# Does anyone know what a difference 8 penalty points makes to your insurance?



## abbie (20 Jun 2005)

Does anyone know what a difference 8 penalty points makes to your insurance.


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## stobear (20 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

I think a call to your own insurance company may answer this for you?


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## shipibo (23 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

They will hammer you, also when the points are gone, they will still ask if you ever had driving convictions, if you say no, they can say you lied on forms, and insurance is null an void.


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## bond-007 (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*



> they will still ask if you ever had driving convictions


 
Points are not convictions, so you can answer no to that question.


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## DrMoriarty (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

Correct. But you do still have to declare them, on pain of having your cover rendered null and void - even though you may have paid the premiums. Every proposal form contains some sort of signed declaration to the effect that you have disclosed all relevant information, and usually a clause to the effect that if you are in any doubt as to whether information is relevant you must disclose it anyway.

As for what effect 8 points will have on the quote - that varies from insurer to insurer. Some ignore anything up to 4 or 5 points. Others (e.g. Hibernian) offer a discount if you're point-free. But I'd be surprised if 8 points didn't have _some_ impact..(?)


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## MonsieurBond (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*



			
				DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> Correct. But you do still have to declare them, on pain of having your cover rendered null and void - even though you may have paid the premiums. Every proposal form contains some sort of signed declaration to the effect that you have disclosed all relevant information, and usually a clause to the effect that if you are in any doubt as to whether information is relevant you must disclose it anyway.


 
This doesn't make sense to me. The penalty points you accumulate disappear after a time (3 years?) and therefore you don't need to tell an insurer that you used to have a load of points (pun intended) but then you sold your Boxster and bought a clapped out Mini so now you can't manage more then 60kph anyway.


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## jhegarty (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*



			
				DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> Correct. But you do still have to declare them, on pain of having your cover rendered null and void - even though you may have paid the premiums. Every proposal form contains some sort of signed declaration to the effect that you have disclosed all relevant information, and usually a clause to the effect that if you are in any doubt as to whether information is relevant you must disclose it anyway.
> 
> As for what effect 8 points will have on the quote - that varies from insurer to insurer. Some ignore anything up to 4 or 5 points. Others (e.g. Hibernian) offer a discount if you're point-free. But I'd be surprised if 8 points didn't have _some_ impact..(?)


 
most insurance companys don't give a discount for 0 points... afaik you are under no obligation to tell the others about it , unless a) they ask you b) its in the terms and conditions they you do....


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## DrMoriarty (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

@MonsieurBond - Obviously, I meant current/unexpired penalty points!

@jhegarty - Sorry, Hibernian _do_ give a 10% discount, but perhaps they're the only insurers to do so...

You're under no obligation to make the disclosure, but - depending on the precise wording of the relevant proposal form - you could be setting yourself up for a rejection of liability by the insurer, down the road.

Also, I believe the insurance companies have access to a national database of penalty points. Whether or not they routinely avail of that access in assessing incoming proposals, I've no idea.


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## jhegarty (29 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*



			
				DrMoriarty said:
			
		

> @jhegarty - Sorry, Hibernian _do_ give a 10% discount, but perhaps they're the only insurers to do so...
> .


 
yes , Hibernian do ... thats why I said "most"


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## Guest127 (30 Jun 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

hib give 17.5% for the number of points donna and joseph should have got. (and yomee to for that matter)


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## quarterfloun (14 Oct 2005)

*Re: Penalty Points*

points are generally ignored in loading terms for the first offense unless the offense was really excessive speed when the amout of points issued will reflwect the seriousness and therefore will flag in the software....
But do tell if asked....insurers will avoid paying if they have to....honesty best policy and all that


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## Geegee (3 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty Points*

Have been trying to download the list of PP offences from http://www.penaltypoints.ie/ but the message "Could not find acrobat external window handler" pops up. How do I install this?


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## ClubMan (3 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

Do you have _Acrobat Reader _installed? If not then download it from the Adobe website and install it. If you already have _Acrobat Reader _installed then it should just work automatically with your browser. If it does not then try right clicking on the link and choosing _Save Link As... _to save it to your hard disk and then open it separately by double clicking on it in _Windows Explorer_.


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## lynchtp (4 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

Q. Are there any changes to the way the penalty            points system is administered?
                                                                                                                                                                                    From the 3rd April 2006 the way the penalty points system is administered changes significantly. Most notably the Garda fixed charge payment system will be computerised and the Garda pulse system linked to the courts for the roll out of the extended penalty points system. This will undoubtedly enhance the efficiency of the system and hopefully its effectiveness in acting as a serious deterrent for drivers. Up to now the system has been administered on a manual basis.

This I did not know, from http://www.penaltypoints.ie/ FAQ


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## bond-007 (5 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

"Ni Thigim Garda, Leabhar Gaeilge!" is all you have to say now!


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## eiregal (10 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

What does 'Failure to turn left when entering a roundabout' mean in the list of new offences??


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## bond-007 (10 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

Someone that has turned to the right and gone the wrong way around!


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## eiregal (10 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

Ah, of course!  Although if someone were to do that, they could do with more than penalty points!


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## orka (10 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

I suppose it could also be someone going straight over those flattish roundabouts you see in some housing estates.


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## MargeSimpson (11 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*

I have had insurance renewals sent to me every year since the point system came in, and I just go and pay my insurance. But I have never been asked if I have points?


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## Eurofan (11 Apr 2006)

*Re: Penalty points*



			
				MargeSimpson said:
			
		

> I have had insurance renewals sent to me every year since the point system came in, and I just go and pay my insurance. But I have never been asked if I have points?


If you have points it's up to you to declare them, it is stated on the renewals.

Interestingly my better half got two points last year so we advised the insurer. The policy had the usual "null and void unless everything is declared" clause on it so we contacted them again and they clarified they don't penalise for 2 points.

I had a helluva time getting them to understand that while it's all fine and well that they don't charge more for two points neither have they acknowledged anywhere on the policy that they were declared. In fact as far as i was concerned the policy was invalid since it explicitly stated _nothing_ was advised regarding driving offences.

It took 45 mins on the phone and escilating it to supervisor level before they agreed to amend the policy and send out a new one.

Over cautious perhaps but one to watch out for in my opinion.


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