Young Driver Car Insurance

As the new term begins for many university and college students across the UK, the question of where to find the best value-for-money young driver car insurance raises it’s head once again.

The market place for young driver motor quotes is even more competitive than 12 months ago, with new insurers, brokers and providers offering increasingly tempting deals. However, it remains the case that simply buying your policy purely on price, or the lowest premium, is often not the most sensible decision.

Always try to seek out a tailor-made quote that fits your individual needs as a young driver. Whether this is through a specific insurer such as Direct Line or one of the more popular price comparison insurance websites.

If you are under 25 and have had a great experience with a particular insurer then let us all know, and leave a comment!

Lastly, a brief but very important reminder of the following:

• Around 3,000 young drivers are killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads each year.
• It is estimated that as many as one in five of all serious road accidents involve drivers under the age of 21.

DRIVE SAFELY.

Highway Code Revised

The latest version of the Highway Code has been launched by the Government. This is the first revision for eight years and contains 29 more rules and  includes a new safety code for novice and first time drivers.

Reception to the new version has been mixed with support from Government ministers in contrast to scepticism from some industry voices. 

I read with interest the newly enforceable laws on smoking, eating, drinking, looking for a radio station or listening to very loud music while at the wheel.  Whilst not condoning the actions of a driver stupid enough to carry out any of these actions on a regular basis, a possible prison sentence seems a rather harsh penalty should you be caught.

This  tightening of controls against anyone who distracts themselves in any way while driving seems on the face of it an eminently sensible move. However it does beg the question – WHAT NEXT?!.  If you are driving with a front seat pasenger to your left, will you soon be breaking the law if you are seen to be turning your head and talking to them? 

Further, whilst driving on the M25 on Friday evening, anti-clockwise along the Heathrow stretch I noticed 2 large electronic, colour billboards at the side of motorway. I presume this form of advertising is not breaking any law(s)? My question would be - Is this not a DISTRACTION for drivers on the motorway?! 

Their have been several dissenting voices against the new rules, which have been called draconian. Paul Smith, founder of the website SafeSpeed.org.uk, has come out and defended the rights of drivers among Her Majesty’s subjects.

What’s your opinion? Feel free to leave a comment and make a contribution.

New to Driving in the UK?

A recent report by Dorset Police has focused concerns on Immigrant drivers’ outdated attitude to drink-driving. According to the report such attitudes are fuelling a rise in road crashes.

If you have recently arrived in the UK and are new to driving on UK roads, there are some basic facts and information you need to be made aware of:

• Driving Standards
• Driving Licence 
• Highway Code 
• Road Signs
• Car Insurance  

Before you get behind the wheel ensure you are conversant with driving technique, UK road laws and motoring etiquette.  In particular drivers from Eastern Europe need to understand road signs, and motorway driving.

Mr Dowell from Dorset Plice also commented that his officers were witnessing an increase in the number of foreign nationals involved in drink-driving. A rising number of immigrants were also involved in fatal or serious injury collisions, he said.

Basic Comprehensive Policy Due for Renewal?

If your basic comprehensive car insurance policy is due for renewal soon, consider the following facts and figures.

All information given below is true, based on no claims being made in the period 2006-2007, and provides a real-life example of how much your policy might increase by if you neglect to shop around at the end of the first year, or at the very least query (any) rises in premiums with your current provider:

Basic Comprehensive Cover
Premium 2006-2007, £185.72. 
Premium 2007-2008, £240.41 (Renewal Quote)
Increase £54.69. Percentage increase 29.4%

Motor Legal Protection
2006-2007, £22.84
2007-2008, £25.99 (Renewal Quote)
Increase £3.15. Percentage increase 13.8% 

Monthly Charge for Payments by Instalments
2006-2007, £1.82
2007-2008, £2.22 (Renewal Quote)
Increase £0.40. Percentage increase 22%

I think you would agree these increases are just slightly more than the current rate of inflation! Regardless of the type of cover you currently have in place – comprehensive or third party, always, always try and obtain at least one comparison motor quote(s) when your policy comes up for renewal.

Rising Premiums – Heard it all Before?!

The past few weeks have seen a number of stories emerge from various leading insurers concerning rising car insurance premiums.  During September 2007 we read:

‘Admiral Warns on Motor Premium Rises’
Admiral has added its voice to those predicting that car insurance premiums are likely to rise ahead of inflation in the coming year. The insurer, which specialises in selling policies to drivers who generally pay higher premiums, has already increased motor premiums by over 5% this year.

Or, July 2007:

‘Car insurance policies ‘at two-year high’
The cost of a car insurance policy in the direct market is at its highest amount in two years, it has been claimed. According to Experian’s Motor Insurance Benchmark, the average market quote is up 7.9 per cent for May 2007 compared with prices a year earlier.

It added that the cost of cover has gone up from £519 to £560 over the period, with the average amount charged through an intermediary also up to £529.

Sound familiar? Consider this story which hit the Guardian headlines in 2006:

‘Car Insurance Costs Set to Increase’
Drivers today faced the prospect of more expensive car insurance as the UK’s biggest insurer Norwich Union announced it was increasing premiums and said other companies were likely to follow suit. Norwich Union is increasing the cost of insurance across the board, with customers facing an average 16% rise in the price of an annual policy. 

Already the Royal Bank of Scotland has raised its car insurance premiums on all new business by 5% over the past few months and it seems committed to the trend by adding a further 1% per month over the next six months.

I am sure if you dig further back through 2005, 2004 and further back you will find similar stories being peddled by leading insurers and research organisations.

What is the motivation for these continuous press releases of imminent motor premium rises? We know that the car insurance market in the UK is becoming increasingly competitive with insurers struggling to make money during the first year.  

What other factors are driving this strategy of ramping up premiums?  Perhaps the unsustainable realities of consumers chasing the cheapest motor quote with insurers blindly chasing the signature of each new policyholder are starting to hit home in the boardrooms of car insurance companies up and down the UK!?

Eco-Friendly Motorists – Read-on!

Are you one of the growing number of motorists concerned with the levels of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide your vehicle spews out?

The Green Car Guide is a first class, online resource to discover and learn more about environmental issues, sustainability, climate change and renewable energy. The Guide is widely regarded as the UK’s leading website about green cars.

A great feature is the FREE MONEY-SAVING TIPS section. To receive your free ‘How to Drive Greener’ Money-Saving Tips simply enter your details and you will given a link to download the PDF.

New Driver, New Car?

Ok, congratulations are in order - you have just passed your driving test! Throw those red ‘L’ plates in the bin and pin on the lovely new green ‘P’ plates.

However, before you rush out, experience the freedom of driving on your own and get behind the wheel there are some very important considerations to take on board.

Firstly you need to consider the potential benefits of furthering your driving skills and knowledge by enrolling on the Pass Plus scheme.  Remember: In the first year of driving, one driver in five is involved in an accident.

Your next port of call should be to the website Think Road Safety. Here you’ll find news of the latest campaigns and road safety advice to keep everyone safer on the UK’s roads.

Last but not least you will need to know and understand the law and requirements for registering and taxing your vehicle and your legal obligations as a driver and/or keeper of a vehicle.

Bad Driving on Irish Roads Exposed

In the interests of exposing bad driving in order to promote good driving, we must bring to the attention of our readers the not-for-profit website shitedrivers.com.

Its creator Niall O’Keeffe has created a website dedicated to rooting out examples of Irish road madness, badness and ludicrous driving. Niall says: “I’ve seen some very bad examples of driving and I just thought it would be nice to have an outlet for it instead of road rage”.

Contributors describe what they see or download photographs and videos, so long as number plates and faces have been obscured. Mr O’Keeffe emphasises that the imges be captured safely, not by the person behind the steering wheel. “We have enough material as it is, we don’t want to create more shite drivers,” he says.

This site is a great example of individuals creating an awareness of bad driving and bringing it to the attention of a wider audience. Efforts like those of Mr O’Keeffe can only help to create safer roads for us all. Ireland’s Road Safety Authority has also recently praised the site as brilliant.