Damons hit by costly car premiums 

THE car you drive is supposed to say a lot about you - including your name, according to the latest research from insurers. 

Johns and Davids are more likely to cruise the streets in Ford Granadas, while Sarahs are usually spotted in Peugeot 205s or Volkswagen Golfs. 

The survey, compiled by Churchill, also confirmed what has long been suspected - that Kevin and Sharon's favourite car is indeed a Ford Escort. Gary, for some reason, is more partial to a Ford Orion. 

When it comes to driving a Mercedes, chances are you are called Frank - or maybe Franz originally. But Japanese cars are more popular among Susans who enjoy driving Nissan Micras into the ground. 

Churchill remains tight-lipped about the reasons for carrying out the research, but name discrimination could be on the way. The insurer would not reveal which names it could hit with higher premiums, but Damon, Mika and Eddie all drew gasps from head office. 

Publishers of baby name books are already gearing up to include insurance premium tables to aid parents in their choice of name. Norman is expected to be a shock choice for babies in the new millennium. 

Names are just the latest tool in the impressive armoury of insurers' information. Thousands of different factors are already used to calculate premiums - and virtually every facet of your life is used to decide the probability of a driver having an accident. 

Insurers take into account occupation, age, address and gender to determine premiums. The colour of your car and the day of the week also have a bearing on how likely you are to have an accident. 

Sunday Times 5 December 1999