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By admin, January 11, 2012 1:58 pm

Simon Jacobs
1176

Many motorists have long benefited from the ‘drive other cars?clause most insurers have included in their policies. This means that it is legal to drive a vehicle that does not belong to you, with the owner’s permission, and that you will be insured. Generally you are able to drive another person’s car if you are insured fully comprehensively but will be insured on that car third party fire and theft. A leading insurer, Norwich Union, has now changed its car insurance policy and will not cover people to drive cars for which they are not directly insured. The ‘drive other cars?clause that has been included in most policies for years, has now come under the spotlight and motorists have been advised to check with their own insurance company before they borrow someone else’s car.
The benefit of being able to drive another person’s car depends upon a variety of factors not least whether the individual insurer allows this. Other factors include the age of the driver; they often have to be over 25, and the driver’s record. For example if the driver has made several claims and also has penalty points then they may not be covered to borrow someone else’s car.
Norwich Union is removing this option to drivers as it says that too many people are using it as a scam to reduce the cost of their car insurance. The ‘drive other cars?clause is also seen by police to be a hindrance in overcoming the issue of uninsured drivers. This might be seen as a setback by many law abiding drivers who have been able to use someone else’s car in an emergency, such as taking someone to hospital. However, many dishonest drivers abuse the system by buying low cost car insurance for a small car and then borrowing high powered performance cars belonging to friends. These are cars that they would never normally be able to drive. Because of this new restriction insurers believe that dishonest behaviour will be curbed.
Other car insurance companies thought to be following suit include AA, Cornhill Direct, Royal & Sun Alliance and Axa. These changes are being made as a result of suggestions by the Department of Transport who feel that phasing out the clause will prevent uninsured drivers from getting an easy ride.
Paul Jenson from Hoot Car Insurance Services www.hootcarinsurance.co.uk has this to say to drivers who are worried that they might not be insured:
“It’s always best to check that you are insured on another person’s car before you borrow it. In the past, more often than not, it’s been acceptable to drive your mate’s car but now many insurers are phasing this option out. You can have you name put on another person’s car insurance policy very cheaply so if you want to regularly drive your girlfriend or boyfriend’s car or your Mum doesn’t mind you borrowing hers, then you can do so legally. Insurance companies will also be lenient on people who have a genuine emergency, for example if they need to get to hospital quickly and the only car available belongs to someone else.?

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By admin, January 9, 2012 1:59 pm

Dan Baldyga
21

Here comes the insurance adjuster. Is he overly friendly? If so, watch out! It’s OK to be hospitable. Be good-tempered and cordial – - but beware! Never forget he’s paid to save his company as much money as he can. That’s the name of his game.
DON’T SIGN ANYTHING: Don’t overestimate the good will of the adjuster. They’re trained to investigate accident cases in such a way, if at all possible, to make their insured look good. Many unsuspecting individuals fall prey to the adjuster who seeks to protect his company’s pocketbook at the expense of a legitimate claimant.
If a company calls you and suggests they take your statement over the telephone, tell them you would prefer to meet with an adjuster. Don’t agree to dictate a verbal statement into a tape recorder over the phone, and certainly not when you’re in the presence of an adjuster. Don’t sign a statement when you meet with him. Whatever the circumstance may be, advise whomever you’re dealing with that you’ll be more than willing to provide a signed statement, after your claim has been settled.
HOW TO PROCEED WITH THE ADJUSTER: Be pleasant, but firm. No matter how much in the wrong the person is that hit you, no matter how they acted at the scene of the accident, and no matter what they may have verbalized to or at you, don’t take it out on the adjuster. It’s not the adjuster’s fault if his insured is an idiot.
You must never underestimate the importance of the adjuster’s impressions and conclusions, all of which go into your file. What he feels and reports about you have a great influence on the final disposition of your claim. If he likes you that’s money in the bank. On the other hand, if he gets upset with you he has the ability to twist the facts to make you look bad. Once that’s been done, it will be set in cement, go into your file and, without you’re ever being aware of it and haunt you to the last dollar of your settlement.
THE ADJUSTERS CLAIM LOAD: The job performance of insurance adjusters is judged not only on how little of the company’s money they spend in settlements, but also on how quickly they settle the claims assigned to them. They’re constantly under pressure to settle your claim; to get rid of it and move on. The adjuster will never tell you, but the weight of their caseload comes down on your side of the scale. It’s an advantage people are never aware of.
THE ADJUSTERS SETTLEMENT AUTHORITY: The Adjuster’s authority to settle claims on their own is restricted on how much experience they have. For a less experienced adjuster, perhaps $5,000 to $10,000, but for a more experienced adjuster, their settlement authority may go as high as $20,000. When bigger bucks are involved they usually have to be given permission to settle the case from their immediate supervisor.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Don’t let a sweet talking insurance adjuster manipulate you into feeling good about your relationship with him and the eventual outcome of your claim. In the vast majority of instances that’s not the way you should play the game because if provided with the opportunity, they’ll almost always take advantage of you. That’s a fact of life. Know and understand that they’re only doing their job. Their assignment is to save money for the company who signs their paychecks – - no matter what it takes.
If you have a legitimate claim stay cool and understand what you’re up against. Don’t be impossible to deal with, but remain steady. Remember that the adjuster wants to look good to his company. He doesn’t want your claim to end up in court, plus he wants to reduce his caseload. Be patient. At the end of the day, after the dust has settled, he’ll be forced to do the right thing.
DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this claim tip is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident claim process. Neither Dan Baldyga nor (name of magazine/newsletter and/or web site) make any guarantee of any kind whatsoever; NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, or claims consultant, or the like. Where such professional help is desired it is the INDIVIDUAL’S RESPONSIBILITY to obtain said services.
Dan Baldyga’s latest book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) can be found on the internet at his web site http://www.autoaccidentclaims.com or visit your favoite bookstore.
Copyright (c) 2002 Daniel G. Baldyga. All rights reserved.
Dan Baldyga

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By admin, January 7, 2012 2:01 pm

Joseph Kenny
714

Auto insurance is a form of insurance available to consumers who own cars, trucks and other vehicles. It covers the insured party against the risks involved in owning or driving a vehicle. This may be a car accident, damage caused to other cars or property, loss to passengers in your car, and damage to your car itself.
Optional Covers
There are different levels of insurance available depending on what risks you wants to cover. You can cover against the costs of repairing your vehicle after an accident. You can cover the cost of purchasing a new car should yours be stolen or damaged beyond repair. These are optional covers.
Liability insurance on the other hand is compulsory for all drivers. This will cover the risk of claims being made against you as the driver or owner of the vehicle that caused damage to the property of another, the vehicle of another, for medical expenses of others injured as a result of an accident, including passengers in your car. If you have liability insurance, it will only cover these risks. If you have comprehensive insurance it will cover also the risks to yourself and your own vehicle.
GAP Insurance
However, even comprehensive insurance will not fully cover your risks. First of all there is the issue that, as soon as you buy a new car, its price suddenly drops significantly because it is no longer new. It is used. So if you were to destroy your car the day after buying it, the insurance company would likely assess the value as something less than what you paid for it, even though you may still owe a good deal more than that in payments and financing.
To cover the chances of this happening, so called GAP insurance was developed. This covers the difference in the actual value of your car, and the amount you still owe in payments. The growth of vehicle leasing has also led to GAP insurance becoming more important.
Extra Cover
In the US, the insurance policy will generally cover the owner of the vehicle and any others who drive the vehicle so long as they do not live at the same address. For those living at the same address, you should have them specifically added to your insurance policy for an extra fee. This means that if you crash someone else’s car, while driving it with their permission, you will be covered by their policy, not your own. Non-owner policies are available to cover you on other people’s cars but these will only be available if you do not own your own car.

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By admin, January 5, 2012 1:58 pm

236

Car Buying Tips
A ? square?is simply a sales tool used by many car dealers. We will discuss how this works a little later. For now, it is important to understand that buying a car isn’t one negotiation, it’s many: the price, trade-in value, monthly payments, down payment requirements, and the financing. It is important to understand that just because a dealer is making a profit, there are still products and services they offer that are of value to you. Some examples would include: Extended Warranties,
Credit Life insurance & Disability insurance, Gap Insurance, Alarm Systems and other aftermarket products. Be sure to choose the ones that are right for you, but make sure you know how much you are paying for each, and don’t pay too much. The idea behind the ? square?is to help the dealer satisfy you in one area, while maintaining profits in the other. That’s why dealers can sometimes sell cars for “a loss” and still make thousands on each car deal ?be sure to pay very close attention to the entire process. The idea of the ? square?is to get you to focus on only one area of the sale and not look at all four. You must make sure you know what is happening on all four corners of your car deal. Here are the 4 things that make up a car deal.

The price they are asking for their vehicle
The dollar value they are showing for your trade
The amount of down payment you need
The total monthly payment (including all options, Tax, title and fees)

The hard truth is that you will always be at a disadvantage when shopping at a car dealership. You are a part time buyer, and the sales professional is a full time sales associate. If he is a professional, he is likely to win at any “game playing?you get involved in. Arm yourself with as much information as possible before going shopping. This should help to even out the odds a bit.
The first thing you have to understand is what the dealer is trying to accomplish, and why. Games starts even before you visit the dealer, either on-line or in person.
Open a Sunday paper, for example, and just look at the dealer advertisements: They promise super low payments, top dollar for your trade-in, and the best prices in town. But, as with most selling, “buyers beware? The simple truth is that dealers are always having a “Big Sale? That’s because consumers automatically translate the word “sale” into “save.” Dealer advertising is designed to get you to shop today! They want you to drop everything and rush down in a fit of excitement without stopping to think.
Many dealerships have their sales people practice what are called “Word Tracks? Word Tracks are pre-rehearsed statements that sales people learn, that help them respond to commonly asked customer questions. A “Word Track” system is a sales training program designed to put every customer through similar sales steps with the goal of closing that customer for the maximum dealer profit.
The dealers goals are always the same: They want you to pay full sticker for their car. They don’t want to negotiate – only you do. Do you want to spend $300 a month? A savvy seller will get you to pay $400. If you refuse, he will simply switch you to a different car for $300 per month, but it will be a car you could have bought for less. Your job is to negotiate a “fair deal? A “fair deal?is simply a price and payment that you are willing to pay, at a price and payment the dealer is willing to accept. Easy right ?Not quite?
Be aware that car manufacturers control their inventories with the use of incentives such as rebate and special rates. The higher the incentive the more of that product they will sell. This insures that they sell the inventory they sell. These incentives will change throughout the year, depending upon shortages or surpluses of inventory. An incentive is anything that adds extra value to a car. For example of a car list for $30,000 and has a $4000 rebate, then the car is really selling for $26,000. In another example, a car that sell for $30,000 at a 7% interest rate would have payments of around 595.00 a month. The same car at 0% would have payments of only 510.00 a month. This is a huge saving to you. Find out what vehicles have what incentives. This could save you thousands! Check the Edmunds.com Web site for the latest incentives and rebates available for the car you want to buy.

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By admin, January 3, 2012 2:02 pm

Michael Challiner
1352

When you arrange your motor insurance policy, you get the chance to stipulate how much excess you are willing to pay. This means that if your car is repaired through your insurance policy, you have to pay a certain amount towards the cost. You will usually have to make the payment direct to the garage that fixes your car. If your car is badly damaged and is consequently written off, the insurance company will give you a settlement payment, minus the excess that has been agreed on the policy.
If the accident was no fault of your own, then the other driver’s insurance company will reimburse you for the amount of the excess payment. However, not all situations are that simple, because what happens if the other driver does not have any insurance?
It is illegal for any driver in the UK to drive uninsured (see the 1988 Road Traffic Act, section 143), all drivers must be insured so as to cover the costs if they cause damage to a third party. Unfortunately, many drivers take the law into their own hands and choose to drive uninsured. It’s impossible to make an accurate estimate of how many people are driving uninsured, of course, most uninsured drivers aren’t going to publicise that fact.
The Department of Transport has used its own information and records to make an informed estimate, and they suggest that as many as 1 in 20 drivers are driving without insurance. Because of these people, drivers who have insurance are paying more on their premiums, and many road users are being put at risk on a daily basis. The fact that many drivers have no insurance is being considered as a growing problem in our society.
Why does it matter so much if you have an accident with an uninsured driver? Well, if the accident is their fault, the money to pay for your damages will come out of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau funds ?they get all their money from the industry, which is why you’re paying more on premiums. The other disadvantage is that there will be no-one to refund you the excess, so you will be out of pocket too.
What does Compulsory Excess mean?
When you sign up for your car insurance policy, you will have to choose an excess, but the insurance company will stipulate the minimum amount that they are prepared to offer you. This will be based on your driving record and your personal details, and if you are an experienced driver with a clean record, you may be offered a minimum excess of ?0. The average for most drivers is ?00. On the opposite end of the scale, young drivers or those with convictions or accidents that were their fault may be faced with a compulsory excess of ?00.
What does Voluntary Excess mean?
You may have the opportunity to lower your premiums by agreeing to a higher excess. Your voluntary excess is the additional amount over the compulsory excess that you are prepared to pay if you need to make a claim. Because you are promising to pay the insurance company more in the event of a claim, they are able to pass on some of the savings to you, so you pay less on premiums.
My car has just been prepared but until I pay the excess, they won’t give me my car back ?is this normal?
Yes, all garages operate in this way. To protect yourself, give the car a full inspection when you pick it up to ensure that all the repairs have been carried out to a good standard. You also need to make sure you keep the receipt for the excess payment because you will need to show this to the third party insurer to get the money back. In case the money ends up being disputed, also get a copy of the repair schedule so the insurer can see exactly what work was carried out on your car.

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By admin, January 1, 2012 1:59 pm

Michael Challiner
1293

Car insurance is a legal requirement in the UK, but one in twenty drivers persist in driving uninsured. The police are cracking down, and it’s not just an idle threat ?if you’re not insured, your car could be in a crusher near you very shortly!
The police now have the power to remove, impound and crush any car found to be uninsured on the road. Last Spring, in Durham, the scheme coined ‘Operation Takeaway?was piloted to great success. Over 1,200 cars have now been impounded ?50% of those have already made it to the crusher.
Operation Takeaway was such a big success that it’s being rolled out nationwide. A new national police database that’s supported by the insurance industry has given the police the ability to verify the insurance status of every car in the UK. They don’t even need to get out of the car to do it.
If you are caught on the road with a car that is not insured, you will have to give up your car keys there and then. It doesn’t matter if it’s an accidental mistake or you have been driving uninsured for years, the penalty is the same ?your car gets impounded.
What happens next? Well they give you two weeks to produce an insurance policy certificate and take your car away. There’s a few costs involved too ?you’ll have to pay around ?05 to cover the cost of the tow truck, and charges for keeping your car impounded often reach ?5 a day. Leave collecting your car to the last minute and you could be facing an overall bill of ?15.
If you can’t produce the insurance certificate and pay the charges, you can say goodbye to your car.
The pilot scheme in Durham was funded in part by Direct Line, who helped cover the costs of crushing the cars. According to them, up to 2,000 accidents were avoided thanks to Operation Takeaway. Since a large proportion of the cars found to be uninsured were in fact un-roadworthy, the roads were a considerably safer place without them.
As the police said, “Uninsured drivers are often guilty of many other offences such as not having a driving licence or an MOT certificate. We are doing everything in our power to get these dangerous and illegal drivers off our roads.?
It is a shocking fact that 5% of all drivers are uninsured, a criminal offence because it is a legal requirement. Extra research carried out by the Association of British Insurers has found that uninsured drivers are a dangerous presence on the roads, each uninsured driver causing an average of one accident every six months. They are also three times more likely to receive a conviction for driving without due care and attention.
Those of us who do have car insurance cover the costs of these uninsured accidents. On average, ?0 is added to every car insurance policy to cover the costs to the industry due to uninsured motorists. That means law-abiding motorists pay a whopping total of ?00 million each year for those who can’t be bothered to pay up.
There’s another bitter pill to swallow. If you have an accident that’s not your fault with an uninsured vehicle, it will still go down as a “fault claim?on your insurance. So you’ll have to pay the excess on your car repairs and you’ll lose your no-claims bonus unless you’ve got claims protection. Over a two-year period, you could pay an extra ?75 in premiums thanks to a reduction in your no-claims entitlement.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) is in full support of this new scheme to rid the roads of uninsured cars. The ABI has been a critic of the way the British courts deal with uninsured drivers for many years now, but they still don’t think this scheme is enough. Offenders usually only get a fine of ?50-?00 and they don’t have to pay immediately ?which really doesn’t compare to the extra costs incurred by motorists who do have car insurance. We agree ?something needs to be done!

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By admin, December 30, 2011 1:58 pm

Kevin Schappell
70

Researching your new vehicle is a daunting task in today’s world. Once you have narrowed your next vehicle down to 2 or 3 choices it is time to research. Take out a sheet of paper for each vehicle and write down pros and cons for each one. Also on each sheet of paper list the attributes which are most important to you. This list might include:
MPG – if you put a lot of miles on your car this factor could make a big dent in your wallet if you pick the wrong car.
Engine power – HP is a big factor for many people out there.
Price – nothing needs to be said about this one.
Interior space
Repair costs – consider the average costs to repair a fender-bender.
Insurance costs – this is often overlooked by buyers and can catch you by surprise.
Standard options.
Anything else, which is a factor to you. The idea is to custom tailor your list to meet your needs. If you don’t care about engine power then leave it off your list.
Now how do you get the information which is on your list? Here is a list of excellent resources to use in your search.
Offline:

Consumer Reports Magazine
Auto Week magazine
Your local newspaper’s auto section
Local dealers

Online:

Consumer Reports – requires a subscription just like the magazine.
Edmunds.com
Kelly Blue Book
NADA guide book
Car.com

After your research is done you should have a clear picture of which car is right for you. What do you say? Clear as mud? Well take a step back and if you have 2 vehicles which are comparable you will then have to resort to one of the following.
Go with your gut feeling. You know the one which says get the Porsche not the Yugo. Ask your wife, husband or SO. (you might want to let them in on the decision a little earlier than this if they will be driving the car too.) Flip a coin. Ask your god for some divine intervention?
Good luck!

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By admin, December 28, 2011 2:02 pm

Andrew Bowen
92

In September 2001 the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) introduced a new number plate registration system that was designed to last for 49 years. The new change was welcomed not only by the car dealers but also by the car insurance industry as the DVLA also decided to issue new car registrations twice a year instead of once a year.
In the past, new registrations were issued on 1st August every year. Inevitably this caused a major headache for insurance companies as so many people required insurance at this time. This once a year rush for insurance was compounded by the summer timing when most people, including insurance company employees, go on holiday. Today, the new registrations are issued in March and September. This eases the workload for insurance companies and allows them to more easily staff up for the increase in calls.
Of course, the old system ran for about 38 years and so there is still a large population of people who require insurance renewal on 1st August. So around July, August and September, Insurance companies are still especially busy and you can generally expect long call centre waits with a lot of direct companies.
Using the internet instead is a much easier and quicker way of getting your new car insurance quote. Accept Direct (http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk) have a very fast online quote system which eliminates call centre waiting times. The Accept Direct website is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and will deliver you a competitive quote in minutes.
So next time you need car insurance, whether you’re looking for a cheap insurance quote for your brand new car or would like to get a low cost renewal, just go to the Accept Direct website at and save yourself some time and money.
Copyright (c) 2004 Accept Direct Limited http://www.acceptdirect.co.uk

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By admin, December 26, 2011 1:56 pm

Dan Baldyga
95

Handling a property damage and/or personal injury (motor vehicle) claim yourself is a simple and routine procedure for ordinary individuals to process on their own ! The vast majority of motor vehicle accident claims require no specialized expertise which allows one to successfully settle it.
There are five characteristics found which makes them easy for one to undertake without handing their case to a lawyer:
#1. The vast majority of them are “Ordinary?in character.
#2. By and large they don’t involve serious injuries.
#3. More often than not (in comparison to the 10 to 15 percent that do) their are relatively low financial stakes and also minor economic losses involved.
#4. They’re processed by the insurance company (who will ultimately be responsible for a payment to be made) in a highly routine, assembly-line format.
#5. Both parties are ordinary citizens (rather than institutions) and demand no specific expertise to undertake.
There are thousands of laypersons who are under the impression that when they gave their case to a lawyer that the large “Contingency Fee?which the attorney will eventually take is in exchange for a guarantee of SKILLED and PROFESSIONAL representation. Too often they suddenly learn differently (but by then it’s to late) because by the time that realization arrives they’ve already been taken to the cleaners!
Most of us believe that lawyers have passed rigorous examination, so we assume that when it comes to the proper execution of legal documents and knowledge of the law, that surely they know what they’re doing. But, “How To?properly handle and investigate a client’s motor vehicle accident case, is not a skill learned in law school. Most lawyers don’t have it – - nor do they take the time to develop them.
It’s not for his great knowledge of the law, or his great expertise in courtroom skills, that an attorney can be effective in securing for his client the best possible settlement in their motor vehicle accident cases. Rather it’s possessing the skills and ability to make patient, painstaking investigations, to gather information and document a claim. But, here’s the problem: The vast majority of lawyers lack those essential attributes so as to position themselves to correctly process a clients motor vehicle accident claim.
QUESTION: “How can Dan Baldyga be so sure about what he’s written regarding the above?? ANSWER: “Because Dan was an Insurance Claims Adjuster, Supervisor, Manager and Trial Assistant. He observed all of that come to pass – - for over 35 years!?
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT OF LEGAL FEES: The Rand Corporation for Civil Justice in Santa Monica, California found that accident victims who filed claims in Federal and State courts in the United States were awarded $21 to $25 billion of the $29 to $36 billion in total national expenditure made on all tort lawsuits in 1985. (Just imagine how much that figure has increased , over the many years, since then!).
HOWEVER – - AND USING THOSE SAME STATISTICS – - THE FOLLOWING WAS ALSO TRUE: After deducting the lawyer’s fees on all tort lawsuits in that same year, the victims wound up going home with a “Net?compensation of approximately $14 to $15 billion. These figures proved that the injured party received 56% of that figure, while the “Litigation System?got the rest = 44%! (The combined lawyers fees alone constitute a whopping $11 to $13 billion dollars of the amount paid!)
So, you may ask: Does the average claimant need a lawyer (who more often than not knows little or nothing about “How To?settle a (motor vehicle ) accident claim)? The answer is: No, they don’t!
WHY? Because rather than resisting a payment the adjuster only wants the claim to be supported by documentation. Proof that will provide him and his superiors, in the Home Office (via the evidence of value received) which has been nailed down with Medical Bills, Lost Wage Letters, and similar documents. You don’t need a lawyer to obtain these for you because you can get these yourself. So, don’t believe the legal fraternity’s typical mumbo-jumbo con-job regarding, “My expertise when dealing with the Insurance Company?
And why not you may ask? The answer to that one is very simple: Because when presented with these the adjuster will become a willing buyer, whether your have a lawyer representing you or not!
DISCLAIMER: The only purpose of this article SETTLING YOUR MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT CLAIM YOURSELF is to help people understand the motor vehicle accident process. Dan Baldyga, Peter Go, Nor ARTICLECITY.COM make any guarantee whatsoever; NOR do they purport to engage in rendering any professional or legal service, NOR to substitute for a lawyer, an insurance adjuster, claims consultant or the like. Whenever such help is desired it is THE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBILITY to obtain such services.
All of information necessary for you to deal with and handle the above issues are spelled out within the contents of Dan Baldyga’s third “How To” Insurance Claim Book AUTO ACCIDENT PERSONAL INJURY INSURANCE CLAIM (How To Evaluate And Settle Your Loss) found on the internet at http://www.caraccidentclaims.com OR http://www.autoacccidentclaims.com. This book also contains BASE (The Baldyga Auto Accident Settlement Evaluation Formula). THE BASE FORMULA will tell you exactly how many dollars the “Pain and Suffering” you endured – - because of your accident – - are worth
Copyright (c) 2004 By Daniel G. Baldyga. All Rights Reserved

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By admin, December 24, 2011 1:58 pm

Katy Lassetter
1174

So you are a young driver and you have just got your first car but there are many extra costs which you may not have thought about. There are of course the essentials such as car tax, fuel and car insurance which can all mount up. But there are many companies that will offer discounts on young driver car insurance. There are also safety and security features that your car does not have that you may want to consider installing. Here are a few details on extra costs involved with car ownership.
Essential car costs:
Car insurance
Make sure that you purchase a good car insurance policy before you even consider driving out in your new car so that you are covered for any eventuality. There are many young driver car insurance policies out there designed especially for you. Shop around to make sure that you get an affordable policy, online car insurance is a good place to start.
Car Tax
The law in the UK states that it is essential for all vehicles kept or used on public roads to display a valid tax disc. This shows the police that vehicle tax has been paid, the vehicle has passed its MOT and is covered by at least third party motor insurance. Car tax for private vehicles costs between ?0 and ?70 per year depending on fuel type and CO2 emissions.
Car Fuel
Obviously you need fuel to run your car but there are various different types on the market, petrol, diesel, liquid petroleum gas and compressed natural gas to name a few. Often your engine will be designed for either petrol or diesel and filling the tank with the wrong fuel can cause serious damage to your car, so take care. You can save money on fuel by purchasing a car with good fuel-economy which is measured by miles per gallon. Ask your car dealer about fuel economy before purchasing.
Car safety features
Anti-lock brakes
This relatively new safety device is designed to bring a car to a halt more quickly than conventional brakes. ABS prevent the breaks from locking so that the car does not skid and in turn increase the driver’s control over the car. This is a great safety feature that could potentially prevent road accidents from happening or at least stop your car from being involved. It is well worth the extra cost of investing in a car with ABS.
Air bags
Frontal airbags are now installed in most cars in the steering wheel hub or dashboard. They can also be fitted in the sides of a car for extra protection in case of side impact crashes. Airbags inflate in an instant after a sudden impact to protect those involved in a car crash from serious personal injuries. Seatbelts should also be worn by law, even when an air bag is fitted. If an air bag does not come as standard with your car then having them installed by a retailer is advisable.
Child seat
If you have your own young child or will be ferrying around a younger sibling a child car seat is a must. Car seats for children under three years are required by law in the front seat and are recommended for the back seat as well. This is purely for the safety of the child who would be thrown about inside the car with the impact of a car accident, causing serious injuries or worse to themselves and other passengers.
Car security features
There are many security devices that have been recommended by the police and security experts across the UK to help you to keep your car from being stolen. Although the initial cost of some of these features may be fairly high they could save you a fortune in the long run. Having your car stolen will inevitably cost you a lot more money, time and inconvenience than a few security measures. Also, some car insurance companies will reduce your premium rates if you have extra security for your car since it will be at less risk of being a crime target. Here a few examples of security devices on the market:
Car alarm – to let every one know your car is at risk form thieves
Central locking – so you don’t forget to lock up
Deadlocks – double locks for extra security
Immobiliser – stops your car from going anywhere, mostly fitted as standard now
Locking wheel nuts – you don’t want those alloy wheels rolling off
Lockable fuel caps – so you don’t lose a full tank to thieves
Security etching – have your registration etched in so any parts stolen can be matched to your car
Removable panel/security coded car stereo equipment – some manufacturers fit stereos with components that will not fit into another model, you don’t want someone else playing your tunes
Remember that there are some costs that you must fork out for when you start driving but young drivers could save themselves a fortune with a few initial costs of installing safety systems which could help save lives and security systems that could reduce your car insurance rates.