Newsgroups: alt.activism
From: [l s s 203] at [department-computer-studies.napier.ac.uk] (Craig Cockburn)
Subject: Cheaper car insurance for non smokers
Date: Mon, 28 Jun 1993 14:32:38 +0000

If you want cheaper car insurance, tell your company you're a non-smoker!

Research funded by the Alchohol and Drug abuse Institute of Canada has
shown that smokers are 50% more likely to have a car accident than non
smokers (Source: Canadian Journal of Public Health, March/April 1990).

The three reasons for this are:
1) Smoking causes a distraction whilst driving and reduces ability to
   concentrate on the road
2) Smokers have bahavioural differences and are generally more prone to
   risk taking.
3) Carbon Monoxide toxicity caused by cigarette smoking decreases vigilence,
   impairs colour vision, decreases brightness discrimination and decreases
   peripheral vision.
  
In addition, the deposit left on the inside of the windscreen results in
impaired visibility, particularly at night when glare is increased.

Other work in Canada, the US and Australia has shown that smokers are
3.5 times more likely to crash their cars. Smokers are also 3.4 times more
likely to be arrested for drunken driving. Statistics from 3,700 drivers 
showed that while nearly 27 per cent of smokers under 30 had had one or more
accidents, the percentage among non smokers was only 19. Among drivers over
30, it was 15 and 10. 

This research has led to a non-smokers driving policy being introduced in
the UK, and underwritten by Lloyds. It claims to cut the cost for non-
smokers by a minumim of 12.5%.

References:
	Guardian, 19-Dec-92
	The Times, 30-Nov-92
	Evening Standard, P15 16-Dec-92
	Guardian, 17-Dec-92
		

Also, you can get cheaper home insurance if you're a non smoker. I've
switched to the company offering this discount (CGA Direct: 0403 240033) as
they undercut my previous insurance by about 30%. The non smoker discount
is 5%.

Please note that I don't have read access to this group.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Craig Cockburn                 	E-mail: [l s s 203] at [cs.napier.ac.uk]
Napier University               Fon/Phone: 031 556 9578 (home)
Edinburgh, Scotland EH14 1DJ    Sgri\obh thugam 'sa Ga\idhlig ma 'se do thoil e.