Clare drivers most likely to tell lies for cheaper car insurance
Sunday November 08 2009
Motorists in Co Clare have been named and shamed as the country's most dishonest by lying to get cheaper insurance, while one in three Irish drivers have been found to have told fibs when giving details for insurance, a new survey has found.
A staggering 70pc of drivers in the Banner County have admitted to lying, while the same number believe it is acceptable to give false information when making a claim, the online survey found.
Clare came out on top of a poll of 2,000 drivers nationwide, closely followed by counties Laois and Meath.
The biggest lies ranged from falsehoods about marital status to how long drivers had held a licence.
But Dubliners were crowned as Ireland's most honest drivers with fewer then 7pc pleading guilty to lying on their annual policy.
The CEO and founder of Setanta Insurance, which carried out the survey, Mike Matthews, said: "We have clearly identified potential hot spots of fraudulent behaviour. On the face of it the fact that seven out of 10 drivers in Clare are prepared to lie is extremely serious.
"In such hot spots, including Laois, Meath, Carlow and Cavan, there appears to be a culture of dishonesty. Put simply, the majority of drivers in these counties are prepared to lie to get cheaper car insurance," he said.
"What does this say about us as a nation -- has dishonesty simply become an accepted part of society? This behaviour is not just a worry for Irish insurers, it is a worry for all of us.
"As a result, honest motorists will be forced to pay higher premiums because of the actions of dishonest fellow road users."
According to the survey, a quarter of motorists in Clare happily admit they cheat simply because they can get away with it. And one in three road users in Laois believe the money they save is worth the risk of having to pay out if they have an accident.
In Meath a fifth of drivers lied about the age of their car, while in Carlow one in three drivers admitted lying about their marital status. The survey also found that men were more likely to lie to get cheaper car insurance than women.
"Fraud and fraudulent claims are becoming the single biggest issues for insurers in Ireland. The likelihood is that you will be found out in the end, so it really is a false economy. Not to mention how it will affect future insurance premiums and claims," Mr Matthews said.
The company , which sells its products only through brokers, identified the top 10 lies people tell their insurers as their address; profession; time licence held; age; named main driver; marital status; car's value; number of accidents; access to other cars; and medical conditions.
The survey identified the most dishonest drivers to be in Clare, Laois, Meath, Carlow and Cavan. The most honest were in Dublin, Limerick, Wicklow, Sligo and Waterford.
- DON LAVERY
Sunday Independent
