Motorcycle Insurance
The trend for owning a motorcycle has increased dramatically over the past few years, especially for the smaller scooter/ moped type that the young fashion conscious like to be seen on. But, despite the rise in popularity for two wheel transport a lot of insurance companies still steer clear of offering motorcycle insurance. The few that do offer bike insurance tend to manage the increased risks involved with motorcycles by making their insurance premiums quite expensive.
Fortunately, though, there are several specialist companies that do offer insurance specifically for the motorcyclist, and as they are geared for doing so then their policies are often cheaper too. These companies give the bike rider an opportunity to buy good value insurance based on individual circumstances, and enable them to satisfy their legal obligations on the road. Of course, not all policies are the same and the key thing to remember before buying any type of motorcycle insurance is to always get several quotes, compare the cover, then choose the policy that best suits you and the particular motorcycle you want to insure.
Types Of Motorcycle Insurance
There are two main types of motorcycle insurance. The first one, which is the most common, is the specified rider policy. This insurance covers only the rider and not the actual motorcycle. It will also normally specify the size of motorcycle that you are insured to ride.
The second type of policy is quite the opposite and gives cover to only the motorcycle and not the rider. This type of insurance is therefore ideally suited to situations where several people all ride the same motorcycle.
Motorcycle Insurance Discounts
Unlike car insurance, providers of motorcycle insurance do not tend to be overly generous with their no claims discount. So, when applying for quotes consider yourself lucky if you find a company offering you the chance to reach 50% no claims discount. It is normally only after the first year of claim free biking that you can start to build up your no claims discount. But, just as you can with car insurance, you can often pay a small extra on your premium to protect losing your no claims. This is often worthwhile as even a 50% discount will give you significantly cheaper insurance, and the small extra fee will easily be regained through the savings you make.
Canceling Motorcycle Insurance
A common mistake made by a lot of bike owners is to cancel their motorcycle insurance during the winter months, or when the motorcycle is likely to be left unused for long periods. Statistics show that approximately 10,000 bikers do this each year while they store their motorcycles until the warmer weather. Bike thieves are also very aware of this fact and take advantage by stealing approximately 600 bikes per month from garages and lock-ups. So, canceling motorcycle insurance may seem cost effective at the time, but maintaining the insurance throughout the year could quite clearly be the most sensible thing to do.
Calculating Motorcycle Insurance Premiums
One factor taken into account by insurers offering motorcycle insurance is your location. For example, inner city areas tend to attract higher insurance premiums than suburbs and more rural locations do. This is partly due to the increased risk of theft attached to inner city areas.
There are, however, many other things used in calculating the cost of a motorcycle insurance over and above your location. Some other things considered are: the make of motorcycle, its engine size, the value of the bike and any overnight parking facilities you might have.
Women Bikers
Statistically, women bikers tend to be less of a risk on the road than their male counterparts. The result of this is that women’s motorcycle insurance is often discounted to reflect the element of reduced risk. Therefore, it’s sometimes possible for female motorcyclists to pick up an insurance policy that is discounted by around 15%.
For any keen biker though, finding motorcycle insurance is not as easy as finding car insurance. But, when you do find insurers the rules will always remain the same: Do get several quotes and compare them on a like-for-like basis, read the policy small print with an eagle eye to understand the inclusions and exclusions, and finally remember it’s always better to be over-insured than under-insured.
Car Insurance and Driving Abroad
According to the AA, 250,000 British drivers will venture onto European roads this summer, and a good percentage of these will be unaware of exactly what their car insurance policy covers them for, or does not as the case may be. In other words, a great proportion of those motorists traveling through Europe could be in for an real eye-opener if they were involved in a situation which resulted in them having to make a claim on their car insurance.
Car Insurance Downgrades
The problem lies with the fact that once leaving British shores a fully comprehensive car insurance policy is immediately downgraded to basic third party, therefore leaving the motorist vulnerable to the inadequacies of a third party only insurance policy. Although still meeting the legal minimum insurance required to drive in Europe, the now less than ample insurance cover could in fact leave the motorist wide open to various unsavoury situations. One of the worst scenarios would be if the car happened to be stolen whilst abroad, for the downgrading of the car insurance like this could literally create a situation where the car was no longer insured. Likewise, depending on individual circumstances, it could also leave the policy holder at risk in cases where there is accidental damage to the car, or worse still an injury to a person.
Extended Cover for Driving Abroad
Rather than be unaware of the potential pitfalls of insurance downgrades like this, it’s always advisable to check the small print on your insurance policy, especially if you intend venturing overseas with your car. For those with their car insurance shortly up for renewal, now would be a good time to seek out a policy more relevant to your needs. For instance, when applying for new quotes be aware of any plans you might have to travel, and choose an insurance policy that gives you the option of fully comprehensive insurance for your trip abroad. A lot of insurance companies will offer you this, whilst others will insist on a small extra premium be paid, and a few might even ask for travel plans and your intended destination. But whichever of these variations you encounter when choosing your car insurance, it really is worth the extra effort and/or cost to give yourself total peace of mind whilst driving abroad.
You only have to consider the cost involved of a bump involving say your car and one of the locals in your host country. With your insurance policy now downgraded and giving you the right to only basic third party insurance, you would only be covered for costs arising from the other driver. Perhaps your car was damaged and rendered undriveable, you would now probably be facing a hefty bill from the local tow company, plus costs on top of this from a garage to get your car back on the road. And what if this all happened at the start of your holiday, or worse still on the outward journey forcing you to make a stopover in a hotel while your car was repaired. It could be a case of your entire holiday being ruined, and to imagine that just a few extra pounds would have insured your car for such unfortunate events.
Belt and Braces Approach
So far we have looked into how easy it can be for car insurance to leave you wide open to all sorts of costs whilst driving abroad, and hopefully brought to the attention just how important it is to read the policy terms before setting off. However, insurance aside, there is another safety net which drivers often like to take with them for reassurance when driving abroad. The safety net we are talking about is European Breakdown Cover. While a good percentage of UK motorists already have some form of breakdown cover, the chances are this won’t extend to foreign travel. But just as with car insurance it is normally very easily extended for a small extra fee. Once again though, it is well worth checking the breakdown cover terms for exactly what is included and excluded, as policies can vary quite significantly from company to company. Having European breakdown cover will inevitably entitle you to the use of a hire car in circumstances where your car is unusable. It will also ensure that the damaged or undriveable vehicle is transported back to the UK. Considering it would cost several thousand pounds to repatriate a car from the outermost regions of Europe, this belt and braces approach to holiday car insurance should alleviate a lot of worries, and allow you to concentrate on the more important things such as enjoying your holiday.
Making a Claim on Car Insurance
If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having an accident there are a few guidelines to follow that could make things a little easier when the time comes to claim on your car insurance.
Firstly, always remember to get as much information as possible. This includes names, telephone numbers and addresses of any third parties. Make a note of the other persons insurance company, and if possible get the insurance policy number as well. It’s quite common for people not to know their policy number, especially in stressful situations like this, so do ensure you at least get enough details so you can do a follow up call from home.
Get and Give Details
If there are witnesses to the accident it may be a good idea to get their names and addresses too, but only if they are willing to do so. If you have a camera phone or camera then take some pictures of the vehicle positions before they are moved to safety. If you don’t have a camera then make a rough sketch of the details on paper. Show the vehicle positions, the side roads, directions the cars were traveling and make a note of any speed limits for the area.
If there is injury or damage to any property (including animals) then you are legally required to exchange full details with the other party. If, however, you are not the registered keeper of the car then you are required to give details of its legal owner along with your own.
Don’t Discuss Blame
At no point should you discuss who was at fault, for doing so could lead to later complications for you and your insurance company. You might feel entirely to blame but there could be other factors in the string of events leading up to the accident that you aren’t yet aware of, so do not discuss anything with anyone.
Inform the Insurance Company
The next important step is to inform your insurance company as soon as possible. You need to do this even if you do not intend claiming on your car insurance. In the policy small print there will be a requirement for you to disclose all information that may affect your insurance cover, so whether you claim or not you are still obligated to inform them of an incident like this. When you contact your car insurance company follow their instructions and advice to the letter. From their vast experience they will know exactly what to do in a situation like these in order to eliminate any further legal problems for you.
Finally, if you are making a claim on your car insurance don’t be tempted to get any repair work done until you have cleared it with the insurance company, for rushing ahead without their knowledge could leave you having to pay all the costs yourself.
Car Insurance For Women
There has been a recent trend in marketing car insurance specifically for the woman driver, and advertising it as a way to getting cheaper insurance. Up until now most speciality car insurance was aimed at niche markets like classic and high performance cars, but there are now various high profile companies latching on to the concept of offering car insurance just for women.
Although, on the outside, this appears to be just another clever marketing idea there might actually be benefits in buying car insurance like this, as we already mentioned the main one being women’s only car insurance is supposed to be cheaper.
Why Women’s Car Insurance is Cheaper
The idea behind this concept of cheap car insurance for women is that on the whole they tend to be safer drivers, and any instances when women do make insurance claims are usually for less amounts than for males. This might be contributed to the fact that women tend to travel less and drive at slower speeds, but there are also many other factors involved. Statistics gathered over the years show claims for both male and female drivers are similar in number, but this apparent difference in average insurance claims led some companies to spot an opportunity in offering car insurance just for the women driver.
Statistics also showed a marked difference in choice of car between male and female drivers, and women tend to go for a more modest engine size and a completely lower spec car altogether. The obvious knock on effect is that repair costs will be considerably lower and any accident damage will be significantly less than it would be for a high performance car. Women drivers, therefore, appear as less of a risk on the roads to car insurance companies, and risks is one of the things that car insurance companies base their quotes on.
Costing Car Insurance
When a car insurance company costs its products it has to take into account losses sustained through insurance claims, and this often leads to those who have never claimed on their car insurance grumbling about subsidising the reckless. The whole idea of a car insurance specifically for women alleviates this whole problem. It means the majority of women drivers buying car insurance are not subsiding the cost of high insurance claims, but merely covering the cost of smaller claims made by women. This allows these insurance companies to pass on their savings and offer car insurance for women at much cheaper prices.
Although aimed directly at women car owners these insurance companies still understand that in the real world a boyfriend or husband may occasionally need use of the car, so they normally have options to include partners as a named driver on the insurance. Though, the understanding is that the woman always remains the main driver and owner of the car, so the insurance quote is always based upon these facts.
Women’s Car Insurance Options
When buying women’s car insurance you will be offered exactly the same options as you get with any other car insurance, fully comprehensive and third party fire and theft are the standard. But with this kind of insurance you may find extras are added to give peace of mind to women drivers. One of the most common extras is breakdown assistance, as insurance companies realise safety on the road is of paramount importance to the female driver. If this is important to you then do search out a woman insurance policy that includes it, otherwise ask the insurer to add it as an optional extra.
Women’s Car Insurance Summary
On the whole female car insurance can only be a good thing, as it not only makes the marketplace more competitive but appears to overcome the problem of the majority subsidising the minority. However, whether it gives cheaper insurance in all cases has yet to be proved. It might just be that the only true beneficiaries of women’s car insurance are the high mileage girls in their high spec cars, and the rest just buying into the dream. Most car insurance companies will look favourably upon you anyway for the simple fact you are a woman, so do shop around and get as many quotes as you can before deciding on one.
How To Keep Car Insurance Costs Down
When it comes to buying car insurance there are certain factors which will influence the overall cost of the policy. Nearly all insurance companies use the same factors in one way or another to calculate insurance premiums. Some factors they use you cannot change like your age, address and claims history for example. But there are a few which are quite variable, and if you keep tabs on these ones they should bless you with a cheaper insurance policy.
Here we intend to highlight these variables and give you a clearer picture on how to influence your insurance costs for the better.
Factors You Have Control over are:
Choice of Car
All mass produced cars sold in the UK are assigned an Insurance Group Rating. This is a number between 1 and 20 and is given to a model based on its repair costs, accident statistics and security. These ratings are one of the most important factors insurers use when calculating premiums. In a nutshell it means the higher the insurance group (20) the higher the insurance is likely to be, so choosing a car in a lower group will be your best bet for cheaper insurance.
This is far more apparent the younger you are, where you might find the only affordable options are the insurance groups 1 to 3. However, once you have a few years experience the higher rated cars will not be such a drain on finances when you come to insure them. Hopefully you will have built up a no claims discount by then too, so this will also help reduce the insurance quite significantly.
You can find out more on how they calculate insurance group ratings by clicking here.
Modifications Affect Insurance Premiums
Try and keep modifications to an absolute minimum as anything above standard factory alterations could affect your insurance. In fact, some insurance companies may even count optional factory extras as modifications, even though they were fitted by the manufacturer. The majority, though, will generally only class your handiwork as modifications. Remember to declare all extras and modifications to the insurers so that in the event of a claim there are no arguments, and you will have performed your legal duty in disclosing all the material facts.
The types of modifications that will affect insurance premiums are:
1. Styling (body kits, spoilers, exhausts etc)
2. Alloy wheels
3. Sports suspension
4. Performance improvements/ engine tweaking etc
5. Car audio/sat nav
The only exception to the above are security modifications, because by adding an alarm, security system or immobiliser you will actually lower your insurance. Extra security measures like these are good deterrents to thieves, and therefore lower the risk of the car ever being stolen. This is good news from the insurers point of view, so they usually reward a responsible attitude like this by offering cheaper insurance.
Location and Insurance
Your location will play a big part in the cost of insurance. Living in the city will generally cost more, while smaller towns and suburbia will enjoy cheaper insurance due to the reduced risk of crime. Short of moving to the country there are a few things the city dweller can do in order to reduce the risks. If possible park the car in a driveway overnight, or better still in a garage as this will greatly increase your car’s security.
It’s unfortunate that postcodes are one of the main factors used in calculating premiums, because no matter how cautious you are on the roads you will always be deemed a higher risk purely for living in the city. In light of this, never be tempted to use another address when applying for insurance quotes, because some people think by using an alternative address it will get them cheaper insurance. What they do fail to realise, though, is that this could invalidate their entire policy.
This is particularly common for students who often use their university address when applying for a quote. However, you should only ever apply for car insurance using your address of permanent residence, which in most cases is the one on the electoral register.
Pass Plus
Probably the best way for the young driver to minimise insurance costs is by taking the pass plus. This course is designed to fill in the gaps that previous driving lessons have not covered.
There are six modules in all, and each one addresses certain aspects of driving that are paramount to road safety. The modules cover night time driving, motorway driving and negotiating city roads. It’s not a test as such but more an ongoing assessment of driving skills in these given scenarios. Once the instructors are happy you are up to scratch you will be awarded a certificate.
Many insurance companies recognise this certificate and the level of competency needed to achieve the pass plus. Some will heavily discount your insurance or even award you the equivalent of 1 years no claims discount, in which case that can be as much as 30% off your premium. Check with your local council as they often run schemes to assist people with course fees.
You can find out more about the pass plus by clicking here
Free Car Insurance For New Models
There’s no better way in reducing insurance costs than by having it for free, and if you are in the right place at the right time this is actually quite possible. If you’re visiting dealerships looking for a new car then pay particular attention to any special offers they might have on. A lot of car dealers will run one-of promotions to boost sales of a particular model, so will attach special marketing deals to one particular car. An often-used promotional gimmick is free car insurance. Buying the promotional model would then give you one, or if you’re really lucky, two, years worth of free car insurance.
Even if you find no deals on when you visit it’s often worth asking the salesperson about future ones. Who knows, there might even be one beginning the very next week, and this would then make it worthwhile delaying your purchase for a few days.
Build Up No Claims Discount
For those already enjoying the fruits of a full no claims discount you will already appreciate the savings it can give on your insurance. But for those just starting their journey to a no claims discount it’s often overlooked just how effective it can be in giving affordable policies.
You begin your insurance history from scratch, that means 0 years and a 0% no claims. Each year you notch up without making a claim is added to your no claims discount. Eventually, after several years, you will have amounted a 60% no claims discount. Some companies will actually extend this and allow you the privilege of reaching 65 %, but either way you stand to get a much fairer deal on your car insurance.
If you make a claim on your insurance your no claims discount will step back two places. In other words, say if you have 40% (2 Years) no claims bonus then the discount will be reset to 0% and 0 years, and you basically have to start over.
For young drivers it makes sense to start building a no claims discount as soon as possible, and by searching around you often find insurance companies offering special deals for young drivers. One of the more common ones is to offer 10 months insurance for a one years no claims bonus.
To learn more about no claims bonus click here.
Raise Insurance Excess Levels
All car insurance policies come with what is known as an excess. In the event of a claim this is the portion the policyholder will pay towards the cost of that claim. You often find different levels of excess in the same policy. For example, it could be you’re expected to pay more if the car is stolen than if it were just damaged slightly.
Although the levels are initially set by the insurance company it is possible to change them, and by doing so it should reduce your premium. This is called voluntary excess. So, if you want cheaper insurance try asking your insurer to raise your excess levels, but only raise them to what you can afford in the event of a claim.
Third Party Car Insurance
Third Party insurance is the cheapest of all car insurance’s and is the legal minimum required by UK law. Compared to fully comprehensive it does have many shortcomings, but is only meant as a cheap and cheerful policy anyway. Subsequently, its very popular with the younger driver who cannot afford comprehensive cover, or perhaps has an older car of not great value. The main benefit with third party insurance is that it allows the young driver to have a policy in their name, and this then enables them to start building a no claims discount.
The other alternative is to be a named driver on a parent’s policy, but this way you delay the benefits of a no claims discount as you’re only credited it when you have a policy in your own name.
Buy Online and get Discounts On Insurance
There’s no denying the affect the Internet has had on certain market sectors. It has made a number of things so much easier, and buying insurance is one of them. Gone are the days when you have to spend hours phoning companies, having forms posted, or trudging to your high street to find your local insurance broker. Now it can all be done at the click of a mouse.
This minimal interaction between salesperson and customer has enabled insurance companies to cut their costs. This means you will often find extra discounts on car insurance if you purchase it online. Of course you still have the option to make a call, but at the end of the day it will probably cost you 10 - 15% more to buy it over the phone. Online transactions are very secure. You will find all insurance companies take security seriously, therefore by buying online your transaction will be just as safe as it would over the phone.
Another perk of searching online for car insurance is that you can get several quotes in the time it would take to make just one phone call. This will then give you more to compare, more to choose from and eventually enable you to make a more informed decision.
No Claims Bonus
Depending on your claims history you are generally awarded a percentage discount for each year that you do not make a claim on your car insurance. You begin your insurance life with 0 years and 0% no claims and gradually build up from there to a maximum of 60%, or 4 years no claims. In some cases an insurer will allow you to reach a maximum of 65%, but this is generally an incentive and whether you have 60 or 65% you will still be in a much better position to receive cheaper car insurance.
After your first claim free year of driving you will be awarded a 30% no claims discount. The following years will see you build through 40, 50 and 60%, but only if you maintain your claims free record with the insurer. If at any time you make a claim on your policy your insurance will step back two places. For example, imagine you had built a 40% no claims bonus then make a claim on your insurance, this will effectively knock your discount back to 0% again.
However, building a no claims bonus is probably the easiest way of cutting insurance costs, so the sooner you start the easier insuring a car will be on your pocket. Some insurers will actually offer you introductory offers to capture your business, and. these are quite often stepping stones to acquiring a full no claims bonus. You might find an introductory offer of one years no claims for 10 months worth of insurance, or perhaps one or two years for keeping your annual mileage below a certain level. They all help, though, and speed you on your way to the magic full no claims.
Protected No Claims Bonus
Since a no claims bonus is such an asset to have most insurance companies will offer clients protection against losing it. However, this comes at a cost and will generally mean you pay a little extra on your insurance premium. Even though the general idea is not to make any claims on your policy a protected no claims bonus normally has a certain amount of flexibility to it. You will often find you are allowed to make up to two insurance claims in any three year period without it affecting your bonus in any way. And for the small outlay it costs to protect your no claims bonus it has to be well worth every penny, for it has the potential to save you hundreds of pounds over your driving career.
Guaranteed No Claims Bonus
For an extra safeguard many insurance companies will offer a guaranteed no claims bonus. This protects your bonus despite the number of claims you make on your insurance policy throughout the year. The additional cost for this, though, is usually 15/20% of your premium, but if you already have a 60% no claims bonus then this will still amount to large savings on your car insurance.
Car Insurance
All vehicles in the UK that are driven on public roads are required by law to have some form of insurance. Now depending on your needs there’s enough diversity in car insurance to enable each and every one of us to find an insurance policy that will best meet those needs, be it the classic car driver, the high performance car driver or the imported car driver.
However, aside to those specialist car insurances there are the standard insurance policies that the majority of us will want, and understanding the ins and outs of these will not only make choosing insurance a lot simpler, but could even give an insight into getting cheaper insurance as well.
In standard insurance there are three main types known as: Third Party Only Insurance, Third Party Fire And Theft Insurance and Fully Comprehensive Insurance.
Third Party Insurance
The very minimum required by law in the UK is Third Party Only, and fortunately this one is the cheapest of the three options. Because of this Third Party Car Insurance is often the first time buyer’s choice as it’s relatively cheap, yet still allows the driver to fulfill his legal obligations on the roads.
Third Party Insurance will usually cover your liability for injury to others (including passengers), damage to property and liability whilst towing caravans and trailers. Third Party Insurance will not cover you for accidental damage to your car, therefore if you have an accident you will have to meet the cost of repairing it yourself. You can, however, claim on the other persons insurance policy if it is proved they were legally liable for the damage.
If your car is new or you have a lot invested in it then it could be deemed a valuable asset, and Third Party Insurance will rarely be sufficient to protect this asset. For example, if the car was stolen Third Party Insurance would not cover the cost of replacing it, so in effect you would have lost every penny you had invested.
Third Party Fire and Theft Insurance
The basis of this is similar to Third Party Insurance, yet it has two very distinct advantages in that the insurance covers you for the loss of your car through fire and from theft. The rest of the cover is exactly the same as Third Party, and once again it remains a relatively cheap option for the younger driver just starting out. One thing worth noting with Third party insurance is that most insurers will only replace the car on a like-for-like basis, and not a new for old one.
Fully Comprehensive Insurance
This is the most expensive of the three types of Car Insurance. It is also the insurance with the most features and the broadest spectrum of cover. A Fully Comprehensive Policy not only insures you against damage to your car but also meets any cost of repairing damage to other vehicles, regardless of who was at fault.
Fully Comprehensive Insurance covers you for everything Third Party fire and Theft does, but in addition you will normally be covered for loss or damage to personal effects, accidental damage and medical expenses too. On top of this there could also be optional extras you can take out like breakdown cover or legal expense cover, for example. Although not essential, they do give the policy holder extra protection and peace of mind against many common motoring occurrences.
For example, optional legal expense cover on Fully Comprehensive Insurance will pay any legal expense that arises from colliding with an un-insured car, although there is normally an upper limit you are not allowed to exceed in situations like this. Always read the small print carefully as these upper limits will be quoted in there, and being familiar with limits and exclusions in your insurance policy can save you any nasty surprises later.
Once you have decided on which type of insurance to buy, you next need to consider the finer details of the policy. Each insurer will offer you these three basic types of insurance, but when you come to purchase one there will be optional extras that you can have which may affect the premium.
Some of these are:
Legal Expense Cover
This might already be included in the insurance, and if it isn’t you might be asked if you wish it as an additional extra. If you do have it as an extra it will be added to your insurance policy and it will probably raise your premium a little as well
Protected No Claims Discount
If you have built a history of no claims on your insurance you may wish to protect yourself against losing this in the future. A clean claims record is rewarded by discounts from insurers, sometimes as much as 65%, so protecting this discount will allow you to keep on enjoying cheaper insurance. If you protect your no claims discount you are usually allowed to make a certain number of claims without it affecting the discount, but by protecting it you will add extra to your insurance premium.
Insured Drivers
If you are the only named driver on a car insurance policy then from an insurers point of view they can establish the risks with more precision, and consequently reflect this in your insurance quote. This is especially more apparent if you have started building a no claims discount, as the two combined will almost definately get you cheaper insurance. On the other hand, if you opt for car insurance that covers any driver then the risks attached to that car are greatly increased, and therefore the insurance quote will possibly increase too.
Insurance Excess
The policy excess is the portion of the claim that the policyholder will be expected to pay themselves. There is normally a compulsory excess and a voluntary excess. By changing the voluntary excess to a higher figure it can sometimes have a beneficial effect upon your insurance quote.
Women Drivers Safety Tips
As a lone woman driver, it’s worth taking some time to look at your safety. At Express insurance we care about your safety, and there are a few things that should become a habit, if you are setting off by yourself. Make sure that your breakdown cover is current, your mobile phone is charged and has credit, and also carry a pen, paper and a torch. Plan your journey and also where possible let the people at your destination know when to expect you, and the route that you are taking.
Focus on always choosing when and where to stop, rather than someone or something else causing you to stop where you don’t want to. So before you start, always make sure that your car is in good condition, especially the tires, water, oil and petrol. Never stop if you don’t have to, even if someone tries to flag you down, keep driving and when it’s safe to do so pull over, either a service station or somewhere busy, and alert the police. Never pick up hitchhikers. Make sure that you have more than enough petrol in your tank, to make the journey again so that you can choose when to stop and which petrol station.
Whilst driving if possible keep the doors locked and valuables out of sight. If you do have to open your window, open it as little as possible. If you car starts to experience problems pull in where it’s safest or near a phone. But if you don’t have choice, phone for assistance, then stay in your vehicle with the doors locked, or if you have to flag down another car, never get in that car. If you breakdown on a motorway use the roadside phones, as they alert the police to your situation, stay out of your vehicle, up the embankment, until help arrives, but leave your passenger car door open, so that you can jump in and lock the doors if you need to.
If you feel that your car is being followed, flash your lights and sounds you horn, and only pull in where it’s busy and you can alert the police.
As a female driver, it is always sensible to be aware of where you park, especially if you are coming back to your car after dark, as the character of a street or car park can change once the offices have closed. When returning to you car, remember to keep your keys to hand. Always park in a well lit busy area. Never sit in your car for a long time once you have returned to your car.
Taking Your Car to Europe
When planning to drive in Europe, there are certain things that you need to bear in mind. Let Express Insurance give you a few tips, which if you use your common sense should give you an enjoyable trip.
As with all the best holidays there should be a certain amount of preparation. Before you go, check your car insurance, license and breakdown cover are all valid whilst abroad. If you need European breakdown cover just ask Express whilst you are checking you insurance policy. It will be worth you’re while to get your car checked before you go. Then you will need to go shopping, as you’ll need recent maps, a warning triangle, a spare set of bulbs, a first aid kit, and probably a fire extinguisher. If you are driving in Spain, you may even need to visit the Opticians, as you should have a spare pair of glasses if you wear them normally! You may need to remove things from you car- for instance a spare petrol can is illegal in Greece!
The other thing you need is to do is check out the laws, speed limits, and road signs in the countries that you are visiting and passing through. Most speed limits are different, and there can be high penalties for breaking them. Beware if you are in France as French police can prosecute speeding on evidence taken from the time its taken you to get from one autoroute tollbooth to the next. Also in France, anyone caught traveling at more than 25km/h above the speed limit can have their licence confiscated on the spot. Some of the laws are stricter than ours, be aware that Drink Driving laws are different as well, again in France their laws are more stringent those in UK.
Some roads signs are different, be especially careful to check out what their traffic lights mean, especially the flashing amber. Of course, sometimes locals don’t keep the laws, but make sure that you do, as some countries give on the spot fines, that can be up to £100. If you are a new driver, you might have more restrictions on speed that other drivers. Also be aware that the customs may be different, flashing your lights in Italy is indicating that they are coming through- not you!
In some European countries toll roads are more common than in the UK, so always carry some spare change with you in your car, and be aware of the countries that require permits to drive on the toll roads. Always keep an eye on your petrol tank, running out of petrol is not fun at the best of times, especially in a foreign country, but in Germany it’s illegal to run out on the Autobahn. Don’t get upset in Germany either as it is an offence to make derogatory signs or use abusive language.
The most obvious difference is that driving in Europe is on the right, meaning that you need to be constantly aware where you are looking. Also you’re mirrors will give you different blind spots, roundabouts will be the wrong way, and pulling out, especially from parking, will be hazardous. Always look left! Never let you guard down, and beware especially when getting of the ferry as most accidents happen then.
If you hire a car abroad there are different hazards, as whole car that you are driving is different. And you are still driving of the right, so most of the above still applies.
Summer is coming - Convertible Car Insurance
Summer is coming and now is the time to think about buying your convertible car. The feel of the wind in your hair, with the radio playing the best summer tunes, what could be better? It’s a luxury that’s worthwhile though, but you don’t want to spend too much money on your car insurance. At Express Insurance we are a company offers great service, at a great price.
Express are specialists in insuring individuals and their individual cars. We do that by working with over 30 insurers, so that you get the choice. Once you have given us your details, either online or over the phone, we start looking. Our service is personal, so then we will phone you and one of our Insurance Consultants will discuss your requirements and guide you to a great choice of policies. Our excellent service continues once you have taken out your policy.
Our business is focused on individuals, so let us know all your car insurance needs. If you’re a female driver, or a young driver, if you need a guaranteed courtesy car, then look no further than Express. We also specialise in finding insurance for drivers with a poor accident or claims history or previous convictions, so you’ll be surprised at what we can offer. If your convertible is not your only car, check out our deals on multiple policies.