Tag: van insurance

Don’t think police are targeting van drivers? Think again.

Posted on by News Desk

One 40 year old woman caught driving her van without valid insurance recently had her vehicle seized right out from under her for violating continuous enforcement laws.

Last week we warned that you’d better get your ducks in a row when it comes to securing commercial van insurance or risk your vehicle being seized, but apparently the message hasn’t sunk in yet.  Well, here’s proof that we know what we’re talking about: a Coxheath woman was caught driving without van insurance, was issued a £200 fixed penalty, given six points on her licence… and had her van yanked out from under her for her sins.

The whole incident occurred on 3 August, where Joanna Watts, local Police Community Support Officer, received a report of a ‘suspicious vehicle’ in Coxheath Village Hall’s car park. PSCO Watts investigated and the rest is history.

Obviously the driver of the van wasn’t a loyal reader of this website – otherwise she would have known that getting behind the wheel of her van without the proper insurance cover was not a particularly bright thing to do. Still, it doesn’t matter how many times British van owners are warned, as there’s always someone out there who thinks they won’t be caught and can avoid having to pay for even cheap van insurance; go ahead and see how well that plan will work.

The bottom line is a very simple one: sort out your insurance requirements before you’re stuck having to take public transport everywhere because you couldn’t be bothered to do it.

Insurance: it’s not just a good idea – it’s the law

Posted on by News Desk

No one will ever argue against the benefits of making sure you have valid car insurance or van insurance, but don’t forget that it’s not just a good idea: it’s the law.

Yes, commercial car insurance currently costs an arm and a leg, even if you use an insurance comparison site to find the best deals. Still, it’s better to have the proper cover in place if you end up getting into a road traffic accident, because repair costs and medical bills can be incredibly expensive if you have to pay these costs out-of-pocket.

Not only can you not afford to get into an accident without valid insurance, you can’t afford to be caught out by the authorities either. It’s a legal requirement to have your van insured at all times, regardless of whether it’s currently being driven or not, and if the police find out you’ve been getting behind the wheel without proper cover, you could be in for some weighty penalties – up to and including having your licence taken away and your car destroyed!

Continuous enforcement rules are now in effect in the UK, which means that if you own a car or van, the vehicle needs to be insured at all times. The only way around this is to file a Statutory Off Road Notice with the government, which certifies that your vehicle is currently off-road.

If you’re caught violating these new rules, you’re in for a world of hurt if you don’t get cover for the vehicle. Sure, fixed penalties may start at £100, but if you simply refuse to insure a given vehicle, you could have it seized from you and crushed, in addition to ever-higher penalties while running the risk of an invalidated licence as well.

Keep off your mobile while behind the wheel

Posted on by News Desk

A good number of us are addicted to social networking sites, but if you’re updating your status from behind the wheel, you’re endangering your life – and the lives of others.

No one’s going to tell you that you can’t go ahead and spend an hour or so draining down the batteries in your smartphone so you can obsessively post messages to Twitter or comment on the latest stupid cat picture one of your mates posted on Facebook. But it’s utter madness to be behind the wheel in heavy traffic, texting away, and using car insurance and van insurance companies are now handing down massive rate increases if you’re found to be participating in the activity.

Insurers are so concerned about how dangerous the activity could be that they’ve routinely begun rising rates more than they would for someone convicted of a drink driving offence. Not only that, but there are some insurers that are flat-out refusing to offer cover at renewal time for anyone who demonstrates the poor judgment of checking their Facebook news feed while driving.

Cheap insurance is hard enough to find as it is, what with insurers constantly raising their rates so they can recover their costs from a record number of insurance claims; it may be tempting to go ahead and just take a peek while you’re driving, but you’re contributing to the problem if you’re doing so, because you’re much more likely to end up in a road traffic accident if you take your eyes off the road to use your mobile. You can’t even claim that you’re a careful driver otherwise – because you’re doing exactly the opposite of what a careful driver would do, aren’t you?

Van insurer warns against catalytic converter thefts

Posted on by News Desk

Of all the things to worry about, now van owners and operators have to be on the lookout for criminals making off with their catalytic converters right from underneath their bonnets.

One van insurance provider has recently warned of a crime spree over the past few weeks that involves the theft of catalytic converters. The commercial van insurance company has begun to urge van drivers to be much more careful where they choose to leave their vehicles overnight in an effort to help them avoid being the victims of such a theft.

June’s crime figures saw the Leicestershire area particularly hardest hit, with almost 250 thefts occurring between January 1 and June 1. This figure is incredibly inflated from last year’s figures, where the first half of the year saw only 47 reported thefts, the car insurance provider remarked.

The insurer’s representative, Joe de Vries, commented on the new report, stating that the increase in catalytic converter theft is ‘terrible news,’ adding that van owners across the country need to be much more vigilant in order to prevent their own vans being subjected to the same fate. Mr de Vries said that van owners should park their vehicles in secure areas overnight, such as a garage, but as not everyone has access to such facilities, parking a van in a well lit area such as directly below a street lamp would be the best way to deter thieves.

The rise in catalytic converter theft is believed to be linked to the cost of scrap metal, which has been on the rise. Organised gangs have been harvesting the components to send overseas, where they are stripped of their metal, law enforcement officials say.

Van registrations rise, insurers brace for new customers

Posted on by News Desk

Insurance providers are bracing for an influx of new customers after it was revealed that the number of van registrations recently increased.

The Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders released their most recent figures, reporting that total van registration figures have gone up by 6.7 per cent in comparison to last year. The 2t and under category increased even higher, with an impressive 11.6 per cent rise in total registrations as of May 2012.

Commercial van insurance providers are using the information to prepare for the influx of new customers on the search for van insurance. Comparison sites are also girding their loins, as the current state of the UK’s economy has led numerous Brits to become much more diligent in searching out the best deals in an effort to save money.

The cost of motoring has been increasing steadily over the past few years, whether it be from insurance rate increases or rising petrol costs, and drivers have been looking for any way to save that they can. Other economic factors, such as high unemployment, have attributed to consumers looking for ways to make their money stretch even further, leading to comparison websites becoming wildly popular, as these websites offer Brits a way to select financial products that are the best value for money.

An insurance director at a major comparison site, Simon McCulloch, commented on the news, stating that insurance quote aggregration sites are a valuable resource for savvy consumers, as you’ll be hard-pressed to find more competitive rates anywhere else. Many comparison sites offer not just savings on car or van insurance but a wide range of financial products, such as credit cards and life insurance, and many also offer comparison services for utilities such as gas and electricity as well.

Comparison sites brace for impact as vehicle sales increase

Posted on by News Desk

Car and van insurance comparison sites have been bracing for a fresh influx of new consumers after new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders indicate that the sale of new vehicles in the UK has increased dramatically.

The SMMT announced that May’s new car sales increased by 7.9 per cent year-on-year to a new high of 162,288, the largest sales increase of its kind for nearly two years straight. The current number of vehicles sold in the UK during the first five months of the year now stands at 868,166, a figure that represents an overall increase of 2.6 per cent, according to the SMMT’s figures.

Anticipating heightened demand as consumers seek out personal car insurance and commercial van insurance for their new vehicles, comparison sites have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to help Brits find the best deals when it comes to insurance. Comparison sites do not exclusively deal with car and van insurance comparison services, as many will also offer comparison services for financial products such as credit cards, bank accounts, and other insurance products such as pet or travel insurance, but with so many Brits looking for ways to save money in the current economy – and with motor insurance compulsory – nearly every comparison site boasts a large panel of insurer partners to provide high levels of customer service to price-conscious consumers.

Comparison sites provide a time-saving benefit as well as a cost-saving one, as consumers can simply put their personal details in once and let the website do the rest; in moments the site will return a long list of different insurance quotes for the consumer to choose from, eliminating the need for tedium and making the entire process as painless as possible.

Drivers fed up with road injuries, favour harsher penalties

Posted on by News Desk

A new survey from a personal and commercial van insurance provider recently found that UK drivers have little patience with those who cause road injuries that lead to severe injury, with an overwhelming number coming out in favour of much harsher penalties in such cases.

Motorists in the UK have enough to put up with, whether it be the rising cost of petrol or the near-constant increases to their insurance premiums, leading many to be completely unsympathetic to anyone who causes road traffic accidents that lead to lengthy stays in hospital. Pain and suffering aside, Brits simply can’t afford time away from work in order to recover from such serious accidents – at least not in the current economy – and with car and van insurance companies rising rates after even a no-fault accident, a single incident could have ruinous ramifications.

The insurance expert found that, out of every 20 respondents, an overwhelming 19 said that they would like to see plans for instituting a new driving offence pushed through by the government. The new rule would make dangerous driving that causes serious injury a crime, which would carry a much stronger penalty than dangerous driving, the current offence in such situations.

Dangerous driving is a severe crime, and does carry a severe penalty, yet does not address any physical injuries caused as a result of dangerous driving. However, the new law would change this, resulting in much higher and more serious penalties for offenders.

Industry experts say that in order for the enforcement of this new offence to be effective, there may be a need for increased police presence on the nation’s roadways.

Break out from the crowd – don’t auto-renew

Posted on by News Desk

It can be incredibly expensive to secure insurance for either your personal vehicle or the lorry or van you use for work, but you’re only making it worse if you follow the crowd and auto-renew your current insurer’s latest insurance quote, industry experts recently said.

However, up to 23 per cent of motorists in the UK do just that when it comes time to renew, and don’t even shop around for the best deals in an effort to save money on their personal or commercial van insurance, according to a recent survey. A large number of research respondents said that they felt it was too difficult and time-consuming to hunt down quotes from a car or van insurance provider, instead taking the path of least resistance and simply auto-renewing to save time.

Saving time is one thing, but saving money is another – especially in the current economy – and if you’re trading financial savings for ease of use, experts say you probably need to have your head examined. If you’re looking to save both time and money, industry insiders recommend you make use of a car insurance comparison website, as these sites provide the valuable service of acting as an aggregator of insurance quotes: put your personal details in once, and you’ll get several quotes back at once so you can compare them to one another as well as what you’re currently paying.

However, you need to keep aware of a few things if you do use a comparison site: no two policies are exactly alike. Even if they’re both offering ‘comprehensive’ cover, some insurers will provide different services, such as breakdown cover, as standard, so make sure you read all the fine print before signing on the dotted line.

Are insurers responsible for £225m in increased costs?

Posted on by News Desk

Industry experts say that car and van insurance providers are responsible for running up £225 million in costs – that were passed along to motorists in the form of higher rates – due to ‘dysfunctional’ practices.

The entire market, personal and commercial van insurance providers alike, has been referred to the Competition Commission by the Office of Fair Trading after the OFT found that some companies were inflating the costs of repairs and replacement car parts following road traffic accidents. The watchdog agency remarked that the practice has is effectively holding insurers of at-fault drivers for ransom, depriving them any sort of choice in the way repair work is carried out.

Investigations found that the cost of providing a replacement vehicle was increased by around £560 for each instance. Repair costs were also found to b inflated by an additional £155 by insurers.

With drivers bearing the brunt of such actions through increased premium prices, consumer groups have praised the OFT’s announcement as an important first step in wrenching control away from a dysfunctional insurance system. The possibility now exists that a greater measure of transparency will be put in place in order to prevent the kind of complex and convoluted charges and fees that insurers have been using to drive up premium pricing, experts say.

Attempting to gain a competitive edge over their rivals by making it more expensive for competitors to do business is simply counter-productive, the OFT believes, adding that the market would work much more efficiently if insurance providers should simply concentrate their efforts on supplying high levels of service and quality to their customers.

Leading insurance comparison site announces new panel member

Posted on by News Desk

One of the nation’s largest insurance comparison sites recently announced that a new insurer – a telematics specialist – has joined its panel.

One of the most in-demand types of vehicle insurance due to its ability to save drivers of both personal and commercial vehicles on their premium payments, telematics-based insurance records the behaviour of a driver whilst behind the wheel, awarding them with lowered premiums in exchange for responsible driving. Van insurance policyholders have been very interested in the technology, as it can also be used to provide evidence in cases concerning duty of care, as information such as how fast a commercial vehicle was traveling can be used to settle legal disputes.

The comparison site’s newest insurer, a firm that has specialised in telematics insurance primarily for personal motors, offers a range of options to its customers. A driver taking out insurance with the firm gains 6,000 miles for the year, with more miles available for purchase later, while safe drivers are rewarded with an additional 100 miles as a bonus each month and offers lowered premium prices for any safe driver that renews their policy after the end of the year.

The new firm joins three other telematics-based providers on the comparison site’s panel, a change that was made to provide peace of mind for customers, says the website’s spokesperson, Gareth Kloet. The comparison site was pleased to be able to offer a larger range of choice for those customers looking for telematics-based policies, Mr Kloet added.

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