New research carried out by The Co-operative Insurance has found that approximately 100,000 parents are carrying out car insurance fraud by ‘fronting’ for their children.
Fronting is when parents say they are the main driver of a car, when the majority of the driving is in fact done by their child. Although parents generally have good intentions when they do this, as it often means cheaper car insurance (saving £299 on average), it is a serious act of fraud.
10 per cent of parents of young drivers (aged 17 to 25 years) admitted to fronting, for an average time of just over two years. Of those who admitted to fronting, 37 per cent are currently fronting for their child.
The research showed that the majority of parents were willing to front, even though 81 per cent of them admitted they knew it was illegal to do so. It was also found to be more common in the north east than anywhere else in the UK.
Being found guilty of fronting could result in anything from higher premiums in the future, to struggling to even obtain car insurance at all.
Rather than committing fraud, insurers are encouraging drivers to instead consider a telematics device, often referred to as a ‘black box‘, which can help secure cheaper car insurance.
Steve Kerrigan, The Co-operative Insurance’s head of telematics, said: “Young drivers can utilise telematics policies to help keep the cost of their insurance down as these price on how the young person drives, rather than looking simply at their age as a risk rating.”