| Drivers with six points or more on their licence looking | | | | Neil Ackinclose, head of Swinton Specialist Motor |
| for motor insurance could soon be viewed as | | | | insurance, explained: "Over the last few years we |
| standard rather than non-standard says Swinton, the | | | | have seen a dramatic increase in the number of |
| UKs largest high street motor insurance broker. | | | | drivers with penalty points requesting insurance. A few |
| Pointed drivers are no longer automatically penalised at | | | | years ago insurers might have assumed that a |
| Swinton as a result of the increase in the number of | | | | motorist with six or more points on their licence was a |
| motorists now saddled with penalty points. And the | | | | reckless driver, but that is no longer necessarily the |
| move reflects a change in attitude by the motor | | | | case. |
| insurance industry as the estimated number of pointed | | | | "A 2006 YouGov survey estimated that 16% of |
| motorists tops 6 million*. | | | | drivers now have points on their license. As that figure |
| With the 6,000 speed cameras on our roads already | | | | continues to grow - with some estimating the actual |
| catching over 2 million speeders each year, and driving | | | | number of pointed drivers to be in the region of 10 |
| whilst using a mobile phone now costing the driver | | | | million - insurance providers are having to accept that |
| three points, an unblemished licence is becoming rare. | | | | points alone can no longer be used as a yardstick for |
| Swinton announced it had seen a 12% increase in the | | | | driver evaluation. |
| number of drivers with points looking for cheaper | | | | "Here at Swinton we have set up Swinton Specialist - |
| motor insurance during 2006 - and as a result has set | | | | a dedicated unit to deal with non-standard motor |
| up a dedicated unit to deal with this rising demand. | | | | insurance - where drivers with any number of points |
| Swinton Specialist was launched earlier this year for | | | | are treated as individuals. We look at full driving history |
| drivers of imported, modified and high performance | | | | and aim find a value policy to suit each car owner, |
| motors. The division is now also handling drivers with | | | | whatever the vehicle." |
| penalty points, and is already experiencing a high | | | | Any driver interested in talking to Swinton Specialist |
| volume of calls. | | | | should call 0800 781 8400. |