences detected by camera. There are around 6,000 speed cameras on Britain's roads.