A CD10 conviction could add 40% to the cost of the car insurance. This increase varies from insurer to insurer. While AA pushes up premiums by 37%, Sainsbury does it by 28% and Privilege only by 17%. Other companies said the conviction would influence costs depending on individual cases.
"We're all guilty of eating or drinking behind the wheel but the fact is it can be dangerous. There is a direct correlation between those convicted of driving without due care and attention and fatal accidents. Insurance is a very black-and-white issue and the job of insurers is identifying customers who pose as possible risks. The cynical will say it is just a money-making scheme but it's a financial incentive to encourage drivers to be more careful," Ian Crowder, head of PR for AA, was quoted as saying by the DailyMail.
This initiative couldn't just go unnoticed by those affected. The Association of British Drivers expressed its opinion in return. "They started upping the premiums for speeding but clearly this is not enough. There is no evidence people caught eating an apple or swigging water and given three points are less likely to do it again. Insurance firms need to produce evidence which shows these drivers are more risky before they hike up the premiums," spokesman Nigel Humphries told the above mentioned source.
The plans include allowing police to stop "distracted" drivers and give instant £60 fines. "Spy ameras" will also be a part of this project. This way, all those who are caught being involved in distracting activities will receive a fine by post without even knowing they have been phoographed.
Up to 77 percent of drivers admit to tuning radios or changing CDs behind the wheel. More than half said they regularly ate or drank while driving, according to research by price comparison website Moneysupermarket.
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