Speed Awareness Courses And Insurance Companies

[Megabeast]

Following the revelation today that Admiral are requiring customers to reveal if they have been on a Speed Awareness Course (despite the police themselves insisting that attendance on one of these courses results in the offence being immediately "spent"), can anyone tell me if Toyota Insurance (or indeed any other insurance companies) are taking the same stance as Admiral?

Basically Admiral have been found to be loading insurance premiums for people who have attended a Speed Awareness Course, meaning that it's actually possible you might even end up paying LESS for insurance if you take the 3 points and pay the fine (which is less than the cost of the Speed Awareness Course!!!)

Tony.

[MikeSh]

Well, habitual speeders that get caught frequently are probably a bigger risk - they drive fast and are careless/unobservant (or they wouldn't get caught).

Someone who takes the SAC option probably already has quite a few points (otherwise why spend more money and half a day being 'taught'), therefore taking the SAC would suggest you are an "habitual speeder that gets caught frequently".

So in terms of profiling risk it seems Admiral are on the ball.

The SAC thing seems a bit daft anyway I think. If you've been caught speeding several times in a few years then it's time you got smacked a bit harder to wake you up. Also I believe the £60 penalty goes to government, but I wonder who gets the £85 for an SAC?

[Parts-King]

Insurance companies base their premiums on "Risk" and can ask any questions they feel increases their risk to a claim

Why not take an advanced driving course and tell them you have passed one of those courses, you would expect a reduced premium for that.................would'nt you?

Kingo

[Cyker]

Well if my PassPlus experience is anything to go by, not really; Hardly any insurers seemed to take it and those that did were asking much higher premiums than those that didn't, even after factoring in a PassPlus discount!

So far, the best way I've found to reduce my premium (Aside from things like jacking up the excess) was by sticking my mum on, even tho' she never drives the car! (I tried taking her off it last year and it went up by £100!! )

[Parts-King]

I meant something more akin to to doing the Institute of Advanced Motorists course

I cannot see why anybody would be peeved in answering the question "have you ever been on an SAC" If you were caught speeding but had to do an SAC, you were still guilty off the offence, just you didnt get the points

Kingo

[Megabeast]

^{I don't have any points at all on my licence. I'm taking the SAC to keep it that way, as it's my only offence in more than 30 years of driving, I'm not trying to avoid losing my licence due to points buildup! As far as the police are concerned, taking the SAC means your offence is spent immediately, whereas the points can't be removed from your licence for several years. I don't think you get offered an SAC anyway if you're a persistent speeder with several offences to date. Nobody HAS to take a SAC, if it's offered at all then it's entirely optional (and more expensive than the fine). The evidence suggests that people who go on the course are less likely to speed again than people who accept the points and the fine.}

^{Anyway, back to the original question. Does anyone actually know if Toyota Insurance want to know about SACs?}

^Tony.

[Raistlin]

In my experience working as a loss adjuster most insurance companies will want to know but if you avoid telling them they may get awkward with you if you need to make a claim at a later date.

Phrases like knowingly withholding information spring to mind.

They will use anything to reject a claim, I know I have in the past.

[MikeSh]

Spent offences and insurance are not related. Points are spent after 3 years but I noticed while filling out an insurance quote form a while back that they asked about all convictions in the previous 5 years. I think an SAC would count as a conviction.

Why don't you ask for a quote from Toyota insurance and see if they ask? (TBH even if they gave you a discount for doing an SAC they'll probably be expensive, so if you think they'll be cheap I wouldn't get your hopes up.)

[Megabeast]

Spent offences and insurance are not related. Points are spent after 3 years but I noticed while filling out an insurance quote form a while back that they asked about all convictions in the previous 5 years. I think an SAC would count as a conviction.

Why don't you ask for a quote from Toyota insurance and see if they ask? (TBH even if they gave you a discount for doing an SAC they'll probably be expensive, so if you think they'll be cheap I wouldn't get your hopes up.)

Ok, I phoned Toyota Insurance this morning and after checking with supervisor, the response was that as far as they are concerned, if you take a Speed Awareness Course in lieu of points on the licence, they do NOT require the SAC attendance to be declared to them at all.

I'm already with Toyota Insurance which is why I was interested in their view on this. I left Direct Line (which was always very good price for me) after more than 10 years with them, when a couple of years ago for absolutely no reason they could give me, my premium shot up from about £300 to about £500. Toyota managed to quote back down around Direct Line's old price so now I'm with Toyota!

Tony.

[acetip]

Spent offences and insurance are not related. Points are spent after 3 years but I noticed while filling out an insurance quote form a while back that they asked about all convictions in the previous 5 years. I think an SAC would count as a conviction.

Why don't you ask for a quote from Toyota insurance and see if they ask? (TBH even if they gave you a discount for doing an SAC they'll probably be expensive, so if you think they'll be cheap I wouldn't get your hopes up.)

Ok, I phoned Toyota Insurance this morning and after checking with supervisor, the response was that as far as they are concerned, if you take a Speed Awareness Course in lieu of points on the licence, they do NOT require the SAC attendance to be declared to them at all.

I'm already with Toyota Insurance which is why I was interested in their view on this. I left Direct Line (which was always very good price for me) after more than 10 years with them, when a couple of years ago for absolutely no reason they could give me, my premium shot up from about £300 to about £500. Toyota managed to quote back down around Direct Line's old price so now I'm with Toyota!

Tony.

same thing happend to my sons insurece,been with Churchhill for many years and had no claims or convictios of any description but his preimium shot up a third. So he rang them but got no explanation

a case of like it or lump it. so he went else where it was as much as his old premium with Churchhill.

These days with introductury special offers for new customers people are changing every year from one company to another.because thats the cheapest thing to do .

By putting the wifes car and mine on the same policy i find tht cheaper. but both are now due at the same time. The cost is not spread out though now over a few months as before.