Blog posts tagged ‘car’

On the 1^st March this year, European judges ruled that it will be illegal to set the cost of car insurance premiums based on gender. This will have far reaching consequences for almost everybody when buying car insurance. Historically, insurance premiums differ between the sexes due to statistical data showing that female drivers pose less of a risk to the insurers than male drivers, particularly in the 17 to 21 years age bracket. In fact, the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) estimates that male drivers under 21 are twice as likely to have an accident than women under 21 and that the average 18-year-old man's claim is for £4,400 compared to £2,700 for the average woman aged 18.

But as a result of this ruling it is now suggested that insurance premiums for female drivers under the age of 26 will probably rise by around 25%, but in some cases this could be as high as 50%.  In contrast, it is estimated that quotes for male drivers in the same age bracket could fall by approximately 10%.

The best way to keep your premiums down in the future, whether you’re male or female is to ensure that you drive safely, have been well trained, and continue to look to improve your driving after you’ve passed your driving test and as you gain experience. This will help you to build up a ‘no claims discount’ and show insurers that you are a lower risk to them than others may be.

See online article.

The summer’s here and it’s hot for once! Just as in the winter there are a few things you can do to help stay safe on the roads:

1. Stay cool – open your windows, or preferably use your air conditioning. Being hot and sticky will lead to drowsiness and a lack of concentration
2. Take regular breaks  –  when you start to feel tired make sure you stop and have a break. Don’t drive if you’re feeling too tired to fully concentrate.
3. Keep hydrated  –  drink lots of water to keep your body hydrated
4. Screen wash – don’t forget to have plenty of screen wash. Flies hitting your windscreen soon affect visibility. Keep the windscreen clean.
5. Check your fluids and tyres – ensure that you have the correct coolant and oil levels. An engine is more likely to overheat in hot weather, especially if you get caught in a traffic jam.  Tyres can also get very hot on a long journey; the hotter the tyre, the higher the tyre pressure. Regularly check the condition of your tyres.
6. Animals – never leave a dog or other animal in a hot car. The temperature inside a parked car can soar very quickly, potentially resulting in the death of your pet and possibly even criminal charges for animal cruelty.

Most learners I teach don’t have the opportunity to drive other than when on driving lessons. But some do get the benefit of being able to practise in their own/parent’s/partner’s car. These lucky few are able to gain experience of different road traffic situations more quickly and are generally ready to take their test earlier than those who haven’t had extra practice.  Some instructors feel that learners tend to pick up bad habits from their family and friends supervising them, but as long as the practice is taken alongside regular professional driving lessons then I don’t believe that this is the case.

Adding a younger learner to a policy can be prohibitively expensive. There are cheaper options available such as short term policies, held by the learner themselves. One such policy is offered by a company called Marmalade Provisional, who have a tie in with Halfords. They offer policies from as little as £90 per month although this does vary with location. I have checked with them, and for a learner with a Selly Oak B29 postcode, the cost would be £99.50 for one month, or £187.00 for two months.

I believe that in the run up to a test this type of policy can really give a learner an extra boost to their learning experience, raise their confidence and increase their chances of passing the test first time.

Click here for more details…