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Insurance

Over a million drivers keep quiet for the insurance payout

Tahmina Mannan
Written By:
Tahmina Mannan
Posted:
Updated:
05/11/2012

Over a million drivers have made false insurance claims in order to ensure they get an insurance payout, according to Moneysupermarket.com.

Research by the comparison site revealed over one million motorists have made a false claim in the past, and a further one in six drivers state they would keep quiet about having left their car unsecured if it was then stolen as a result.

The survey asked motorists to consider motoring scenarios and how much information they would tell their insurer should they need to make a claim on their policy.

The results showed that male drivers are more likely to withhold information and make a false claim compared to their female counterparts.

Pete Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket.com said: “It might be tempting to make a false claim and our research shows the worrying degree to which drivers are willing to make fraudulent claims.

“However, the insurance industry is fighting hard to reduce the number of false claims and will conduct lengthy investigations where necessary.”

Almost one in five men said they would not tell their insurer if their car had been stolen as a result of them not properly securing it; of those, 13% would never tell in case it voided a claim.

This compared to 14% of female drivers admitting they wouldn’t tell an insurer, and one in ten of those feared it would void a claim.

Five per cent of drivers admit they would try and make a false insurance claim.

Male drivers were found to be more prepared to make a false claim following an accident where there was no damage to their car, as four per cent said they would do it for the money, compared to just one per cent of female motorists.

A further 14% of men said they would think about it, compared to one in ten women.

Harrison continued: “The cost of these fraudulent claims mounts up, for example, false whiplash claims add around £90 a year to a typical car insurance policy, meaning we are all paying more for our cover as a result.

“Honesty is the best policy when it comes to making a claim, as if you do get caught out, it will invalidate your cover and you may find it difficult to get insurance in the future.”