The Association of British Insurers latest figures reveal that its members paid out £108million in stolen vehicle claims in quarter one of 2019 - a 22% increase on the same period last year. However, the stolen vehicle recovery system, Tracker, is urging insurers to offer car owners greater incentives to fit additional security devices, including tracking units, in a bid to overcome rising … [Read more...]
Drivers dicing with danger and poor eye-sight
There are 37 million cars registered in the UK and four million motorists admit to putting road safety in the back seat. Research by Asda Opticians suggests more than 4 million motorists in the UK admit to driving illegally by not wearing the correct eyewear, which is required of them by law. Despite ‘roadside eye tests’ being introduced in various regions across the UK, many motorists still … [Read more...]
Insurance is covering criminality
Valid motor insurance is proving to be as valuable a disguise for today’s criminals as stockings over the head or a mask was years ago. Using a stolen identity to take out cover, their vehicle details are added to the Motor Insurance Database, allowing them to drive around without attracting police attention. Stealing an individual’s ID and taking out motor insurance in their name used to … [Read more...]
Max points but no disqualification for 11,000 drivers
IAM RoadSmart has expressed its frustration that six years after calling for action, more than 11,000 drivers a year are still being legally allowed on the roads with 12 or more points on their licences. The issue was brought back into the spotlight this month when Justin Madders, MP of Ellesmere Port and Neston, asked Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling how many holders of UK … [Read more...]
New cars still offering poor theft security, say experts
Half of new cars so far launched this year have been rated as offering poor security and one was said to be "unacceptable" by insurance test body Thatcham Research. The new ratings assess whether measures to specifically address the keyless entry/start vulnerability, have been adopted. Six of the 11 vehicles launched this year have been given a ‘Poor’ rating as the keyless entry/start system … [Read more...]
Bogus parking firms clamped by new law from today
Motorists across Britain will have greater protections against bogus parking fines as new measures to clamp down on rogue private parking firms become law. Sir Greg Knight’s Parking (Code of Practice) Bill, which has received Royal Assent today, will bring in greater regulation of the private parking industry. Drivers will be able to more easily challenge unfair parking tickets through a new … [Read more...]
Cardiff drivers are worst in Wales
More than 2.5 million drivers across England and Wales currently have at least three points on their driving licences. Bristol officially has the worst drivers, with 6.8% of the population having at least three penalty points on their licences, while 220 of them have nine points, according to the latest DVLA data analysed by car selling comparison website Motorway.co.uk. By contrast in Wales … [Read more...]
“Fronting” could see you facing a judge
1 in 10 parents of young drivers are risking a trip to court and a criminal record for ‘fronting’ their child’s car insurance policy, new research has found. GoCompare Car Insurance commissioned the research amongst 1000 parents of children aged 17-25 who have passed their driving test. 10% of the parents admitted that they had insured their child’s car in their name in order to save money. A … [Read more...]
More drunken drivers on roads as police diminish
The number of people killed in road accidents where the driver was over the drink drive limit has risen 45% in two years. Provisional figures released by the Department for Transport estimate there were 290 deaths in 2017 compared with 200 in 2015. There were 230 fatalities in 2016 – so the annual increase is 26%. Hunter Abbott, Managing Director of breathalyser firm AlcoSense said, … [Read more...]
A third of drivers break law on phones
GoCompare Car Insurance has revealed that 34% of drivers use their mobile phone illegally while in their car, with the figure rising to a shocking 58% of 18-24 year old drivers. The research reveals that more drivers are tempted to use their phone while waiting in traffic, with the number of drivers using their phone behind the wheel reducing to 25% while actually moving. However, the … [Read more...]