Over a third of motorists in the UK would lie to their insurer according to a survey by moneysupermarket.com. This revelation came as the price comparison brand questioned over 3000 of its online users regarding their levels of honesty.
Each person surveyed was asked the question: “Imagine your vehicle was stolen and you had not secured it properly (e.g. not locked all the doors, not closed all the windows, or even left the keys in – as you might at a petrol station). Would you tell your insurer your car wasn’t secured properly?”
An alarming 34% said they wouldn’t tell the truth to their insurer, although 26% percent of this number said they would be upfront if they absolutely had to be. This can perhaps be understood during a time when the effects of the recession still linger, fuel prices continue to increase and insurance costs spiral.
Head of car insurance at the company, Steve Sweeney said: “It’s shocking to see there are so many potential fraudsters behind the wheel who are willing to deceive their insurer to guarantee pay out on a claim. While I understand the current climate means finances are tight, lying to your insurer to make sure a claim goes through is not only illegal but it could leave you un-insurable in the future; I would advise any driver considering it to think twice.”
The survey also revealed that the 18-34 age group were the worst culprits when it came to lying with an alarmingly high 14% admitting that they would be prepared to cover up carelessness on their part in order to achieve a payout from their insurer.
In comparison a relatively small number of those over 55 who were surveyed said they would lie to their insurer; perhaps in-keeping with this age group’s reputation as more honest and careful drivers.
The company also took locality into account and endeavoured to ascertain which the most dishonest region was when it came to car insurance claims. Of those who took part in the survey, it seems that residents of the North West are the most dishonest with 11 percent stating that they would never tell their insurer the truth. In comparison, a relatively small number (just 5 percent) from the South West said they would lie, making them the UK’s most honest region in this area.
Steve Sweeney of MoneySupermarket continued: “I can understand how frustrating a moment of carelessness can be for a motorist, but this is still no excuse to lie to your insurer. We are all experiencing an increase in the cost of car insurance premiums, and much of this is driven by the cost of fraud to insurers. Motorists should be completely honest on claims forms, and more importantly, by making sure you secure your vehicle properly, you are cutting your chances significantly of needing to make a claim.”