Parents in the UK Commonly Insure Kids’ Cars in Their Names

Parents with children who drive are breaking the law by “fronting” on their car insurance in order to save money, according to MoneySupermarket.com.

Research from Britain’s comparison website found “fronting” is rife in the UK. ‘Fronting’ refers to: parents who have insured a car in their own name and added their child as a second named driver even if the child is the main driver of the car; an illegal practice.

The research found a quarter of motorists (27 percent) would front on a car insurance policy to save money; one in seven (or 14 percent) have already done so for one child or more, and 13 percent haven’t yet but would do so. A further 15 percent would consider “fronting” on a policy as they are looking to save cash.

The poll also found British motorists are puzzled over the legality of “fronting”. One in four (23 percent) think it is legal, while a third (33 percent) admitted to not knowing. While not perfect, older drivers are just slightly more clued in than their younger counterparts; a fifth (20 percent) of over 55s think it is legal, compared to 24 percent of 18 to 34 year old drivers.

Peter Harrison, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, said: “Ignorance may be bliss to motorists who think “fronting” is a legitimate way to reduce the cost of motoring for their family and stay on the right side of the law, but in reality it’s quite the opposite. “Fronting” on a car insurance policy is illegal and it is worrying how many motorists are willing to take this risk.”

Source: www.moneysupermarket.com