Committing an offence on the road can add almost £140 to your car insurance premium, according to new research. Analysis of nearly six million car insurance enquiries and driving licence data from the DVLA by price comparison site MoneySuperMarket found insurance premiums keep rising as more offences are committed.

According to the research, the first driving offence adds an average of £139 to a motorist’s insurance premium. Committing a second offence, meanwhile, increases premiums by an extra 15 percent, costing £145 more on average. And MoneySuperMarket says having three points on your licence will increase your premium by around £160.

And the study suggested premiums may not return to normal after the points have expired, which normally take four years. In fact, the research showed an average price drop of £147 once the points have cleared.

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Nationwide, MoneySuperMarket’s study found around 10 percent of enquirers have at least one driving offence against their name, with the Yorkshire town of Halifax playing host to the highest percentage of enquirers who have committed offences. In contrast, Jersey has the smallest proportion of offenders, with just 3.3 percent having committed offences.

And the research shows committing driving offences not only increases premiums, but also reduces the number of options available. MoneySuperMarket says enquirers with no driving offences see up to 80 quotes returned on the site, but drivers with four to five offences on their record are “likely” to see between six and 10 insurance options.

Dave Merrick, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said the number of motorists with offences on their records meant many drivers could be missing out on insurance options.

“Driving offences that lead to points on a driver’s license can have a big impact on car insurance costs, as well as impacting the number of car insurance options to choose from,” he said. “Our research shows that 10 percent of enquirers have committed at least one driving offence, which means one in 10 drivers may be seeing fewer car insurance options.

“But even if you do have points or offences, there are things you can do to help to bring premiums down. Keeping your car secure, increasing the excess on your policy and, in certain cases, installing a telematics device can all help to lower the cost. And as always the best way to ensure the cheapest deal is to shop around.”

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