Why You’ll Regret ‘Fronting’ if you Need to Make an Accident Claim

There’s no avoiding car insurance. It’s a legal requirement but in the event of needing to make an accident claim or, more importantly, having one made against you, you’ll be grateful you have it. However, younger drivers have a tough time even finding car insurance, never mind affording it. If that sounds familiar, don’t be tempted to break the law to save a bit of cash. In the event of an accident claim you may very well come to regret it.

Under half of the major car insurance providers in the UK offer insurance for teenage drivers. Amongst those that do, it is common to see quotes as high as £4,000 which is often significantly more than the car is even worth. Male teenage drivers have the priciest premiums because female teenagers are statistically more careful and those that do make an accident claim tend to have lower value claims.

Rightly, insurers expect that teenage drivers are more likely to have an accident claim made against them. In this age group, drivers are ten time more likely to kill or injure someone than drivers with experience. Still, many parents are acting illegally in their attempts to bring down the cost of insurance.

Around one fifth of teenage drivers have no insurance at all, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Many others engage in a practice known as ‘fronting.’ This is when parents claim to be the main driver of a car and name their child as another driver when in fact the child is the main driver. Some see it as a harmless money saver. It is not even legal.

In the event of an accident claim being made the insurance company can investigate who really was the main driver and where policy holders have lied, there can be consequences. Parents and teenagers can be prosecuted and might find it difficult to get insurance again. Not only this, but insurance companies can also refuse to pay part or all of the accident claim compensation.

‘Fronting’ might seem harmless and surveys suggest many people are doing it. However, prosecution and paying the price of a whole accident claim settlement are too big risks to take to save a bit of cash.