Britain's biggest speeders are chartered surveyors and surgeons
Cut it out, doc
The professionals most likely to be caught speeding or convicted of a driving offence are chartered surveyors and surgeons, according to a new study.
More than 15,000 car insurance quotes were examined for the report, uncovering trends in driving behaviour among various occupations.
While General Practitioners (GPs) topped the list for at-fault insurance claims, chartered surveyors are the most likely to hold a speeding conviction or a broader driving offence on their record, the data revealed.
Speed demons?
Chartered surveyors claimed the dubious honour of being the profession most likely to receive a speeding conviction, with 11.6 per cent of drivers found to have broken the speed limit.
Surgeons, another profession under the spotlight, ranked fourth with an 11.35 per cent speeding conviction rate.
The top 10 list, from the insurance comparison website MoneySuperMarket, also featured many business professionals, such as sales directors (11.54 per cent) and chief executives (11.28 per cent).
The data suggests that high-powered jobs might come with a tendency to press a little harder on the accelerator. However, professionals in roles requiring frequent travel are naturally exposed to more opportunities for speeding offences, including an increase in the likelihood of encountering speed cameras.
Construction sector builds up the most convictions
When it comes to broader driving convictions, chartered surveyors again topped the list, with 12.89 per cent having a conviction. The construction sector also features prominently, with site agents (12.81 per cent), fence erectors (12.59 per cent), pipe fitters (12.48 per cent) and surveyors (12.39 per cent) among the worst offenders.
Interestingly, surgeons appear again, with a 12.72 per cent conviction rate, placing them fourth on this list. It seems that even those saving lives in operating theatres aren’t immune to risky behaviour on the road.
Operations directors (12.32 per cent) and other business leaders also feature prominently, again reflecting a trend of high-powered, time-poor professionals being prone to convictions.
Using mobile phones while driving is another notable offence. Project leaders (0.85 per cent) are the most likely professionals to have convictions for this behaviour, followed by road workers (0.58 per cent) and stonemasons (0.55 per cent).
Construction jobs often mean long hours on the road, travelling between sites and using vehicles regularly for work. Spending so much time behind the wheel naturally increases the chances of committing traffic offences. But while tight schedules and job pressures might explain the data, they’re no excuse for unsafe driving.
At-fault claims: Medical professionals under pressure
The study highlights GPs and other medical professionals as the most likely to have made an at-fault insurance claim, with over one in ten (10.73 per cent) GPs admitting to causing an accident. Medical professionals accounted for a considerable proportion of the top 10 job titles for at-fault claims, with optometrists (10.15 per cent), hospital consultants (10.11 per cent) and medical practitioners (9.67 per cent) all making the list.
Not too far behind were surgeons, with an at-fault claim rate of 9.34 per cent, placing them 12th on this list.
While these figures may raise eyebrows, medical professionals often have demanding schedules that keep them on the road for long hours driving between appointments or hospitals. The potential pressure and fatigue this could induce might explain their higher at-fault claim rates.
How job titles affect car insurance premiums
The report could prove useful for motorists in general. Insurance companies take professiona into account when calculating premiums, and if a job has a history of more claims or driving convictions, those in the industry might end up paying more than others with otherwise similar details.
“Insurers see some jobs as riskier than others based on things like claims and conviction rates,” confirmed Alicia Hempsted, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket. “If you’re a GP or a chartered surveyor, you might end up paying more than someone in a job with lower claims and driving conviction rates, like a dental assistant or school catering assistant.”
Hempsted suggests motorists pay close attention to how they describe their job when getting a quote.
“Sometimes, there might be more than one job title that fits what you do. If one of those titles is considered less risky by insurers, using it could save you money on your car insurance,” she says.
However, she warns against being misleading: “It’s important to be honest and make sure the title you select really describes what you do”.
Misrepresenting your job title could lead to rejected claims or even policy cancellation, which would cost far more in the long run.
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