15 May 2007
Smoking motorists are being warned to check their car insurance premiums after July 1st for unexpected increases after the price comparison and switching website uSwitch.com warned insurers may use the ban to up their prices.
Following yesterday's calls from the Local Authority Road Safety Officers' Association (Larsoa) for the government to ban smoking while operating a vehicle, some insurers are believed to be considering charging smoking drivers more for their car insurance due to safety issues.
Larsoa's spokesman Simon Ettinghausen yesterday declared: " Smoking can be particularly dangerous when lit cigarettes are thrown from open windows: they can hit the car behind causing that driver to get a shock, they can be dropped in the car itself or blown back in by the wind leading to the possibility of injury or fire."
Aron Thompson, Head of Insurance at uSwitch.com, said that uSwitch.com was one of the few comparison sites which asked if the driver was a smoker or not as it realised some insurers used the information to calculate their premiums.
"Once the smoking ban is implemented, it will be interesting to see if more providers jump on the 'higher premiums for smokers' band wagon," Mr Thompson mused.
"We would advise anyone, particularly smokers, that sees an increase in the cost of their insurance renewal after the July 1st to find out why," he continued.
"It may be a reason totally unrelated to the fact that they do or do not smoke, but consumers should keep a close eye on the cost of their insurance and always shop around for the best deal."
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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