It appears that if you are a foreign driver and commit a speeding or traffic offence in certain parts of the UK, you have a good chance of getting away with it!

Richard Brunstrom, the controversial Chief Constable of North Wales, admitted to the Welsh Assembly to turning a blind eye to offences by foreign truckers for fear of impacting the income of the region.

He supported his argument by stating that if the region was seen to be too proactive and prosecute offenders, it is possible they may choose travel crossings which disembark at other ports where police forces are not as vigilant thereby pushing income away from the region.

Whilst from an economical point of view, the Chief Constable’s comments may be true; laws are put in place and should be enforced without consideration to economic consequences and most definitely applied equally to both private and commercial vehicle drivers, irrespective of nationality.

It is not his place to make such economic monetary decisions affecting anyone other than the police force for which he has responsibility.

All drivers on UK roads, not just truckers, should be continuously reminded that tiredness causes accidents and can kill.

The punishment for failure to comply with legislation should be universal and applied to all drivers.

When purchasing virtually any product, although it may not be at the top of the list, cost generally plays an important factor.

There are hundreds of insurance providers out there all vying for your custom and it is worth just reminding everyone to carefully check and compare the provisions and benefits offered by potential insurers.

Do not simply assume that if two insurance brokers quote you premiums with the same insurance company that the two policies on offer will be identical – they probably won’t be.

The chances are that the cheaper insurance premium will not include as many benefits as the more expensive. You could even find that the cheaper policy doesn’t include a free courtesy car or the total loss settlement offer in respect of any claim from the lower premium policy could be calculated differently.

As an example, look for:-

• Policies that offers reduced premiums for those that drive fewer miles
• Guarantees your No Claims Bonus will not be affected if you are the innocent victim in an accident with an uninsured driver
• Policies that permit named drivers to earn their own no claims bonus whilst on your car insurance
• Offers the option to pay monthly at a reasonable interest rate
• Has a first class claims processing reputation

A 28-year-old man was charged with burglary after he stole a Porsche in the Lytham area recently.

The man from Liverpool was also charged with:-

• Taking a motor vehicle without the owners consent
• Driving whilst disqualified
• Driving without insurance
• Obstructing an officer in the execution of their duty.

The theft of the car occurred following a break in at a property in Lytham St Anne’s, where the key to the vehicle together with a laptop was stolen.

An observant resident had contacted the police because they saw what appeared to be some suspicious activity. 
 
Police officers with the support of their forces helicopter tracked the Porsche and the driver was eventually arrested in nearby Warton.

On this occasion, due to the vigilance of a local public spirited resident, police were informed quickly and able to act promptly.

There is no reference to whether there was actually any damage to the vehicle or laptop, but in any event, the thief can now look forward to a hefty fine, penalty points on his licence or a driving ban at the very least. He could even suffer a custodial sentence.

The car owner however, if lucky, gets their car back, damage free, and retains their no claims bonus.

If not so lucky, and decide to claim off their car insurance, their claim will be subject to a policy excess, they could possibly suffer loss of income and compound this with the inconvenience of losing the use of the car whilst it is in for repairs. Finally, they will of course lose some no claims bonus unless it was protected.

Some of these potential losses are insurable or can at least be covered in a car insurance policy. If your livelihood is dependent on your car, make sure you look for insurance policies that offer a free courtesy car whilst yours is in for repair as a result of an accident or claim. 

The additional premium payable may well be worth it.

Theft from vehicles will undoubtedly increase over the Christmas and New Year as revellers who have started out driving their car, get into the mood and end up leaving their cars in and around town centres and pub car parks overnight.

We’ve all done it I’m sure, and we have all at some time returned to our cars the following day either half expecting it to have been broken into or actually finding it gone!

The financial difficulties thrust upon us by the current economic downturn opens up an increased risk of theft, particularly from homes and cars.

It is worthy of a reminder therefore to car owners to remember to ensure that alarms and immobilisers are fully operational and if they aren’t, get them fixed or replaced without delay.

Some vehicles automatically attract a policy condition that demand alarm systems are installed and fully operational at all times. Failure to do so could result in forfeiture of any compensation in the event of a claim or incident.

It is worth noting that domestic burglaries rose by more than a third between 1990 and 1992 and the Government has warned that burglaries and property crime could rise by 7% this year and a further 2% in 2009.

Above all, make sure you do not leave any personal possessions in cars that have some kind of sentimental value – their value is normally immeasurable and absolutely heartbreaking to lose, with absolutely no possibility of replacement.

Most car insurance providers also operate pensions, life, investment and general insurance divisions.

Whilst each division may technically be independent and separate legal entities, how much threat is the current economic downturn affecting their overall incomes and performance?

Is there any possibility that insurers will be forced to consider diverting resources away from those areas doing well to support the failing parts of their business?

With such unprecedented threats to global financial markets, the financial stability of car insurance companies could come under threat as more and more people drift into the realms of driving without insurance, putting further pressure on the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) to compensate innocent victims.

Who funds the MIB? – The insurance companies.

We therefore have a situation whereby insurance providers are asked to pay more to MIB whilst possibly receiving less income from their customers.

It is probable that insurers will turn to these customers by increasing premiums to cover such funding pressures, creating potential for further spiralling as more and more customers find themselves unable to buy car insurance?

It’s a balancing act and there is a chance that some insurers/brokers may fall by the wayside on this difficult journey over the next few years.

Insurance fraud is one of those things that just will not go away.

Fraudulent claims absorb a tremendous amount of insurance provider’s money and they are constantly looking at improving ways to deter, prevent and indeed identify  fraudsters.

It has been well publicised the way some groups deliberately slam their brakes on whilst driving along a road for no apparent reason leaving the car driver behind absolutely no option but to crash into the back of their car.

They then fake injury and claim exhorbitant amounts of compensation.

Well, although not well publicised (and for a very good reason), insurance companies use fraud investigators to check out the validity of potential claims.

These investigators go to great lengths to stalk their quarry, hiding in hedges, camouflaged, and hiding up trees with long telephoto lenses on their cameras and videos just to catch would be fraudsters out and reduce the value of claims.

Whilst it may seem an unsavoury job, it is in fact saving genuine insurance policyholders money. Insurers basically have repsonsibilities to policyholders and shareholders and anything that impacts on their profits, will in one or another impact on dividends or premiums.

Fraud investigators undergo intense military-style boot camp training, where they are  assessed in such areas as observation, driving skills and their ability to react under pressure.

Anyone under the illusion that all insurance jobs are dull and boring, should think again!

In a poll conducted by Admiral, taxi drivers have been elected the least courteous and most irritating drivers.

Van drivers, young motorists and bus drivers were also considered to be rude on the road in the poll.

More than 700 drivers were questioned during the survey and does anyone recognise a trend here – try and obtain a quote for drivers listed above and you will probably find their insurance premiums are higher than many.

Insurance companies have been collating such data for many years and expert analysis and sharing of information between insurers usually means that underwriting will, in the main carry the same weighting amongst insurance providers.

If you want to keep your insurance premiums down, you need to avoid conflict on the road. Aggressive behaviour on the road will often lead to aggressive driving, leading to a higher risk of accident or injury.

Fail to appreciate the value of safe driving and continually think, it won’t happen to me and you are inviting misfortune.

Claims or convictions will attract increased premiums and given the governments intentions to increase penalty points for speeding etc. the penalties will never have hurt more.

Yes, the courts are sometimes lenient, but with public pressure demanding real justice this is likely to become more the exception than the rule.

For those interested, elderly drivers were regarded as the most polite but they were equally reported as being second only to taxi drivers on the most irritating scale

Ministers are expected to announce limited financial aid to British motor-industry following claims by industry leaders that thousands of job losses at stake.

Even though, Lord Mandelson, the business secretary, is expected to make loan guarantees available to the financial arms of car companies to try and get sales moving, industry leaders continue to say it will not be enough to keep their manufacturing plants in operation.

The GMB fears that at least 25% of all car manufacturing jobs could be lost during this economic downturn and Bert Hill, a senior officer for the GMB in the Midlands, said:

“This is the worst time we’ve had. Worse than the 1990’s, worse than the three-day week and the oil-price spike of the 1970’s.”

With a lot of UK plants announcing reductions in their working week recently and several even opting to close their units down completely over the Christmas period, the mood is sombre.

Hopefully, manufacturers and car sales organisations alike, will, in the new year, start to reduce prices in an attempt to entice more spending and those looking to buy could certainly find themselves in a very strong bargaining position.

Make sure you obtain a quote for the annual insurance premium on your proposed new car before completing negotiations, and if really lucky, you may be able to get the car salesmen to throw in free car insurance for a year.

If they don’t, having already got a quote for your annual premium, it’s certainly worth trying to negotiate the purchase price down further to compensate

Everyone always talks about how high their car insurance is getting. Although this is true, cars are just one of the many vehicles that need to be insured. Boats also require insurance and as more people are aiming for a life of luxury, boats are becoming more and more common.

Marine insurance as a term encompasses several different areas of insurance including hull insurance, cargo insurance and in the case of everyday people, yacht insurance. People who can afford a boat have a many costs ahead of them; simply purchasing the boat is the start of the expenditure.

Like car insurance, the insurance required for boats covers a range of policies. Depending on the level of cover and a number of conditions related to that policy, the fees can rapidly rise.

Despite the somewhat negative approach of this article, yacht insurance is vital and shouldn’t be skimped upon by any means. It is worth spending more to get comprehensive cover to ensure your assets are fully protected in all cases. Boats are easily damaged and in some cases stolen, so make sure you secure your investments for the future. Some insurance policies may even cover regular maintenance costs, saving money in the long term.

Insurance providers actively offer Motorist Legal Expenses Protection giving customers access to legal services to recover those uninsured losses.

The cost of purchasing such cover can however prove costly as insurers endeavour to increase profits.

Some people may not bother as they are not comfortable in going through all the form filling etc. and having to chase around gathering information to help the legal advisor decide whether there is in fact a claim that they can pursue for you.

There is however help at hand in the form of internet based advisors such as The Roadside Lawyer whereby you can have direct access to qualified legal specialists who will offer guidance, advice and indeed confirmation whether you have in fact got a case worth pursuing.

You can either telephone and discuss your enquiry in person or alternatively simply fill in a short questionnaire and email it automatically through to them. You can generally expect a written response via email within 24 hours.

What’s more, ask them a question and you can look forward to receiving £100,000 worth of legal expenses insurance absolutely free for a year.

Not too bad a deal considering insurers are charging on average around £25 per year for similar cover.