Car insurance news
Cheap car insurance threatened by Yorkshire speed cameras
Yorkshire drivers could find it tough to get a cheap car insurance deal in the future after it was revealed that speed cameras across the county result in an £9.4million bill of fines and increased motor insurance premiums every year.
New statistics compiled by Datamonitor on behalf of car insurance firm Swiftcover show that an average of 160,455 people are flashed by cameras every year in Yorkshire, resulting in an estimated £6.8million of charges. In addition to this, the penalty points incurred contribute to a combined rise in car insurance premiums of £2.6million.
The county is responsible for one of Britain's most controversial speed cameras, a supposedly temporary device that stood for 18 months on the M62 near Ferrybridge. It hit the national headlines last month following the revelation that it had caught a massive 18,000 motorists speeding and inflicted fines of an unbelievable £1,088,000.
Andrew Blowers, chief executive of Swiftcover, told a Yorkshire newspaper how the devices can wreck drivers' cheap car insurance, saying, "The plague of speed cameras on the nation's roads hits the motorist hard in the pocket.
"Getting flashed by a speed camera is of course a double whammy for many as not only are they hit with the fine, but the conviction can lead to an increase in motor insurance premiums."
He also added, "The vast majority of Yorkshire's motorists believe they are ineffective and are nothing but a distraction leading to erratic and potentially dangerous driving."