‘Do I have to Q come clean on speeding?’

‘Disclose all the info or they may not pay a claim’

I had an email from my insurer telling me they would automatically renew my insurance on my Ninja 650R. But the premium was 25% more than I paid last year. This did not seem right as I have not had an accident or claim. If it was only a bit more I wouldn’t have bothered but I went on to a comparison site and found much cheaper cover. They have questions on the website about the past five years which I don’t ever recall my previous insurer asking. Speeding, points, accidents and so on. I had an SP50 four-and-a-half years ago and a non-fault claim two years ago when someone knocked my bike over in a car park when I was not with it. Surely speeding is only relevant after three years and I should not be penalised for the idiot who knocked my bike over?

Mark Taylor, Pontypridd

AWell done for not falling for auto-renewal tactics. Insurers rely on people’s laziness and you will often find that auto-renewal quotes are much higher than fresh quotes from comparison websites. While speeding offences only ‘count’ from a criminal perspective for three years (but show on your licence for four) they are, to insurers, indicative of an insurance risk. Non-fault accidents are also relevant because statistics show that a driver involved in a non-fault accident is more likely to be involved in a further accident. I would disclose all relevant information requested to avoid risking the insurance being invalidated.