Friday, March 11, 2011
Don’t let your cheap policy go up in smoke
It’s for a reason that even before there was scientific consensus on the harmfulness of tobacco, packs of cigarettes were often referred to as “coughin’ nails”.
And over the mid to late decades of the last century our parents and grandparents grew up with slogans such as Doctors Prefer Camel, Guard Against Throat Scratch or As Your Dentist I Would Recommend Viceroys and Just What the Doctor Ordered… the list could go on.
In fact, with hindsight it’s surprising that any of us have any parents or grandparents left at all.
Nowadays, fortunately, smoking is on the decline and although no-one is yet questioning an adult individual’s right to smoke, there is no longer any advertising, and health warnings are clear. Indeed, soon all tobacco companies could be forced to sell their products in plain and unglamorous packaging.
There are plenty of good reasons not to smoke. Not smoking is better for your health and your wallet and, although often overlooked, will help keep down the cost of any health or life insurance policy.
But what about car insurance? Do young drivers risk missing out on cheap quotes for policies if they smoke behind the wheel?
Well, before answering this question I should first say that it is illegal for a person to smoke in a car that is being used for public transport or the purposes of work.
It is also an offence for private drivers in Scotland, where transgressors are served a £60 fine.
And, although it is not an offence in the rest of the UK, smoking and driving can be classed as a “distraction” and may come with the loss of up to nine penalty points and, potentially a £2,500 fine and a driving ban.
In short, if you’re a smoker and want to protect your entitlement to cheap car insurance, it’s best not to light up while behind the wheel.
Image © JoelnSouthernCA via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
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posted by Fuse @ 2:01 AM 
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