As revealed by the studies and surveys of several car insurance companies, the number of casualties within vehicular accidents has drooped significantly. Yet, despite this drop in numbers, car insurance compensation claims have never been this high. The most number of claims would be Whiplash, with a percentage of 70 %. One of the reasons why whiplash claims are seen to be the most favored insurance claim of motorists is because of the fact that injuries incurred during a whiplash accident are hard to be certain of. And since it is not readily proven, the majorities within the 70 % whiplash cases are believed to be fraud cases.

Insurance companies are calling upon the government to raise the bar for making insurance cases. What insurers would like is for the same example that Germany has set. This is because German motorists are not allowed to make a whiplash claim unless they posses two legitimate medical certificates containing similar results. Apart from this, there is also a speed threshold that motorists need to observe before they are allowed to make a claim. If a German driver is simply backing his car and he accidentally bumped into the car next to him, then the passengers in the other car would not be allowed to make a claim unless they could provide two legitimate medical documents and proof that the other driver was going faster than the speed limit.

Some of the car insurance providers that were present with the insurance summit with Prime Minster David Cameron were AXA, Aviva, CFS, Admiral and Zurich Insurance. And according to one specific car insurance representative, “the car insurance industry gladly welcomes the help of the government in creating a solution to this problem. With their support, we are hoping that this will set the ball in action so that both the insurance industry and the government will be able to put a stop to fraudulent insurance claims.”

The WMAM or better known as the Weston and Mendip Advanced Motorist’s Group, believes that motorists can help themselves save money on fuel and insurance premiums by enrolling with them. Since the association specializes in teaching particular driving skills that will help drivers enhance safety and decrease excessive fuel consumption. In fact, one of their former students even claimed to have saved more than £ 370 in fuel costs for a year because of the advanced driving course that she took at WMAM.

One member, John Teasdale, stated that, “With our advanced driving program, a driver can learn skills on how to maximize the petrol economy of their vehicle, they can learn how to reduce the necessity for heavy-footed braking and they can also learn how to enhance safety and smoothness of driving.”

Safety is one of the major highlights of the motoring association WMAM. According to their studies, there are at least 8 people who die on our British roads each day. WMAM believes that with their advanced driving lessons, they can help cut this figure.

“Advanced drivers have higher driving skills and they are 70 % less likely to get involved in a car crash as compared to a regular driver” said John Teasdale.

Since most of these claims were mere bold statements Ken Crane, the group’s vice-chairman, decided to add some proof to these statements. And this proof included a short spin around the Banwell circuit.

After going around the circuit, the vice chairman of WMAM pointed out each one of the drivers bad driving habits. Some of those that he pointed out were keeping the hand on the car’s gearstick, crossing of the arms while turning at corners and not looking into the mirror enough.

Ken, who is also a senior observer and who has been a driving instructor for more than 16 years, then decided it was time to show us all how it was done. Whilst he was driving, it noticed that he had no bad driving habits. Apart from that, despite the fact that he was not going at a breaking-neck speed, he was not going at a snail’s pace either. In fact, his driving style seemed even faster than the previous drivers.

Ken Crane believes that the problem with drivers nowadays is the fact that they are only required to sit out one driving test. If only drivers would enroll in advanced driving lessons, they would not only increase their safety, fuel economy and confidence in driving but they would also save on their car insurance quotes.

A car insurance company and an insurance consulting company have joined forces in implementing a new a new research non car insurance costs in the United Kingdom. In this economic climate, it is indeed necessary to look into rising costs that affect British consumers. In lieu with their research, they have results showing that the cost of insurance policies in the UK have significantly risen over the previous year. However, the rises in premiums were irregularly high in nature. This is because of the fact that the increases in insurance cost differ per region. Due to this irregularity, the increase in a comprehensive coverage was seen to be around 4.9 % while the increase for a fire and theft coverage was around 10.2 %. After computations, the annual premium for a British motorist was at £ 844. If these figures are 100 % accurate, then the increases for car insurance have risen faster than the inflation in the United Kingdom.

It was revealed in the new study that the increases in car insurance premiums differed per region. In accordance with this, it has been noticed that the price for a car insurance coverage in the North-Western part of England was seen to be around 14 % and 17 %. British drivers in Oldham have endured increases in their car insurance policies of almost 15 % while drivers in Bradford have incurred increases of up to 17 %. On the other hand, motorists in Manchester have got it easy with increases of up to 4.4 % only. The same can be said for Dundee, Edinburgh and Falkirk because their increases were all less than 5 %, the highest increase being at 4.6 %.

A representative for the car insurance company and consulting company that conducted the new research stated that, “This year, 2012, we can all expect to see some new factors that will directly affect all of our car insurance premiums. One instance is the EU ruling regarding ban implemented on using the gender of a driver to gage the risk of a driver. Especially since this ruling will be taken effect at the end of this year”.

On the other hand, another insurance company, Direct Line Insurance has estimated their calls to have increased to 300 %. All of which calls have to do with the on-going storms that have taken over the United Kingdom especially the Northern side of Scotland and South Wales.

With the weather throwing in strong winds and heavy rain downpours to the current snow and gales, a lot of insurance policy holders have been forced to place in their calls to their insurers. Car insurance policy holders, on the other hand, have also been placed on the spot by finding their vehicles damaged by the flying carcass as a result of the storm.

According to the director of AA Insurance, Simon Douglas, “Vehicles are easily damaged by flying roof tiles and other debris in the air. One of the most common misconceptions regarding insurance is that if your next-door neighbors’ roof tile flew in the air and damaged your side-mirror, you can make an insurance claim on that. In fact, this situation is rarely the case. Unless a car insurance policy holder could prove that their neighbor poorly maintained their house and roofing, he/ she will have to make a claim on their own insurance policy.”

This car insurance director and expert also pointed out the situation that falling trees cause. He says that, “ Unless a tree has been treated as ‘dangerous’ and the owner of the tree has not done anything to make it otherwise, a car insurance policy holder will not be able to make a claim on the owner’s insurance policy.”

In lieu with these realizations during this bad weather, the director of AA Insurance would also like to point out the dangers of driving through deep puddles of water, “We all know that it is often hard to distinguish a wet road from a puddle of water several inches deep, however, it is best to steer clear from these types of holes. If a car has been seriously affected by flood water, it will be immediately written off even if it is undamaged.”

According to an online website that gathers details on drinking and driving, there is an estimated average of 3,000 individuals seriously injured or even killed as a result of motorists that drink and drive. What car insurance companies want to do this Christmas is to ensure that the number of drink-and-drive victims will not be as high as the previous year. With this being said, one particular car insurance company has made it their responsibility to spread awareness to motorists regarding the implications and penalties that are associated with drunk driving. According to this insurer, if a motorist is caught on the road and believed to have been drinking a tad bit too many, it is possible for the driver to lose his driving license for a year. In addition to this, a penalty fine of up to £ 5,000 will required along with the daunting possibility of being placed in jail for half a year.

InWalesandEnglandlast year, there were almost 90,000 drink-and-drive convictions brought about. In relation to this, car insurance companies have made the fact known that drink and drive convictions can affect premiums for a particular time period. If this is not enough to keep motorists sober this Christmas season, then maybe the fact that they could lose their job might. According to the Thames Police Department, 15 % of convicted drink-drivers eventually lose their employment. And in this current economic climate, it is definitely not advisable for individuals to become that irresponsible.

According to one car insurance company expert, “In theUK, drink-and-drive is one particular social problem. This is especially true during festive seasons like Christmas and the New Year. The car insurance industry wants to warn motorists of the implications that come with drink-driving, if it is not for their own personal safety then for the safety of their passengers. In addition to this, any drink-driving offense can lead to unemployment and higher car insurance premiums. Hence, if you drink a bit too much punch this Christmas, do the right thing and call for a taxi. It is way much more convenient and it could also save you from a lot of trouble.”

According to the car insurance company that conducted the research, there is one motorist out of every 10 motorists who is at least 40 minutes late. However, the overall average for British drivers is a delay of at least 27 minutes. With most drivers driving from a distance 30 minutes away, the average delay would immediately double their normal traveling time. Consequently, motorists who have to pass by traffic packed roads are forced to change their usual habits.

The traditional 9 – 5 job is gradually becoming a thing of the past. This is due to the statistics that show more than 50 % of motorists arriving at their offices at8:00 am. Furthermore, 21 % of employees start their day at5:15 am – 7:30 amin an attempt to prevent themselves from being stuck in traffic.

Apart from all of these early starts, it seems like a lot of employees also prefer to stay up late at the office as well. 12 % or one out of every eight employees prefers to work late in the office to avoid getting into a traffic jam. An additional 15 % stated that they have been forced to deliberately change their routines and working shifts due to these British congested roads.

It is becoming clear that traffic is not the only factor that is burdening driver’s workloads. It has been stated that being stuck in traffic can also increase the blood pressure of a driver as well. This is because of the stress and worry that I person feels in lieu of being late for work or for an important meeting. Taking a look at statistics, nearly 20 % of motorists admit to feeling hassled and stressed upon arriving at the office.

Overall, motorists choose to brave the roads despite the many downfalls of driving to work daily. According to motorists, there are no other suitable or appropriate means of transport.

According to Tony Chilcott of the car insurance company that dealt with this research, “It is very frustrating to see motorists changing their routines and daily lives just to adapt to our congested roads. Yet, drivers have to accommodate the school buses and other morning commuters. It is just so unrealistic for an employee to leave the house at the crack of dawn. And the end result is losing millions of work hours with each year.”

Right after theWestminsterdebate and discussion on car insurance costs, MP Sammy Wilson also demanded that apart from car insurance companies enforcing stricter rules, the government must also play its part in solving this national problem. It was stated during the debate that severe penalties must be placed upon British motorists who do not have the minimum insurance coverage required.

During the Commons discussion, Mr. Wilson also made the spiraling car insurance costs clear unto the constituents ofEast Antrim. “I stated to them that in order to find lower insurance cost, certain steps must be taken. Firstly, auto insurance providers need to be more austere when they have a personal injury claim on their hands”.

“More often than not, if a personal injury claim is below an expected amount, auto insurance companies immediately pay out. Instead, they need to keep on fighting the claimants by taking them to court. It is within a court that they can prove their case. A lot of people have family and friends that have made a claim at one point. When they tell these people of the ease that they had when it came to making a claim, then they will feel encouraged to make a claim of their own”.

MP Sammy Wilson also added that, “We also need to be sterner when it comes to those drivers that drive without an insurance. An average citizen with a car insurance coverage is estimated to have £ 30 in excess. This excess is caused by these uninsured motorists that are raising the bar in regards with risk. With the current penalty of £ 200 – £ 5000, we surely hope that motorists would see that driving without insurance is not worth the risk.”

“There are also certain problems specifically focusing onNorth Ireland. These staggering costs are due to a lack of competition within the car insurance industry.”

“Within the debate, I have mentioned that this problem needs to be seen to by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. It is these governmental departments that must look into the collusion that has caused increase costs of auto insurance inNorth Ireland,” Mr. Wilson ended.

Quite recently, a ban has been placed upon insurers and solicitors who embark on this trade. This is highly agreeable news to all motorists and car insurance policy holders.

On another note, it could prove to be amusing to observe car insurance providers doing their best to place a positive spin on their questionable actions. One noted car insurance company has just declared that they will cease to receive payments made by personal injury solicitors in exchange for client referrals. This is in presumption that these solicitors are forcing insurers to accept the referral fees rather than the opposite.

It has been suggested that a good way to handle this growing compensation culture is by making car insurance claimants pay for their own legal costs. The main aim would be to save insurance providers a lot of money by making auto insurance claimants pay for their own derisive offers. If the auto insurance company would like to save money and reduce legal costs, the most advantageous way would be to settle honest claims on time. This is in opposition with the aggression that most car insurance companies exert in order to make motorists file a claim.

Personal Injury lawyers are also being charged by claims companies for referring clients. This system, however, directly affects the interests of the general public. There are only a few car insurance claimants who understand that when they make the first call, the claims company will not only pass on their details to a solicitor but they will also receive a couple hundred pounds for it. The unfortunate claimant has no hold on which firm he/ she is going to be referred to and will hardly be in touch with the assigned solicitor.

Referral fees are not measly amounts. With fees amounting to a few hundred pounds per client, only the large and well-established personal injury lawyer firms can afford to pay them. Hence, by turning over large numbers of cases they can make huge profits in a short span of time. Also, the case would be more impersonal and could not yield the desired results. Contacting a local or kno9wn solicitor could have been a much better decision for a car insurance claimant to make.

Motorists who were simply on the road at the wrong time do not deserve to be treated like a criminal. Every motorist deserves to rebuild their lives and receive their allotted compensation. Unfortunately, it seems like motorists inopportune situations are just seen as a car insurance provider’s way to make more money instead of a way to help them in a time of need.

The study has concluded that within this month of October 2011, the rates of car insurance premiums have dipped by 4 %. This is lower than the decrease in rates last moth which was less than 2 %. This is also the first drop in car insurance premiums since the price monitor of Tiger.Co.Uk was launched.

Since car insurance premiums differ by gender and age, some dramatic variations within the overall figures this October have been made prominent. Young drivers, for instance, have incurred a dip in car insurance costs up to 7 %. This is in contrast with the prices last month (September 2011). Also, it has been seen that there is parity between the rates of male and female drivers. This is hugely because of the ban that was implemented by the European Union to stop using gender as a discriminating factor. In addition to this, thirty-five year old drivers have seen a drop in premiums at around 9 %. And forty-five year old motorists have seen a decrease up to 25 % over the last year.

Tiger.Co.Uk has warmly welcomed the apparent come-back of cheaper car insurance rates. “These new findings are certainly good news to British motorists and will be certainly welcomed since they have incurred gigantic increases during the last few years.”

On another note, it has been noted that month after month during the last couple of years, the drop in car insurance premiums has reflected a more competitive market for car insurance companies. The great differences that have been evident in different driver profiles have shown motorists that they really do need to scour the market for cheaper car insurance rates. However, motorists do need to keep in mind the fact that not all cheap rates are applicable to the coverage that they prefer. Hence, this is something that British motorists need to keep in mind.

One of the largest car insurance providers in the United Kingdom have made it a point to show their rivals that penalizing British motorists for fitting winter tyres is bizarre.

AA Car Insurance has announced that there shouldn’t be any changes within a motorist’s policy if the driver has decided to fit winter tyres on their cars. This is because motorists who have a more responsible approach to safety do not deserve an increase in their car insurance rates. Since car insurance is all about risk, those who are trying to minimize risk should not be given raised premiums to pay. Winter tyres provide drivers with better road traction, better braking and also better cornering when it comes to driving on icy British roads. Hence, those motorists who have winter tyres fitted do not deserve an increase.

Last year, many car insurance companies considered winter tyres to be a modification instead of avoidance of risk. Hence, these ‘modifications’ lead to higher premiums and even an outright refusal to have their cars insured.

On the other hand, Simon Douglas refuses to accept this general point of view. He says that this is a major misunderstanding of how winter tyres work.

In addition to this, the director of AA adds: “It is preposterous for an insurer to penalize a motorist for equipping winter tyres. Given that these tyres not only highlight a responsible approach, they also help reduce the possibilities of a collision.”

Simon Douglas has said that policy holders do not even need to inform their car insurance companies that they have installed winter tyres. This is acceptable as long as the tyres were fitted by a professional so that the specifications of the car manufacturer are met.

“If your car insurance policy is up for renewal anytime soon, it would be best to check with your insurance provider first. If they regard winter tyres as a modification then it would be in a motorist’s best interest to search for a company that doesn’t share the same view,” said Simon Douglas.