Four big insurance companies have included an explicit warning to drivers who cause an accident while holding their phone, telling them they will not be covered for any damages.

The condition change by Interpolis, Centraal Beheer, FBTO and Inshared has been effective since December 1 and, according to insurance comparison site Independer, the damage for offenders could run into millions of euros, leading in many cases to personal bankruptcy.

Figures from traffic safety research organisation SWOV have shown that some 75% of drivers have a one point held and used their phone while driving. “Texting behind the wheel is not only very dangerous it can also have huge financial consequences,” the organisation said.

Menno Dijcks of Independer told the AD. “If it leads to personal injury the costs will very quickly run into the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of euros, particularly if the person becomes disabled as a result of the accident.”

The most common type of injury in car accidents is whiplash, followed by bruises and broken bones. “That sort of injury can have long-lasting effects. Victims pay an emotional as well as a physical price but for the person who caused the accident, it may mean a financial quagmire from which he may never be able to free himself,” Dijcks told the paper.

Costs may include compensation for physical suffering, medical costs and compensation for loss of income. If a person were to hit a 45-year-old surgeon who, as a result of the accident, could no longer operate, costs would run into almost €4 million, Independer calculated.

“Very few people are able to pay this money from their own pocket, Dijcks said. “If the debt is too big you can be declared bankrupt.”

Using a phone while driving is already against the law. Even if insurers do not explicitly specify this in their policy terms and conditions, drivers who cause accidents while using their phones could still have to foot the damages bill themselves.