If you find yourself going to your car one day and realising that your car has been damaged by another car or road user but they have not left you any contact details, depending on the extent of the damage, you may find yourself exploring avenues to recover your repair costs.

The Untraced Drivers’ Agreement 2003 includes compensation for property damage resulting from accidents occurring on or after 14 February 2003.

In order to be able to make a claim though the Motor Insurance Bureau (MIB) you need to be aware of the following and take the following steps:-

Claims for property damage must be made within 9 months of the accident date and subject to a £300 excess.

Personal injury claims must be made within 3 years of the date of the accident.

To make a claim:

•    You firstly need to report the incident to the Police. This must be done within 14 days of the accident occurring. If it is damage to property, they must be notified within 5 days.

•     Secondly, make enquiries to see if you can identify the driver, check any information you may find out with the Police. You could even try making contact with the motorist in person, and/or tracing the registered keeper via DVLA and contacting them. Their failure to notify you may have been accidental. They may not even know that they caused damage to your vehicle.

•     If you have been unable to identify the driver, next try to identify the vehicle involved through any registration number you may have obtained from any passer-by or witness to the incident. 

•     Finally, contact your own insurers as your policy conditions will demand that you report all accidents. They may be able to trace the other party’s or his/her insurers. Your insurer also has access to the Motor Insurance Database which may contain details of the motorist’s insurers.

Motorists complying with the law and ensuring that they have a valid motor insurance policy in force when they drive on public roads will be pleased with the planned measures to come down more heavily on motorists who drive without car insurance.

Drivers using cars on our roads without the minimum legal requirement are costing the compliant drivers dear so it is extremely pleasing to see the government giving increased powers to police authorities to try and secure compliance.

Even with the introduction of such initiatives, there of course, remains a chance that some people may not get their letter, are on holiday or simply forget and there is the risk that some people will see a £100 penalty as a cheaper option that insuring their car but the issuing of warning letters and the targeting of persistent offenders will hopefully serve as sufficient warning to anyone tempted to try and save a little money.

After the warning letter has been sent, a £100 fine will be imposed on those breaking the law.

Following that, anybody who is still found to have no insurance, faces losing their vehicle.

Compounding the misery for the offender will be the conviction that they can expect to receive being added to their licence which will, in all likelihood, increase their next insurance premium further.

2946 – that’s the number of people killed on UK roads in 2007*. This does not compare favourably when compared to the number of fatalities due to road accidents in Australia where only 1,616 were fatally injured**.

However, when examining the data in the terms of percentage points, drivers in the UK and all the efforts by government, local councils and road safety initiatives appears to be paying off for drivers in the UK.

• Deaths of actual car users in Australia increased by 3.8% whilst in the UK, they reduced by 11%.
• Pedestatrian deaths decreased by 11.5% in Australia compared to a 4% reducution in the UK.
• Motorcyclists deaths remained the same in Australia whilst deaths of Motorcyclists reduced by 2% in the UK.
• Children aged 0-16 yrs old down 11% in Australia whilst the UK displays a 28% decrease for those in age group 0-15 years old.

The UK Government set a target in 2000 for a reduction in the number of casualties, looking to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents by 2010, compared with the average for 1994-98; a 50 per cent reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured; and a 10 per cent reduction in the slight casualty rate.

Figures for reported casualties in 2007 indicate:

• The number of people killed or seriously injured was 36 per cent below the baseline;
• The number of children killed or seriously injured was 55 per cent below the baseline;
• The provisional estimate of the slight casualty rate was 30 per cent below the baseline.

These reductions should be recognised and acknowledged. That equates to up to 126 more families still enjoying the company of loved ones in 2007 than in 2006.
* Department of Transport Statisitcs Bulletin : Road Casualties in Great Britain, Main Results 2007

** The Road Safety Report, August 2008, Road Deaths Australia : 2007 Statistical Summary published by the Australian Government – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

Scheming motorists deliberately causing road accidents with the intention of lodging fraudulent car insurance claims should expect to be prosecuted as specialist officers in police forces across the country continue to investigate hundreds of suspicious collisions.

The impact of such activities can have devastating affect on the innnocent individuals involved affecting not only their no claims bonus.

For the poor, innocent victims in these “pre-planned”accidents there is in fact a risk that their confidence can also take a knock causing them to think carefully about actually giving up driving altogether. This could be particualrly prevalent for new, infrequent and drivers possibly nearing the end of their driving careers.

If you suspect you have found yourself to be a victim of such a devious scheme, raise your suspicions with your local police force and thay may find that you have provided enough information for them to investigate. You never know, they may already have their eye on the people involved so do not let the experience put you off. Most certainly do not give up driving.

Get yourself back driving as soon as you can, just like your parents would have told you when you fell off your first bicycle when learning to ride it.

Brush yourself off, learn by your experience, but above all, do not let the incident influence your decision on whether to continue driving.

Kit cars are growing in popularity and whether you bought your kit car as a project, a hobby or pre built, and simply enjoy driving it, there are particular aspects that kit car owners need to have from an insurance policy.

When looking to insure a kit car, have a think about these issues before trying to obtain any quotes:

• Agreed valuations –many insurers will only pay out the ‘market value’ of your kit car if you suffer a total loss. With a kit car, market value is often difficult to determine. Make sure you get it valued by a specialist to avoid having it undervalued and getting a nasty surprise if you need to make a claim.

• Goods In Transit cover –to cover you collecting you kit car, parts and tools from the manufacturers.

• Multi-vehicle cover – if the kit car is not your main means of transport, think about arranging a multi vehicle policy.

• Build Up Cover – do you need or want to insure your car as it is being assembled just in case of any mishaps.

• Limited Mileage discounts – the fewer miles you drive, the more you can save so think about the annual mileage you think you will drive in the car. Cover usually starts from around 1,500 miles.

• Track Day / Rally cover – this is a little more specialised and usually quoted on application.

• Owner’s Club Discounts – join a recognised owners club or enthusiasts’ forum and you could receive a discount of up to 15%, depending on the policy taken from some insurers.

Due to the type of vehicles, make sure you select experienced, specialist insurance providers when obtaining quotes.

Few families or businesses have escaped some kind of illegal activity involving vandalism; break ins, theft or accidents involving their cars. In fact, it is pretty much a given, that if you haven’t been affected in some way as yet, you will be at some time in the future.

You don’t have to be the offender, you can simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time, or just a victim caught up in a series of unfortunate events.

Well, if you have been a victim, here are a few examples showing the laws of this land working for you and punishing the offenders*.

• Four months imprisonment for a 26 year old male convicted of theft for a motorised vehicle.
• A fine of £160 plus court costs £43, £15 victim charge, disqualification of holding and obtaining a driving licence for 3 years for a 51 year old male, convicted of Drink Driving.
• A £250 fine, £60 court costs plus £15 victim charge coupled with 24 month disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence for a 40 year old male
• A £175 fine, £45 court costs and £15 victim charge for a 41 year old male convicted for failing to notify the Secretary of State of the transfer of a vehicle to another person
• A £175 fine, £15.42 back duty and £45 costs for a business using a vehicle without a valid road tax  licence on one of their vehicles

Not all of these offences will necessarily affect insurance premiums but most will.

*Source: Evening Herald, Plymouth, reporting cases dealt with in Plymouth Magistrates Court, November and December 2008

Hot hatches have been popular with UK drivers and in fact, across Europe for many years.

The launch of the new Ford Focus RS is due in March this year and Ford are very hopeful of its success.

It is the first car Ford have given the Rallye Sport badge to since the original Focus some 7-8 years ago.

Like all hot hatches, beneath the bonnet lies a formidable power unit and advanced racing technology. A wider track, turbocharged 305PS engine and advanced suspension mean it will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds, with its performance more than matching its stunning looks.

Hot hatches attract high insurance groups and as a consequence, high insurance premiums so it is worth checking for quotes before opting to buy such cars, particularly if you are under 25 years old and/or have an adverse driving record, accident history, medical conditions or only a couple of years no claims bonus.

There is nothing worse than buying the car you have dreamed of owning only to find the cost of insurance is so prohibitive that you can’t afford to insure it.

The penalties are severe for driving without insurance so do your homework and research beforehand.

Until February 4th, subject to certain conditions, Tesco are offering any clubcard holder (the Tesco loyalty card) taking out a new car insurance policy £50 cashback.

The £50 will be sent in the form of a cheque within six weeks.

On top of this, new policyholders will get the benefit of 1 clubcard point for every £2 spent, and with the average motor insurance premium well over £400, you can expect to have 200+ points added to your clubcard in return for taking a policy out with Tesco.

And the deal gets sweeter:

• You can even use clubcard vouchers to pay for your insurance policy.
• Up to 70% no claims bonus
• Discounts for named drivers
• Multi car policy discounts available

Courtesy of Nationwide Autocentres, all Tesco car insurance policyholders also enjoy:

• Complementary 15 Point Car Safety Check included
• 15% off a full car service
• 10% off on all mechanical repairs

Sounds great doesn’t it?

Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. No two people’s circumstances are the same and it may not be as good value as it appears for everyone.

There’s only one way to find out though. Get a quote, but be quick, the offer ends tomorrow!

Ever wondered who is the force and power behind the various insurance companies that operate across the UK and manage your car insurance?

Many insurers now offer motor insurance under a number of smaller companies operating as separate entities. Some may call this branding but in essence, it is simply a business operating under an additional trading name and whilst, insurance companies do not attempt to hide the details of the true owner, it’s only in the small print that this sort of information is normally disclosed.

Admiraloperates under Admiral, Elephant.co.uk, Confused.com,
Compare the Market is owned by Budget
HBOSowns Halifax Insurance, esure, Sheilas Wheels and First Alternative.
Royal & Sun Alliance owns More Than
AXAowns Swiftcover and also offers quotes as Lloyds TSB Insurance and insurance.co.uk
Swinton is owned by MMAas is its4me & bullseye
Zurichowns Endsleigh
Fortis owns RIAS
Kwik-Fit Insurance Services owns Express Insurance
IAG owns Hastings Direct, People’s Choice, Diamond, Advantage, Open & Direct and Equity

This list is by no means exhaustive. Have a look at these:-

RBSGroup owns Direct Line, Churchill, Privilege, NIG as well as branded sales products such as Tesco Insurance, Natwest, Virgin Money, MBNA, BMW Insurance, MINI Insurance, Mint, Egg, Nationwide, Age Concern and Vauxhall Insurance.

Given Direct Line’s marketing specifically states they cannot be found on comparison websites, it appears a little hypocritical that their parent company have an interest in Tesco branded insurance products and Tesco currently advertise a comparison website.

Swinton, the UK’s leading high-street insurance provider, work with SAS to help them increase their market share and new business through improving the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns.

Like any business seeking to move their business forward, they need to improve their understanding of customer behaviours and SAS’ analytics will help Swinton predict new and existing customer’s likelihood to respond to specific marketing campaigns.

Swinton hope to increase response rates by more effective targeting of potential customers with the right offers, at the right time.

Furthermore, SAS will evaluate the effectiveness of Swinton’s entire direct marketing programme, across direct mail, e-mail, Web and SMS, to understand which channels are working best and where to make improvements enabling Swinton to reallocate its marketing budget and resources to concentrate on channels offering the best results.

Swinton have the largest high street presence of all insurers across the UK following their recent acquisition of the Equity shop network of IAG (Insurance Australia Group Ltd) which safeguarded the jobs of 600 people and 91 retail outlets and now have a total of some 500 high street offices.

They have a workforce of nearly 5000 people and manage over 3 million individual home and car insurance policies making them the third largest insurance retailer in the UK.