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Chat while driving and risk insurance cover, AA warns

16 May 2008

New data from the AA has suggested that insurers are now increasing their premiums, or in some cases refusing to cover, motorists who have been caught using their mobile phones while driving.

The director of AA Insurance Simon Douglas said that often, police will check mobile phone records to see whether the phone was in use and contributed to an accident.

"Driving whilst using a hand-held mobile phone places you at greater risk of having an accident-it slows reactions and you are less able to control the car," he said.

"Insurance companies quite rightly take such offences seriously."

As well a fixed £60 penalty for using a phone while driving, some insurers are increasing premiums from 4.2 per cent to over 18 per cent for a single mobile phone offence.

Mr Douglas added that in the event of an accident being caused by using a phone, it is advised not to hide it from your insurer: "When you take out or renew your cover, you will be asked if you have incurred any endorsements on your licence.

"If you're not truthful you could compromise your insurance cover."

Police in England and Wales recently revealed they had issued 164,900 fixed penalty notices, up by nearly 40,000 on the previous year.