Car insurance guide

Driving convictions - what difference do they make?

If you get a motoring conviction you have to tell your insurer about it, and they will take it into account when working out what to charge you for your insurance. Insurance companies see you as being at greater risk of having an accident and will charge you more for your policy.

How big an impact a conviction will have on the cost of your insurance depends on a number of things including insurance companies' conviction policies, the type of conviction, the car you drive, your age and possibly gender.

You are more likely to pay a hefty premium if you have a drink driving conviction, compared to a solitary speeding conviction which may only increase your premium a little in comparison.

Most insurance companies will ask you about any driving convictions you have received in the past 5 years. It is really important that you disclose any convictions to them, in fact you have to by law under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.

If you don't disclose a conviction and you make a claim on your policy, your insurance company can refuse to pay the claim. Alternatively they can make an additional charge for the conviction and won't authorise the claim until the charge is paid.

Here's a list of driving conviction codes:

• AC10 - Failing to stop after an accident
• AC20 - Failing to give particulars or to report an accident within 24 hours
• AC30 - Undefined accident offences
• BA10 - Driving whilst disqualified by order of court
• BA20 - Driving whilst disqualified by reason of age
• BA30 - Attempting to drive while disqualified by order of court
• CD10 - Driving without due care and attention
• CD20 - Driving without reasonable consideration for other road users
• CD30 - Driving without due care and without reasonable consideration
• CD40 - Causing death through careless driving when unfit through drink
• CD50 - Causing death by careless driving when unfit through drugs
• CD60 - Causing death by careless driving with alcohol level above the limit
• CD70 - Cause death by careless driving, failing to supply specimen for analysis
• CU10 - Using a vehicle with defective brakes
• CU20 - Use of unsuitable vehicle or vehicle parts in a dangerous condition
• CU30 - Using a vehicle with defective tyre(s)
• CU40 - Using a vehicle with defective steering
• CU50 - Causing or likely to cause danger by reason of load or passengers
• CU60 - An undefined construction and use conviction
• DD10 - Driving in a dangerous manner
• DD20 - Driving at a dangerous speed
• DD30 - Reckless driving
• DD40 - Dangerous driving
• DD50 - Causing death by dangerous driving
• DD60 - Manslaughter or culpable homicide while driving a vehicle
• DD70 - Causing death by reckless driving
• DD80 - Causing death by dangerous driving
• DR10 - Driving or attempting to drive with alcohol level above limit
• DR20 - Driving or attempting to drive while unfit through drink
• DR30 - Driving or attempting to drive, failing to supply a specimen for analysis
• DR40 - In charge of a vehicle while alcohol level above limit
• DR50 - In charge of a vehicle while unfit through drink
• DR60 - In charge of a vehicle and/or refusing a specimen for analysis
• DR70 - Failing to provide specimen for breath test
• DR80 - Driving or attempting to drive when unfit through drugs
• DR90 - In charge of a vehicle when unfit through drugs
• IN10 - Using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks
• LC10 - Driving without a licence
• LC20 - Driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence
• LC30 - Driving after a false declaration about health when applying for licence
• LC40 - Driving a vehicle having failed to notify a disability
• LC50 - Driving after a licence has been revoked or refused on medical grounds
• MS10 - Leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position
• MS20 - Unlawful pillion riding
• MS30 - Play street offences
• MS40 - Driving with defective eyesight or refusing to submit to a test
• MS50 - Motor racing on the highway
• MS60 - Offences not covered by other codes
• MS70 - Driving with uncorrected defective eyesight
• MS80 - Refusing to submit to an eyesight test
• MS90 - Failure to give information as to identity of driver etc
• MW10 - Contravention of special roads regulations (excluding speed limits)
• NE99 - Non endorsable offence
• PC10 - Undefined contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations
• PC20 - Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with moving vehicle
• PC30 - Contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations with stationary vehicle
• PL10 - Driving without 'L' plates
• PL20 - Not accompanied by a qualified person
• PL30 - Carrying a person not qualified
• PL40 - Drawing an unauthorised trailer
• PL50 - Disobeying conditions of a provisional licence
• SE19 - Disqualification under totting up procedure
• SE35 - Disqualification under totting up procedure
• SP10 - Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits
• SP20 - Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle
• SP30 - Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road
• SP40 - Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit
• SP50 - Exceeding speed limit on a motorway
• SP60 - Undefined speed limit offence
• TS10 - Failing to comply with traffic light signals
• TS20 - Failing to comply with double white lines
• TS30 - Failing to comply with stop sign
• TS40 - Failing to comply with direction of a constable/warden
• TS50 - Failing to comply with traffic sign
• TS60 - Failing to comply with a school crossing patrol sign
• TS70 - Undefined failure to comply with a traffic direction sign
• TT99 - Totting up disqualification when total points reaches more than 12
• UT10 - Taking and driving away a vehicle without consent
• UT20 - Stealing or attempting to steal a vehicle
• UT30 - Going equipped for stealing or taking a vehicle
• UT40 - Taking/attempting to take a vehicle without consent
• UT50 - Aggravated taking of a vehicle
• XX99 - Disqualified under totting up procedure

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