Would You Insure James Bond to Drive Your Car?

Of course, James Bond is a fictional character. But nobody with an abysmal driving record like his would be able to get car insurance in real life! MI6’s finest trashes at least one or maybe two prestige cars in every film and in one highly memorable movie – Goldeneye — he even destroyed large tracts of St. Petersburg by taking to the roads in a Russian T-55 tank!

So, the odds of a real James Bond getting reasonably priced car insurance would be huge, because he is simply too much of a risk and that is the overriding factor that determines the granting of any insurance policy. Calculating risk has become a bit of a science over the last decade and many factors are involved in determining the risk equation, which in turn leads to calculating the size of the insurance premium.

Your driving record is one of the factors determining your insurance premium, but there are so many more even down to where you live. Postcodes are linked to affluence, crime figures and a host of other facts and figures. Living in the wrong postcode area could significantly increase the chances of your car being vandalised or stolen thereby adding more cost to your premium.

Another cost differentiator is your occupation. Being a spy, a journalist or a professional football player are all considered high risk jobs due to the nature of the profession. However, opt for accounting or working in a bank instead and you will be considered relatively safe.

Age, as well as experience is a determining factor for calculating how risk as driver you may carry. Statistically speaking older drivers tend to be safer, although a poor driving record will always trump an age advantage if the driver in question keeps having accidents And along with ageism, although gender discrimination may be outlawed in all other areas of modern society, it is perfectly acceptable when it comes to working out your car insurance premium. As it goes, women have fewer accidents than men and therefore are considered safer. However, a poor driving record will again trump any gender advantage for any accident-prone females.

But, although as a driver you are assessed for risk, a number of other factors come into the equation. One already discussed is where you live, but even whether you leave your car on the road, your drive or in the garage overnight, this may also affect the level of premium. As such, a car on the road at night has more chance of being damaged than one locked safely in a garage.

The value of your car is also significant. An old banger is far cheaper to replace than a brand spanking new Aston Martin, for example. Similarly, who else will be driving your car is also very important to an insurer. In short, when you ask for a car insurance quote, it is important that you make sure you tell the insurer all the facts. Indeed, some insurers may consider you less of risk than others but one thing is for sure and that is all will consider you safer than James Bond!
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Adam Singleton writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.