Bad news for motorists! According to the AA, car insurance costs are rising faster than at any time over the past 15 years. Average premiums have risen by 14% since last October 2008.
The increased cost of car insurance has been particularly brutal on young drivers, with premiums for third party, fire and theft policies rising by 17.6% over the year to an average quoted premium of £1,059 according to The Guardian.
One of the concerns over these figures must be that the cost of a policy rising, coupled with the number of people who are now unemployed or have their budget already stretched to breaking point, will lead to more individuals feeling that they have no option but to make the decision to drive without insurance. However, if an individual is found to be driving without insurance then this can be punishable with a fixed penalty of £200 and six penalty points on their licence.
Being involved in an car accident with someone who doesn’t possess insurance is therefore becoming a more common occurrence and can be particularly worrying for those who have suffered an injury as a result of a crash with an uninsured party.
Fortunately, those who are involved in such an accident can make a claim through the Motor Insurer’s Bureau (or MIB). The MIB deal with claims involving uninsured and untraced drivers but they are funded by all UK motorists through their insurance premiums. According to the MIB the cost of their operation is currently between £15-30 of an individual’s policy. However, this continues to rise as a result of increased legal costs and compensation.
With more uninsured drivers on the road this will again lead to a further increase in premiums where accidents occur and claims are made, which in turn will make it even more difficult for drivers to pay the cost of insurance and will lead to yet more people to not pay the cost of car insurance and the vicious cycle will continue.
