In this economic climate everyone is trying to save money wherever possible, but cutting costs on certain things can be dangerous, against the law and more costly in the long run. According to a recent YouGov survey commissioned by price comparison site, comparethemarket.com, a quarter of people in the UK admit to fronting(1) as a way of lowering their car insurance.
Fronting occurs when the person listed as the main driver on the insurance policy is in fact a secondary driver. If the policy is for someone under 25 years of age for example, listing a parent as the main driver would make the policy cheaper. Fronting itself may not be a criminal offence, however may lead to the insurance being voided which will mean the driver will be deemed uninsured, which is against the law.
Every penny counts in this economic climate. Almost a quarter (24%) of respondents who have fronted claim to have saved up to £100 in the past through fronting, while 34% of 35 to 44 year olds admit fronting has saved them up to £200 on their insurance policies. However, policy holders who are named as the main driver even though they are not need to understand the dangers of what they are doing. They risk the insurance policy being voided and if a claim needs to be made this will not be paid by the insurer, which may result in potential costs of thousands of pounds.
Jeremy Moll, insurance expert at comparethemarket.com says: “Culprits of fronting mainly include young drivers or those who have just passed their driving test as they can save themselves a bit of money. However, this has the risk of your claims being refused and you being prosecuted for driving without insurance which could lead to a fine and penalty points and in some cases being disqualified from driving. It also prevents you from building up your own no claims bonus and prevents you from lowering your own insurance premium, which can cost you more in the long run.”
Note: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,016 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 9th and 12th May 2008. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+)
