General Insurance Article - One in six drivers admit lying to cut their insurance bill

 The most common untruth was falsely reducing their annual mileage - 65% of those drivers who admitted to stretching the truth when buying car insurance say they did this.

 But other common half-truths include saying their car was housed in a garage when it wasn’t or putting their car insurance in the name of a driver who was less expensive to insure which 18% admitted to.

 Other fibs include saying that their car is never used for work when it is used by 12% who’ve given false details and lying about penalty points or neglecting to mention a previous claim, such as a windscreen replacement which 11% admit to.

 The majority of motorists are taking legal steps to try and lower their car insurance premiums however with just under a half (47%) of all drivers saying they have shopped around in order to find the cheapest policy. One in eight (13%) chose to increase their excess or reduce optional add-ons such as no-claims protection or recovery services, and 5% have bought a diesel car because they are cheaper to run.

 Paul Baxter, CEO, The Green Insurer, said: “Car insurance bills are coming down but it’s clear from our research that some motorists are taking drastic actions in an effort to try and reduce their costs. While it’s good to see that the majority of drivers are taking sensible approaches, such as using price comparison sites to shop around for the best deal, anyone tempted to misrepresent or embellish details on an insurance application should be aware that such actions can have serious consequences including policy cancellations or denied claims.”