Declines in the level of police enforcement of traffic offences are contributing to Europe’s failure to cut the numbers dying in road collisions, according to the European Transport Safety Council, authors of two new reports on road safety. More than 26,000 people died on EU roads last year, the first increase since 2001 according to the ETSC annual road … [Read more...]
Insurance News
Classic cars now highly sort after – by thieves
Thieves are turning back to the 1980s. Car crime in Britain has jumped up by eight per cent in just a year, with 81,000 vehicles stolen from their owners last year. Proving that classic cars are just as much a target for thieves, 40 classic Fords were stolen in the first 4 months of this year. Rising values and a shortage of parts, make classics … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 June
The safety and confidence of older drivers could be vastly improved if they were more connected to the outside world with the accident alerts, fault warnings and breakdown alerts that now come as standard in new vehicles. This is the view of Penny Searles, CEO of Smartdriverclub, the UK’s first connected car ‘upgrade’ plug-in service for older cars … [Read more...]
Habits are hard to break but easy to copy
A study has shown the incredible amount of parents' driving behaviour that children absorb from a young age and the worrying in-car habits that this can create. A quarter of dads regularly show unsafe driving behaviour such as accelerating too quickly (26%) and speeding when driving (22%), compared with a considerably lower percentage of mums (11% and … [Read more...]
Technology rolls out to beat scammers
Motorists fearful of being targeted in ‘Crash for cash' scams, or simply being blamed for an accident which was not their fault, can now take advantage of a new connected car service. The Smartdriverclub will allow motorists to provide their driving data to their insurer to help prove the circumstances of an accident when making a claim. For just £6.60 … [Read more...]
Buyers still back dealers for car purchases
Used car buyers continue to put their faith in dealerships, according to new data from AA Cars, which shows a 40% surge in enquiries to AA Cars dealers at the start of the year. This news follows the launch of the AA’s Vehicle Inspections for dealers in February, with inspected cars automatically being listed on AA Cars. In March alone, the … [Read more...]
Dealer failings leave them open to prosecution & penalties
The average used car dealer is carrying out three provenance checks per vehicle over the course of a sale, according to data compiled by the RAC. Looking at typical usage of the recently launched RAC Passport for dealers, it appears that a check is made when they are considering acquiring a vehicle, once more when it is put on sale and again before it is … [Read more...]
Trade lines 11 May
Vauxhall announced the appointment of Alastair Cassels to the position of UK Retail Network Development Director, effective immediately. Alastair is an experienced and well-respected member of the Vauxhall team, having joined the company after completing a degree in Economics at Glasgow University and is promoted from his most recent position as Franchise … [Read more...]
Fleets expected to drive shift to autonomous vehicles
Risk management issues may see fleets become among the very earliest adopters of driverless cars, predicts Chevin Fleet Solutions. If the vehicles' technology is proven to drastically reduce at-fault accidents, the pressure for fleets to acquire them may be overwhelming, says managing director Ashley Sowerby. He said, "Driverless cars represent … [Read more...]
Motor insurance industry faces radical restructuring
The multi-billion pound motor insurance industry faces a period of radical restructuring as a result of the advent of autonomously driven cars. The number of crashes could drop by 80 per cent by 2035 and insurance premiums must plummet, a high-level panel discussion organised by Volvo Cars and Thatcham Research was told yesterday. Research by Swiss Re … [Read more...]
