Half of Britons lie to insurers

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Almost 50% of of Britons think lying on an insurance application form is no more serious than stealing a chocolate bar, a survey has shown.

The survey, by Tickbox.net also found a quarter of people had lied to their car insurer in a bid to cut the cost of their cover.

One in 10 people said they had pretended their car was parked in a more secure place than it actually was, while 5% lied about the distances they drove, the value of their car or what they used it for. Around 1% of people had even lied about their address, having penalty points on their licence or having serious criminal convictions, in a bid to reduce their premiums.

But despite one in four people admitting they had lied on an insurance application form, 98% of those questioned said they considered themselves to be honest.

Young drivers are most likely to lie on an insurance application form, with third of people aged between 16 and 24 admitting they had not been upfront when taking out cover.

The survey revealed that many people are unaware that not telling the truth on a car insurance application can invalidate their policy.

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