When you apply for car insurance, you have to disclose any motoring convictions you have. Is this fact or fiction?

We all know the answer – but, according to the Association of British Insurers, one in five applicants lie on their application in order to qualify for a cheaper premium.

As a result the car insurance industry is taking steps to gain access to the records at the DVLA to cross check every application. At the moment, insurers can only check a drivers’ conviction record when they make a claim.

In tough economic times, it seems that fraudulent claims are on the rise and priced within the average drivers’ premium is some £30 to £40 to cover the cost of fraud.

So if within the next year you make an application (or sign a confirmation of facts with your insurance renewal) and slipped in the small print you see that you have also given your approval for the insurer to obtain your driving record from the DVLA, watch out. You’d better make sure that the information you have provided is spot on.

If you get caught out, the best that can happen is that your premium will increase to its correct level, the worst is that your insurance will be voided and one more uninsured driver!