What's the news?
New research by Liberty Insurance shows that 31 per cent of 17-29-year olds think it's OK to tell lies when filling in an application for insurance. Of the 750 drivers surveyed by Red C on behalf of Liberty, younger drivers were more likely to think that it's OK to be untruthful about who is the primary driver of a car being insured, considering it to be 'mild' insurance fraud or not fraudulent at all.
56 per cent of the same age group thought that it was OK to lie about what your profession is, and 58 per cent say the same about fibbing on your estimated annual mileage.
46 per cent thought that lying about the number of penalty points on your licence is 'extreme fraud', while 43 per cent said the same when it came to lying about your levels of driving experience.
The thing is that all of the above constitute insurance fraud, pure and simple, and if any of this is picked up after an accident, it can give grounds to the insurance company to refuse payment.
Commenting on the research, Liberty Insurance CEO, Sharon O'Brien, said: "Our research reveals a number of interesting findings on the opinions of Irish people on what does and doesn't constitute insurance fraud, particularly among young drivers. Ultimately, intentionally misleading your insurer about your driving record, your vehicle and other details on a policy application is a form of fraud. Fraud is a very serious problem for our industry and impacts significantly on cost. It is not a victimless crime and effects the premiums that our customers pay.
"Most Irish people recognise this and want to see these people face harsher penalties. The rapid rise of premiums in Ireland is of course not sustainable, and that's why Liberty Insurance is hosting today's event: we want to work with industry stakeholders and the Government to agree the best ways to combat fraud and make motor insurance in Ireland as fair and affordable as possible. I will be outlining these new proposals at today's event. Additionally customers need to understand the importance of checking the details on their documents are correct and that their circumstances have not changed so that they are not unintentionally misleading their insurer."
Of course, many would say that if insurance costs were more reasonable, people would be less likely to tell fibs, but that perhaps is a battle for another day...