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Choose Powerseeker for Cheap Car Insurance, Motorbike, Van and Taxi Insurance
Archive for the ‘Van Insurance’ Category
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Friday, February 3rd, 2012
A report released by MP’s reveals that insurance claims made for whiplash is one of the reasons that car insurance premiums are rising each year.
The Common Transport Committee reached out to ministers asking them to change the British law to make it tougher for people to make unchallenged claims for whiplash injuries; so it could be good news for car insurance costs as they are once again under scrutiny by the UK Government.
Back at the beginning of 2011, the Transport Committee started investigating the reason for the continually rising costs of insurance; in fact the cost of car insurance has risen 50% in the past two years. The Transport Committee particularly examined the reasons for recent increases in insurance premiums and the impact it is having on younger motorists.
The previous report detailing their findings was published back in March 2011. It highlighted the issues of high insurance premiums. Nevertheless, a new report has now been published in 2012 which reveals that car insurance costs had risen by a further 17% in 2011 because of whiplash claims made through insurance companies.
Louise Ellman from the Common Transport Committee has suggested that people trying to claim should be made to provide come sort of evidence of the whiplash and how the whiplash has adversely impacted their lives. This should be undertaken before the possibility of receiving any compensation. Many GP’s have acknowledged some cases of whiplash can be over diagnosed which only add to the problem.
Louise commented on this new report saying: “Many of these claims are for whiplash, an injury where diagnosis is often subjective and therefore very costly for insurers to challenge and the threshold for receiving compensation in whiplash cases should be raised.”
In Britain, around 600,000 whiplash claims are reported each year. This could theoretically add £90 to a typical car insurance policy. Around £2 billion was paid out last year for whiplash claims; so you can recognize the need for the rise in the insurance premiums. Unfortunately, with so many claims being made every year it is causing drivers who don’t claim to have an enlarged premium as prices continue to increase in the insurance industry.
This report has been an optimistic step in altering the way in which insurance claims can be made by drivers who think they may have suffered from whiplash in a crash.
Nick Starling from the Association of British Insurers responded to the report, “We are pleased that the Transport Select Committee has recognised that spiralling personal injury claims are the real reason car insurance premiums have been increasing and made recommendations for meaningful reform.
“It is absolutely critical that Britain’s whiplash epidemic is tackled once and for all and the Select Committee’s acknowledgment that the bar to receiving compensation for whiplash is too low is a step in the right direction.”
Time will tell if the UK Government decide to take any action against whiplash claims which are resulting in higher vehicle insurance premium costs.
In the meantime Powerseeker’s advice to all drivers; male and female, young and old, is to make sure you shop around with insurance comparison sites when your insurance policy is up for renewal.
Tags: Bogus, Car, Claims, Impact, Industry, Insurance, Motorists, Premiums, Rise, Whiplash
Posted in Cheap Car Insurance, Van Insurance, Womens Car Insurance, Young Drivers | Comments Off
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
It’s that time of year again where the cold snap encourages people to leave their vehicles un-attended whilst it defrosts and warms up ready for our on-ward journey.
According to previous surveys at least 47% of us in the UK are guilty of this. It’s important to make you aware at this stage that your Insurance Company may refuse to payout if your vehicle is stolen as a result of this negligence.
Be warned as opportunist thieves are on the lookout for an easy target. Around 2000 car thefts occur each year because motorists leave their vehicles to warm up during winter mornings. This equates to vehicle thieves getting away with around £12.7m worth of vehicles every year.
Claims director at swiftcover.com, Robin Reames said, “Leaving a car with keys in the ignition provides a perfect opportunity for thieves, and we as motorists are especially likely to do this at this time of year.
“People have an ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude. However in reality, it can and does happen anywhere in the UK.”
For some, this is not just an occurrence during winter months as many motorists will leave their engine running whilst they just pop in the house to get something they forgot; or just pop in the local newsagent to pick up a paper
It doesn’t matter what reason the vehicle has been left; many insurance companies will in these circumstances nullify an insurance claim where a vehicle has been stolen with its keys left inside.
At present, it is a criminal offence to leave your car engine running when you are not in the vehicle. The offence is called ‘quitting’; t comes from the Road Traffic Act 1986.
The Road Vehicles (Constriction and Use) Regulation 1986 (SI 1986/1078) deals with the actual offence of “quitting”. It states “… that no person shall cause or permit to be on any road any motor vehicle which is not attended by a person duly licensed to drive it unless the engine is stopped and the parking brake is effectively set. Exemptions to the requirements of this Regulation as to the stopping of the engine include a fire brigade vehicle.”
Tags: Insurance, Motorists, Null, Theft, Un-attended, Vehicles, Void, Warning, Winter
Posted in Cheap Car Insurance, Performance Car Insurance, Taxi Insurance, Van Insurance, Womens Car Insurance | Comments Off
Thursday, July 28th, 2011
Did you know that many car and van insurance policies are letting their drivers down by not having sufficient cover when something goes wrong that is not their fault? Many of the cheaper policies that are available today do not include any provision for courtesy cars or vehicles when the drivers are waiting for their own vehicles to be fixed, and many only offer cover for a no fault accident or when the other driver is at fault. This essentially means that you could be left without transport. Of course, this may or may not be an issue for someone who drives a car but it almost certainly will be a problem for those with van insurance because vans are usually used for work purposes.
Before taking out any policy, you need to ask yourself whether or not you would be able to work without your van and whether its absence would impact upon your earnings. If the answer to either of these questions is yes then you need to look for van insurance with courtesy vehicle cover. The whole point of having it is to give you peace of mind but you cannot have that if you do not have a means of transport without your current van. In many cases, an insurer offering a courtesy vehicle is linked to a specific provider meaning that it offers a seamless transition whilst repairs are ongoing. If there is no link between an insurer and a vehicle loan company then you will have to pay for one yourself or take your chances of being without a van for a few days. Either way, you need to ensure that you are happy with your van insurance and courtesy van cover, or indeed the lack of.
The trick is to always read the small print. A comparison engine like Powerseeker can tell you quickly and easily whether or not you have courtesy cover but you will need to double check whether or not you have cover in all cases or in certain cases. In terms of van insurance, you will need it in all cases so be sure to confirm that you do indeed have this in writing prior to the insurance policy commencing. If it is not a part of the best policy for you then ask the insurer whether you can add it onto it. Many will oblige for an extra fee and it will certainly be worth it for your peace of mind.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Monday, June 20th, 2011
If you have van insurance then you know you are covered when driving on the road. If you do not have van insurance at this present time but are not driving your van at all, then you don’t have to have that cover, right? Wrong! Welcome to a brand new day where insuring your vehicle is concerned people! As of today, whether you drive your van or not, it must be insured unless you have completed a SORN – a Statutory Off Road Notification. You have to phone them or tick a box on your van tax notification to do so but if that is complete then you do not need to insure your vehicle. There is absolutely no other circumstance in which having no van insurance is acceptable today.
So what will happen if you fail to get van insurance regardless of whether you are driving your van or not? Well, first of all you will face a warning. The DVLA is working with insurance companies to target those without insurance and notifications will be sent ut. However, failing to get insurance for a vehicle that has not legally been declared off road after that will earn you a fine of at least £100, which may escalate to £1000. Your vehicle may also be confiscated.
A fine would be a strain on most households at the moment as a result of the recession but if you use your van for work and have chosen not to insure it because you lost your job or own a business and have reduced the number of vehicles you use then the likelihood is that van confiscation will hit you harder.
As such, you have a decision to make now – you could get van insurance or you could make a SORN. The latter is pretty easy to do but you may have to forfeit what you have paid on your road tax. The van would then have to be stored off road and preferably in a safe manner, such as in a garage, to ensure that it does not get stolen. However, if you decide that you should get a basic van insurance policy instead then look to Powerseeker for help. You can compare quotes from the top providers here to get the features you want at a price that will not break the bank. Check out your options today and make sure that you remain in the law. It will certainly pay you to do so right now.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Sunday, June 12th, 2011
A recent report by the FSA (Financial Services Authority) has raised issues that have been widely reported in the press concerning the validity of using insurance comparison sites. Everyone knows that they allow people to see various quotes from a huge variety of providers, including mainstream and specialist providers of home insurance, motorbike insurance, van insurance and cheap car insurance. Most people view comparison sites as positive because they encourage competition and empower consumers to find insurance that is well within their budget rather than stretching it to the limits. However, there have been incidence that prove it does not always work for people.
The FSA had received reports of comparison sites pushing policies on individual drivers or homeowners that were inappropriate. Rather than taking the details inputted by consumers, some sites were actually offering policies that were not appropriate for individuals but instead were recommending those that commission was higher for. In effect, these were not valuable for the consumer but rather for the site itself. This obviously flaunted any form of fairness. There were also reports of some sites offering too few details so that the consumer actually had no clue what he or she was getting. Unfortunately, many of the complaints actually came after the driver or homeowner discovered it would not cover them when they needed it most.
It should be noted that this does not apply to all comparison sites. There seem to be a few that violate the guidelines implemented by the FSA in favour of making money. However, Powerseeker is not one of them. We always offer cheap car insurance in a way that abides by FSA guidelines and so can offer consumers peace of mind rather than worry because they do not have the right cover on their home insurance, motorbike insurance, van insurance and cheap car insurance.
However, there are certain things you can do to make sure that you have as great a peace of mind as possible. Obviously using a compliant comparison engine is a great starting point but you should also make sure that the insurance you do take out is appropriate. Check that your cheap car insurance or home insurance covers all your wants and needs and indeed applies to your situation. Read the small print to check for any clauses that apply to you. In short, make sure that you know exactly what you are getting rather than just checking the price of premiums and you will soon find that you get the best deal possible.
Posted in Cheap Car Insurance, Home Insurance, Motorbike Insurance, Van Insurance | Comments Off
Friday, April 8th, 2011
Hello to all van drivers – I hope you haven’t been boiling in your vans this week as a result of the lovely weather we’ve been having. I also hope that your van is in tip top condition ahead of the summer because the word is that the police are going to be hot on pulling over drivers to check the load in the coming months. With more and more van accidents being blamed on overloading, van insurance premiums are likely to go up as a result of it if irresponsible drivers do not start to pull their socks up, so to speak.
So how can you avoid overloading? Well, for starters make sure that you are only taking necessary tools and equipment with you when on a job and stick within the limits imposed by the van makers. This will help to prevent accidents and keep your van insurance low.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Van insurance can be astronomical today, especially if you have had an accident in the past couple of years or do not quite conform to the criteria that they put in place for their assessments but did you know that there is 5% of the country that insurance providers do not tend to offer quotes for. This was confirmed by one of the major insurers a few weeks ago and leaves some drivers in the lurch. If your van is stored in that 5% of the country though, you could find your business severely compromised.
The 5% of the country that one insurer does not cover may differ slightly from another provider so shopping around is the key to finding van insurance in areas that you may struggle. However, bear in mind that you may have to take further precautions in order for some to offer you a quote, such as installing an alarm or storing your van in a locked garage.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Saturday, December 4th, 2010
I have to say that I have felt incredibly sorry for van drivers this week. Whether you have your own business and have to go out in all weathers or drive a van for work purposes and have had to keep your appointments, the weather has been far from ideal this week. In fact, there have been a few vans in ditches around here, which has not been good for van insurance premiums as a result. However, a word of warning to all van drivers that insure their own vehicles – you should check your policies.
There have been reports of van insurance providers refusing to pay out this week because drivers have been perceived to be taking unecessary risks on the road. In short, actually going out on the road could be considered an unecessary risk in adverse weather conditions. Just have a read of the small print so you know what to expect should you face any problems.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
A major survey by one of the leading car insurance providers has revealed what most motorists already knew – that speed cameras are a major hazard. 81% of the respondents – of all ages and both genders – admitted to slamming on their brakes when faced with a speed camera. This can cause serious problems with drivers behind and has caused many a serious accident. However, if you have van insurance then the repercussions could be even greater.
If you do not have everything in the back of your van completely secured then speed cameras could not only cause problems to the vehicles around you but also to interior of your van and possibly anyone travelling in it too if you stop too quickly and everything goes flying everywhere. Of course, you should be aware of speed cameras and should be doing no more than the speed limit anyway but it is imperative that you secure all contents of your van.
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Van insurance premiums have gone up for those renewing their policies in the last few months as a result of inflation and a general increase in the cost of living so most van drivers will end up paying more, unless there are circumstances under which they can apply discounts that were not applicable before like points coming off a license. However, if you are not aware of various laws then you may find that your van insurance premiums are going up even more.
Smoking is a prime example.
According to recent data, more than 7 million drivers are not aware of the fact that smoking in work vans is illegal. Whether you own your van or not, if it is used for work purposes then you cannot smoke in it. If you do get caught then you will automatically get fined, may have points applied to your license and will also find that your insurance is higher because you do have to declare such incidents.
Just remember, work van = no smoking to keep your premiums low!
Posted in Van Insurance | Comments Off
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