Drivers found using phones face car insurance shock

Motorists caught using mobile phones at the wheel not only face a £200 fine and six penalty points, but could end up paying through the nose for insurance – if they are offered cover at all.

Tough new laws introduced last year saw the penalty double for drivers using their phones.

Research by the AA has now found that four out of the nine car insurance firms on its panel would refuse to insure someone with a CU80 mobile offence.

The breakdown firm added that offenders could expect premiums to increase by up to 40pc when they came to renew their insurance. The AA said these higher premiums would continue for up to five years.

Including the £200 fine, those with the CU80 penalty could expect to pay an extra £543 on average over those five years, compared with someone with a clean licence. If a driver is caught within two years of passing their test, they will lose their licence.

Those caught speeding also face higher future costs and the risk of being turned down for cover.

Speeding motorists could end up paying £332 more over five years including the £100 fine with an SP30 speeding offence, according to the AA. One of the same nine insurers questioned by the AA said it would decline to insure someone with a speeding conviction.

Michael Lloyd from the AA said insurers would impose smaller premium increases for the first speeding offence and some would not increase the cost at all if a driver attended a speed awareness course instead. But mobile offences are a different matter. Driving while using a hand-held phone has been illegal since 2003.

Phone use is not limited to making calls – you could be prosecuted if you use an app, check social media or consult a digital map. This applies even if the car is not moving, such as when it is at traffic lights.

You can use a hand-held phone in the car in emergencies – such as if you need to call 999 and it is not safe to stop. Otherwise you need to be parked in a safe place.

It is also illegal to use a hand-held phone when supervising a learner driver. Motorists are allowed to use a hands-free device, but you could still be prosecuted if it causes you to be unsafe on the road.