Car insurance premiums could fall by £15 a year in June after the government today announced that driving records would go online
The My-Licence project is will open up DVLA data on motoring convictions and penalty points to motor insurers, brokers, comparison websites and software providers.
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said drivers would provide their driving licence number when they apply for insurance, so insurers can check their data and provide accurate quotes, helping to reduce premiums.
He said: 'It's great news that the DVLA is about to launch online driving records which can be used by anyone with a driving licence as well as by the insurance industry.'
The Association of British Insurers said the move could save customers who are honest about their points an average of £15 on their car insurance.
'This initiative will also mean that insurers will need to ask customers fewer questions when they apply for cover, speeding up the purchasing process for everyone,' the ABI said.
This is a joint initiative between the DVLA, the Department for Transport, and the insurance industry, represented by the ABI and the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB).
An Aviva spokesman backed the project, saying it could bring benefits to the underwriting process, as well as assisting with reducing application and renewal fraud and improving the customer quote journey.
He said: 'Industry measures such as this that reduce the cost of fraud for the benefit of honest customers can only be a good thing.'
At actuaries Barnett Waddingham, partner Cherry Chan hailed the move as a step in the right direction.
'The benefit of insurers having direct access to the information is that the driver's details being used will be more accurate, and ultimately fairer to the policyholders as they will be paying the right price for their policies rather than a proxy price,' she said.
'On average, a 40-year-old male who has three points on their licence due to speeding, is likely to be paying 30% more than someone with a clean licence with some insurers at the moment.'