Cash for crash

It seems not a day goes by without the cost of motoring being in the news.
This week with petrol dipping below the hefty prices it has been in recent months, it is the turn of motor insurance.
Norwich Union got the debate into gear with a warning about the potential for 40 per cent price rises for young drivers, and now other insurance giants are also assessing their own charges.
Profit-making many are, but like any other service or product-based business, it is the consumer that eventually picks up the bill when other factors increase.
This time round it appears to be the legal factor that has pushed up prices. Debated claims lead to lawyers, and the fees charged are on the rise - meaning the cost of solving the responsibility issue is on the up.
Thankfully the increases that come in will not be as large across the board. Insurers are using their own knowledge to work out who to charge the most, and the young are the ones who are under particular scrutiny.
But one factor that hasn't been mentioned is the positive impact of the new generation of police cameras is having on the industry. Number plate recognition gives the authorities immediate knowledge of vehicles being driven without MoT, tax or insurance, via a link with the DVLA. It has led to more cars being insured, and withdrawn the temptation of many to go on the road without the necessary cover.
For years we have been told that insurance is so high because of the number of uninsured drivers.... time to look into that surely?