Tag: commercial vehicle insurance

Caught Driving Without Insurance? Here’s What Happened Next

Posted on by News Desk

Not having insurance and skipping medical tests can quickly turn into a costly mistake.

For instance, a man from Liverpool was recently hit with a massive fine after driving without completing the required medical tests.

Why?

Because he drove his van without third-party insurance or a valid licence.

He had been denied the licence due to medical reasons.

Later, at the town’s magistrates’ court, he pleaded guilty to two offences and ultimately faced the consequences.

Avoid Fines And Penalties

Van drivers frequently get caught out for driving without valid insurance.

Or, they skip crucial medical tests.

Both are risky moves.

Failing to comply? It can lead to substantial fines.

Why do people risk it?

The rising cost of insurance, especially for commercial vehicles, is a big reason.

Van insurance can be extremely expensive, especially if you’re looking at third-party or fully comprehensive cover.

Some may try to save money by skipping insurance altogether.

But that decision could cost them much more in fines and penalties.

Driving Laws: What You Must Know

Many van drivers simply don’t understand the laws around insurance and medical tests.

That lack of knowledge can land you in serious trouble.

You see, some drivers may not even realize they’re breaking the law.

And that’s a big mistake.

Be Prepared, Not Sorry

Some drivers believe they can get away with it.

But here’s the thing:

Law enforcement agencies are now using high-tech tools like automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

That means it’s easier than ever to catch uninsured drivers in 2023.

Driving without completing the required medical tests?

Equally risky.

These tests ensure that drivers are healthy and fit to be on the road.

Take vision deterioration, for example.

That could lead to accidents, putting other drivers at risk.

What You Can Do

Stay compliant.

Always keep your driving licence up-to-date.

Get the right insurance for your van.

And, of course, complete the necessary medical tests.

It’s the law.

Ignoring these rules could cost you dearly—both in fines and in your driving record.

Remember:

It’s not just about avoiding penalties.

It’s about staying safe on the road.

So, be responsible. Stay compliant. And keep yourself and others safe.

Commercial Vehicle Insurance is Half Price Thanks to 3G

Posted on by News Desk

The one message I get a lot from company owners is this…”our fleet of commercial vehicles, the insurance is just too expensive!” Not anymore.

I’ve been hearing good things about one particular commercial vehicle insurance company you see, who have been implementing something called “3G vehicle cameras” on all the vans they insure.

One of these 3G vehicle cameras is the IT1000 device, which a business who has a fleet of 30 commercial vehicles recently installed in every single one.

Amazingly, this has led to a 50% reduction in their insurance costs, which is roughly about £4000 per year, per vehicle, which they haven’t had to pay out.

The reason? Because they now have advanced cameras on each and every van, which means when someone tries to make a claim against one of their vehicles, they are in a much better position to defend themselves.

Not only that, but the insurance company can also see exactly what happened, which means they are not paying out for bogus claims.

It’s working very nicely as well. The previous year, this particular company had almost 40 claims made against their fleet of commercial vehicles. Fast forward to the present day and that number now stands at only 6 claims.

Even better, the use of “3G” in their vans has made the company more profitable, as drivers and their driving style is now more easily monitored, resulting in a more focused workforce who get the job done to best of their ability, and more importantly, on time.

So is 3G vehicle cameras now essential for all companies that want to get the best and cheapest insurance quotes for their fleet? In my opinion…YES.

Any kind of camera or monitoring system will do, although these 3G gadgets are state of the art and allow the insurance companies to see exactly what went on, as quickly as possible.

What about the average white van man, so to speak…should they also embrace this whole 3G thing or is it more for fleet management? While I think installing a IT1000 device might be a bit over the top for a sole trader roofer or builder, you might want to consider buying a dashcam (or two).

You then install these dashcams on the front and rear of the van, where everything is recorded and available to be played back if needed.

Fortunately, van insurance companies are starting to notice the power of these dashcams and that is why you can get cheap quotes for having them installed.

Also, don’t forget about something called telematics, which many insurers now offer in a bid to monitor your driving style.

Agree to this and you could be well on the way to cheap van insurance, as long as you obey the laws of the road.

Van Drivers Warned About Travelling to France

Posted on by News Desk

If you drive a van and are planning a trip to France over the coming weeks, then make sure you don’t get a £117 fine for driving on their roads.

Many people who drive commercial vehicles have to cross the English Channel into France and then make deliveries or collect important stock…but not many drivers are aware of the new law that has just been passed by the French government.

Basically, what this is all about is a new “vehicle emissions sticker” that every vehicle must display on their windscreen. Right now the sticker only costs £3.60, but if caught by French Police without it, then expect to get fined £117 immediately.

You won’t even get a chance to appeal, and you won’t be able to say “do you take a cheque?” From what I’ve been hearing the French Police are taking a zero tolerance stance on this new law, and if you don’t have a sticker then they will immediately whip out their credit card machine and demand instant payment for the fine.

Something tells me they are going to be watching the roads closely for vehicles from abroad driving on their roads, where people behind the wheel are not aware of the new French laws.

This includes van drivers of course, who in my opinion are always easy targets because they are more likely to have money on them. I would expect French Police to prefer cash over credit cards, and it wouldn’t surprise me if they have change on them.

What happens if you can’t pay…will they take your van away? They might just do that, and then you will have to pay even more cash to get it back.

Not only that, but in some circumstances you might even find yourself spending the night in a French jail. It certainly is a bit extreme to think that you are going to get nicked for not having a sticker, but when you are dealing with Police in another country who knows what will happen.

Hopefully, most UK van drivers are aware of this new French law, but if you have a mate or work colleague that is travelling to France soon, you might just want to let them know.

Any driver planning on visiting France in the near future should visit the Crit’Air official website and then order a sticker for £3.60.

Also, make sure you have the correct van insurance for travelling abroad, because the last thing you want is to be pulled over by French Police for no sticker and no insurance.

New commercial vehicle insurance provider launches

Posted on by News Desk

Pukka Insure, a brand new commercial vehicle insurance provider set to turn the world of van insurance on its ear, has recently launched.

Are you a van and truck driver that’s had a devil of a time getting commercial insurance for your vehicle? Well Pukka Insure says it’s got a deal for you. Or it will, sometime soon. The new player on the insurance field says that right now it’s offering drivers of 3.5-tonne vehicles a policy that should be something you might be interested in, though the company has remarked that it will be expanding to a full weight range eventually.

Of course, the founder of this new company, Sam White, isn’t just someone that’s burst onto the scene from nowhere. She’s already involved in the insurance industry through the claims management company she founded – one that’s somehow survived the purge of CMCs that occurred a few years back when the Government changed the way personal injury legislation was handled in the UK.

Truth be told, the commercial van insurance sector could use some new blood. Motor vehicle insurance in general is just all kinds of terrible right now, with personal and commercial insurance rates rising steadily through the roof and into the stratosphere. More choices for beleaguered van and lorry drivers is fantastic, as more competition in the sector should – theoretically – act as a downward force on premium prices altogether.

The problem is that some of the forces driving insurance premiums up are external and not internal. Sure, there’s always the spectre of “cash-for-crash” scams driving costs up for insurers, but the insurance premium tax (IPT) went up to 9.5 per cent in November of 2015 – a hike of 3.5 percentage points – and that’s certainly adding to everyone’s pain.

Still, I suppose it remains to be seen if Pukka Insure is going to be able to make waves in the commercial insurance market or not. Personally I wish the new start-up all the best, but I’m certainly not going to be holding my breath to see if the rates this company offers – or the level of service, for that matter – are going to be anything worthwhile or noteworthy. For now, I’m just going to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach, though you’re welcome to switch insurers if you’re in the 3.5-tonne weight range I suppose. If you’re not, I’ll wager you’re going to wait right alongside me, aren’t you?

Better protect your firm’s fleet from insurance claims

Posted on by News Desk

Van insurance news roundup: 7 days ending 3 July 2013:

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this week it’s that it’s never been more important to make sure you’ve got adequate van insurance cover in this day and age.

I know you may not necessarily believe me when I say it, but it’s true: it’s a bloody wasteland out there when it comers to legal liability, and if your firm has a large fleet of commercial vans or other vehicles you’re exposing yourself to risk every day one of your employees gets behind the wheel to deliver a parcel or respond to a client’s needs. In fact, new research from AXA found that all too many firms are lacking basic levels of commercial vehicle insurance cover and are exposing themselves to undue risk.

Around 45 per cent of firms surveyed by AXA admitted that they had no idea that there’s such a thing as corporate manslaughter, despite the fact it’s been five years since the new offence was introduced. Considering the charge carries no limits on the fine that can be levied on a guilty party, it is incredibly important to make sure your van insurance policy has specific cover for such an incident or you could end up shuttering your doors in the event of a bad accident!

And speaking of bad accidents, you’re likely to end up having to deal with one sooner or later – and that makes it even more important to have proper levels of commercial van insurance cover. Whiplash claims in particular are becoming increasingly popular, and if one of your drivers ends up involved in a rear-end shunt with another vehicle it’s almost a guarantee that the driver of the other car is going to claim for whiplash injury.

The Faculty of Actuaries recently said that whiplash figures have risen to absolutely epidemic levels resulting in some £1 billion in court costs and legal fees – and these costs get passed along to the average consumer. The worst part about this is that roads in the UK are actually safer than they’ve always been, yet still claims figures are mounting; this is sort of to be expected during the aftermath of a recession, as money is incredibly scarce for the majority of people, leading enterprising Brits to try to capitalise on a car accident by claiming injury where there is none.

This makes it even more important to have excellent van insurance cover if you want to avoid paying out on these spurious claims!

Could limiting top speed for vans lead to cheaper insurance?

Posted on by News Desk

Limiting the top speed for vans and other commercial vehicles could potentially lead to not only safer roads but cheaper commercial van insurance as well, one insurer has recently said.

A major commercial vehicle insurance provider approved of a new report from the Freight Transport Association that found limiting a van’s top speed to just 70mph could be highly beneficial. Joe de Vries, the insurer’s representative, remarked that a top speed of 70mph would led to a reduction in the number of road traffic accidents because vans will be much safer in this instance – with the end result that insurance premiums for van owners and operators could drop by a significant amount.

Mr de Vries also pointed out that placing speed limitations on commercial vehicles by their manufacturers could also lead to improvements in fuel economy. Fuel consumption would be lowered by reducing strain on engines that can no longer exceed 70mph, and with the rising cost of fuel in the UK, this could also spell significant savings.

Moreover, maintenance and repair bills will likely be less expensive as well due to a limited top speed. Since engine strain will be less, many van owners will find their vehicles lasting longer between developing faults that need to be remedied. However, with the recent discussions and speculation in regards to the possibility of the motorway speed limit being raised to 80mph, this nascent measure to limit the top speed on the nation’s commercial vehicles may not be feasible after all.

Opponents to the idea of raising the speed limit say that traveling at high rates of speed are not only more dangerous, but will result in reduced fuel efficiency due to increased wind resistance.

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