Older drivers risk higher premiums with a quarter of motorists committing car insurance fraud
Elderly drivers could face punishments for trying to save their children money
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Almost a quarter of older drivers could be committing insurance fraud, which could result in them receiving hefty punishments.
New data has found that 22 per cent of parents of young drivers have insured their child’s car under their own name – a technique known as “fronting”.
Fronting is when a driver who is older or more experienced claims they are the main user of a car when it is in fact mostly driven by a young person.
That young person is more likely to be inexperienced on the road and could be more likely to end up in an accident.
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People do this to keep the cost of their insurance down and potentially save hundreds of pounds in the process.
Around 22 per cent of older people have admitted that they do this to help save money for their younger children.
Experts are warning that if a child is listed as an additional driver when they are the sole user of the car, they are technically committing insurance fraud, which could result in them seeing higher premiums and could potentially have their cover refused or cancelled.
Drivers were most likely to do this in London and Yorkshire and the Humber, with 29 per cent admitting they “front” their insurance.
Tom Banks, insurance expert for Go.Compare, said: “As the cost of living crisis continues to affect families, it is not surprising that families are looking to save money wherever they can.
“The financial strain will be particularly felt by families facing big new expenses such as buying someone their first car.
“Many parents unfortunately don’t realise that insuring a child’s car in your name, when you aren’t the main driver, is an illegal offence.
“It can seem like a cost-saving idea, but as fronting is considered insurance fraud, you may well end up with at best a voided policy, and at worst a significant fine and a criminal record.”
Car insurance prices are rising at unprecedented levels, with many drivers struggling to keep up with the expensive costs.
According to Go.Compare, the average price of car insurance for a younger driver earlier this year was a whopping £905.
The trend of insurance fraud is also increasing, given that last year only 20 per cent of people admitted to fronting.
A staggering 52 per cent of people said they would consider putting their name on the insurance if it allowed someone else to get cheaper car insurance.
Tom Banks added: “A lot of people are under financial pressure right now, but there are things that you can do to get the best deals on your child’s car insurance without turning to risky decisions to save money.”
Drivers are instead encouraged to shop around for a policy, and not pay for expensive insurance with extras that are not needed.
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Experts also suggest that motorists should avoid making improvements to their car, given that a factory-standard car is cheaper to insure, with the Peugeot 107 being the cheapest car to insure for a younger driver.