Fuel price beyond a joke

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Steve

As the price of fuel rises inexorably, the call for the Government to postpone the next rise in fuel duty and actually freeze the levy, continues apace. Motoring organisations unanimously have called for the April fuel hike to be abandoned, and the poor motorist who is still coming to grips with his latest car insurance quotes hardly knows where to turn as his motoring costs escalate.

SMMT ask Government to think again

The latest organisation to weigh in with an opinion is the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) but they are not alone. The Chief Executive of the SMMT, Paul Everitt, spends an enormous amount of his time “bigging up” the motor industry in the UK and he feels the fuel duty rise planned for April could well undo all the hard work the industry has put in over the last 12 months to keep its place in the market.

The SMMT called for the Government to adopt a measured approach in implementing taxes on the consumer but most motorists will feel a measured approach is not exactly what they are experiencing. Petrol and diesel prices are nudging up almost daily and drivers are now past the point of driving around a little to see where the best prices are, it is simply too expensive.

Insurance for drivers going through the roof!

On top of fuel prices, the AA announced last week that the average price a motorist is paying to get car insurance cover is now over £800.

Not exactly the scenario then for hitting the open road and just enjoying the thrill of driving for the sake of it. In fact, thinking about it, when did you last just get in the car and go somewhere to enjoy the drive. Of course living anywhere in the South-east you would actually have to set off in the middle of the night to get anywhere, which would somewhat diminish the view, but joking apart, has the Government forever taken away the last remaining shreds of joy anyone got out of driving.

There is now talk that in the far flung reaches of Scotland the hike in fuel duty may well take the price of a gallon of petrol over £8, and one can imagine the look of anguish on motorists faces up there when they can see the oil pipeline bringing petroleum back to shore from the North Sea as they fill their car up at a petrol station and watch the £ signs flash by.

Call for action as car insurance quotes escalate

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Steve

It would appear that many aspiring university graduates could do far worse than plan a career as a personal injury lawyer, as reports from motoring organisations across the UK suggest they are responsible in part for the continuing rise in the price of car insurance quotes.

Their numbers it seems are growing as fast as motor insurance claims!

According to figures provided by the UK’s largest motoring organisation, the AA, the average cost for a motor insurance policy in the UK has now reached an almost unbelievable figure of £845. The figure is up by over a third on the average price for a policy a year ago and the notion of cheap car insurance seems to be a thing of the past.

So why are car insurance quotes becoming more expensive?

Firstly, the criminal element in the UK has turned their attention to the possibilities afforded by making false claims on motor accidents. Not only this, some criminal factions are now staging car accidents to profit from claims for personal injury when the accident occurred. Unfortunately it is now highly possible that if a car in front of you suddenly stops without any warning, causing you to collide with it, then you have become a victim of a staged accident. The car will probably have three or four passengers and all will make a claim on your motor insurance policy for injuries such as whiplash, and there is little you can do about it. The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) estimate that 30,000 faked and staged car crashes resulted in insurance claims last year and as a result, car insurance in the UK has never been so expensive.

Secondly, the number of lawyers offering personal injury services has rocketed. Many motoring organisations believe their constant advertising techniques using high profile media campaigns is attracting foreign gangs to enter the UK and set up criminal organisations, just to profit from illegal activities around car insurance claims. Whiplash claims for example have increased year on year for the last 5 years. The IFB estimate that each staged crash costs the industry around £17,000 and recent figures show that the problem is getting worse almost day by day.

Solutions needed quickly!

It does appear that unless the insurance industry and the Government can find a way to solve this problem soon, then whole swathes of the population will discover that the price of car insurance cover is beyond them. If this in turn leads to more people driving without insurance then we really will be in a nightmare situation.

5 Top Tips for Saving Money on Your Car Insurance

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Steve

With the recent sting of the recession, rise in VAT and the ever increasing petrol prices everyone is a bit strapped for cash at the moment. So, here at MotorQuoteDirect we thought this would be the perfect time to let you in on a few tips on how you can keep your car insurance quotes low and save money! Just follow these 5 simple tips and save yourself a bundle on your next car insurance quote:

Don’t Pimp Out Your Ride – You may think that adding a body kit or huge spoiler to your car is seriously cool (well if you are 17 anyway). However, your car insurance provider probably won’t agree! Modifications on your car mean more to insure and more potential risk meaning your premiums will soon be on the rise.

Keep it safe – You may be put off by the initial cost of a car alarm system, a steering lock or an immobilizer but the return on your insurance premium will be worth the investment. The safer you keep your car the less likely you are going to have to claim on your insurance and the lower your premiums will drop.

Check What’s Covered – It may seem obvious but it is always worth checking exactly what is covered in your policy and asking yourself “do I need all this?” Do you really need Fully Comprehensive or will Third Part Insurance do? Do you need breakdown cover or a courtesy car? Etc. Make sure you check out all your options before making a decision!

Do you need to take the car? – Your yearly mileage can have quite a noticeable effect on your insurance premium as the more you drive your car the more likely you are to have an accident. So, the next time you have the munchies and want to go to the corner shop why not walk instead of drive.

Pay Upfront – It may seem tempting to spread the cost of your car insurance over the year rather than paying upfront but this can end up costing you a lot more. If you choose to pay your premium monthly you will be using a credit service and could be charged up to 29% APR! So pay upfront and save yourself a bit of hassle and money.

So there you have it, simply follow these simply and easy tips and you are sure to save yourself a bit of cash on your car insurance. Anyone got any other good tips to share?

Insuring an electric car

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Steve

Insuring an EV (electric vehicle) is similar to insuring a regular vehicle and once a customer has picked an insurance company to cover their electric vehicle, they will then have to pick which policy is best suited. There are still some challenges and benefits involved when insuring an electric vehicle and it is important to make an informed policy choice.

When it comes to insuring the vehicle it should be remembered that electric vehicles are still fairly new to the automotive market and will require specialized parts, not to mention specially trained mechanics who can properly repair them after an accident or breakdown. This means parts will often not be readily available locally and will need to be ordered. Additionally, the specialized mechanics will cost more money as well and this will all need to be considered by insurance companies. Generally, electric vehicles are bought primarily by drivers who wish to do something about the environment and not because of the cost, so the extra costs involved in insuring the vehicle do not come into the equation. However, knowing that repairs will be more expensive than many gas vehicles allows a buyer to make a much more informed decision.

At the moment the vast majority of people still get a motor insurance quote for a petrol or diesel vehicle. However this is likely to change in years to come as electric models become more popular. The Government currently offer grants of up to £5,000 for everyone who buys an electric car, but they are still a lot more expensive than many similar diesel vehicles. It is worth getting quotes for cover before purchasing the vehicle and remember that electric vehicles are not liable to road tax or the congestion charge in London.

Some electric car owners lease the battery that powers the vehicle and some insures feel that this makes insurance cover more complicated. Anyone leasing the battery needs to make that clear to the insurance company before getting a motor insurance quote. Anyone in this situation should make it very clear to the insurer before purchasing insurance. The battery is normally the most expensive part of the car so the insurance needs to be correct, otherwise the driver may be liable after an incident. Electric vehicles are cheaper to run but most will travel only 40-70 miles before needing a recharge. The Coalition Government are subsidising the roll out of extra charging points across a number of United Kingdom cities, making it easier to use an electric vehicle.

Applying for a provisional licence to drive

Posted on January 18, 2011 by Steve

Before anyone can get a motor insurance quote and before even learning to drive a car, moped or motorcycle, a provisional driving licence must be applied for. If a valid full driving licence is already held and the driver wants to learn to drive larger vehicles; a bus or minibus for instance, then they will need to apply for a provisional entitlement for these vehicles.

Applying for the first provisional driving licence for a car, moped or motorcycle can easily be done online using the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) secure and easy to use online service. If however the driver has no access to the internet they can apply for a provisional driving licence by filling in the D1 application form that is available from the DVLA form ordering service and is also usually widely available from Post Office branches throughout Great Britain.

As well as the original documentation which confirms the identity of the driver, a passport style colour picture and the correct fee needs to be sorted out before sending the completed application to the DVLA in Swansea. If the provisional licence is required quickly it may be possible to use the premium checking service. Every application will require someone of a professional nature such as a doctor, to sign the reverse of the photographs to confirm the identity of the applicant; this is to ensure that fraudulent application is not being made. This is common practice, just as it is when applying for a new passport. The doctor will be more than happy to do this and will probably have done this many times for different people; he will normally charge a fee for this.

From the time of submitting the application to receiving the licence can be anything from three to six weeks. Applications are quite often completed much more quickly but it is wise to allow this period of time. It is important to remember that while waiting for the arrival of the provisional driving licence, the driver is not permitted to drive any vehicle and this includes one owned by a driving instructor. All driving instructors will ask at the start of the first lesson for proof of the driving licence and without it they will refuse to start lessons. Upon receipt of the provisional driving licence the lessons can begin and should always be carried during every lesson. The licence can be applied for up to two months before the licence is due to start. But it is against the law to get behind the wheel until the driver’s 17th birthday.

Electric Vehicles are on a fast track to the mainstream

Posted on January 13, 2011 by Steve

Less than two weeks into the New Year it is interesting to see the growing momentum enjoyed by EV (Electric Vehicle) manufacturers. More businesses are interested in buying an electric car and some have stated that they are definitely going to purchase an electric vehicle at some point during 2011, while others are already investigating leasing an electric car. With petrol prices showing no signs of going down, long term, an EV will be the answer for a lot of companies.

The numbers are still small but with fuel efficiency regarded as the biggest factor influencing purchasing decisions, it is believed by many that hybrid and electric vehicles will see the lion’s share of growth over any other vehicle category in the next few years. Numbers are expected to increase in the coming years as prices start to drop and it is more than likely to take about five years for low and zero emission cars to reach a level where they are affordable enough for mainstream adoption. Once this happens it will become common place for these vehicles to covered by single driver car insurance through to any driver car insurance throughout the land.

Just six years ago fuel efficiency was forecast to become the number one consumer concern when buying a vehicle and this has seen a huge shift in the thinking of the auto industry executives. No EV manufacturer wants people running out of power on the motorway, just as they do not want to see the cities clogged up with pollution spouting vehicles which are only on the roads for 15 miles each day.

The new-found popularity of green cars will be further underlined later this month at the Detroit Auto Show, where electric, hybrid and fuel efficient vehicles are going to dominate proceedings. Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet amongst others are all expected to début cars boasting significantly improved fuel efficiency. Sports car enthusiasts will not like it, but the march of the green car is looking unstoppable.

After what at best can be described as a “challenging year” for Toyota, (particularly in the US), the Japanese firm has unveiled a whole new family of hybrid models, creating what it calls a Prius family. The new Prius V is a five-sweater family car with an increase in boot space of 50% on the current Prius model. The car will be powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine combined with an 80bhp electric motor. It is due to go on sale this summer in the United States, it’s unlikely to make it to the UK forecourts before early next year, but it signifies the start of a major hybrid offensive by Toyota, who intend to introduce 11 new models to its hybrid line up in the next 2 years, seven of which will be brand new.

Winter tyres are becoming more important

Posted on January 11, 2011 by Steve

After a few weeks of snow and ice on the roads of the United Kingdom, drivers are at last starting to take winter tyres seriously. What is a legal requirement in the majority of most of northern Europe, winter tyres continue to be very misunderstood here in the UK. There are quite a few reasons why motorists may want to consider swapping over to winter tyres.

Probably the most common reason we hear in the UK as to why winter tyres are not needed is because we do not get enough snow to warrant paying out for more tyres. However, winter tyres are designed to be much more effective than regular tyres in any temperature under 7 degrees Celsius and on any road type. A cold weather tyre is designed with a bigger percentage of natural rubber and silica in the compound which does not harden up as much as synthetic rubber when the conditions turn cold.

Independent tests were recently carried out on winter tyres against summer tyres in icy conditions. From a speed of 10mph the winter tyre stopped in 6.4 metres, while the summer tyre needed over twice that distance to stop, finally coming to rest after 14 metres. Just imagine what the difference would be if the vehicle was travelling at the normal speed of 30 mph. Another false-truth driver’s hear a lot about, is that winter tyres are not needed if a car has ABS. This braking system is designed to allow steering to be retained while in an emergency situation, but it will not stop the vehicle any quicker than winter tyres will. Another reason given for not using winter tyres is a loss of ride comfort, or extra noise, but in truth modern winter tyres are every bit as comfortable as summer tyres, sometimes they can be more so. Winter tyres can also help reduce the chance of an accident in wet wintry conditions when accidents increase along with insurance claims.

It is no secret that modern cars have increased in weight, and with all that extra weight added problems occur when attempting to change direction or slow down. In these situations the tyres have much more work to do. To make the problem worse more cars are coming with overly wide sports tyres which have less chance of slowing a big heavy car. Fitting winter tyres should make your vehicle safer and make no difference to your motor insurance quote although there is a case for them to actually bring the quote down.

Potholes becoming a bigger problem

Posted on January 6, 2011 by Steve

As motorists start their commute back to work, many are noticing quite a difference in the scenery as they travel along the roads of the UK, and they are not happy about it. After the coldest December for over 100 years the folly of many local authorities in neglecting to keep up their road maintenance schemes has hit home with a vengeance.

Potholes, which have been a thorn in the side for motorists for many years, have proliferated incredibly since the thaw set in over the New Year. It is no secret that once a road surface starts to deteriorate, ice and snow compacted into the broken surface will cause further damage. The awful weather in December has decimated many road surfaces and caused motorists all over the country to call for action. Motoring organisations such as the AA and RAC have joined with their members in calling for action. There is a the fear however, that because of the austerity measures imposed on local councils by the Government spending review in October 2010, many will not have the cash to instigate a road repair service.

It is estimated that in a normal year car drivers in the UK fork out almost £3 billion in repairs for axle and suspension damage to their vehicles. A big percentage of the damage is caused by potholes in the road surface. It is of course true to say that much of this cost is picked up by insurance companies, however, the poor motorist still suffers as his motor insurance quote the following year will go up as he has made a claim.

This year the damage to cars is expected to be greater than ever and motorists across the country should be aware that if their car is damaged due to a bad road surface then they are completely within their rights to pursue the local authority for compensation. It is estimated that motorists claim between £30 – £50 million back from councils in this way every year and there are even websites set up by disgruntled motorists which advise drivers just exactly how to go about getting cash to cover their repairs.

New Russian car is no slouch

Posted on January 4, 2011 by Steve

The motoring industry in 2011 will be graced by a name completely foreign to many households in the UK; they may be even more surprised to hear that the manufacturer is based in Russia.

It is probably twenty years since any UK car driver got a <a href=”http://www.motorquotedirect.co.uk”>motor insurance</a> quote on a Russian built car, which in those days would have been more than likely a Lada. The enigmatic Lada was the butt of jokes for many years in the UK and it got to the point where owning such a vehicle in Britain became an embarrassment. Well the new model of car coming out of Russia is nothing like the Lada, in fact it looks distinctly more like a Ferrari or Lamborghini, and it is indeed a supercar.

The Marussia Motors B2 model is truly beautiful. Its sleek, powerful form will seduce prospective buyers all over the world. It really does look like something from a Sci-Fi movie, although its designers have ignored the modern trend of providing supercars with an electric engine. This baby is a truly authentic gas guzzler and is proud of it. The other key feature of the car is that it is made entirely from carbon fibre, not only does this cut down on weight, it also means the car is a lot safer. The on board entertainment system will enable passengers to use Skype technology, which is timely exposure for the communications company as they look to raise their profile. Although no official news has yet been circulated on the cost of the B2 it is expected to come in at around the £150,000 mark, a similar price for example as the new Mercedes SLS AMG.

All in all, 2011 promises to be a big year for Marussia motors, apart from launching the B2 the Russian manufacturer is promising seven new models will be unveiled at the top motor shows in the New Year. The news has the motoring industry agog with excitement as seven new models in one year will be something of a record. Although details are still under wraps the new cars are rumoured to include a small city car, a luxury SUV, a luxury sedan and a sports coupé to complement the B2.

Top Gear presenter caught between a rock and a hard place

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Steve

For many motoring enthusiasts, Christmas is not the same without the Top Gear Christmas Special.

The programme fronted by the ebullient Jeremy Clarkson and ably accompanied by James May and Richard Hammond has been top of the motoring TV programmes for millions, over the years. Their infectious enthusiasm apparent to all.

The series which has just completed its 15^th year will be back early in 2011 and it will be a relief for many viewers as the last series was definitely shorter than previous years. The show is famed for its presenters putting fast cars through their paces and millions of viewers over the years must have obtained motor insurance quotes on vehicles they first saw on Top Gear.

Of course the series most famous episode was the one where Richard Hammond had his horrific accident in 2006. The dragster car he was driving crashed at 300mph and Hammond was in a coma with serious head injuries for many days. It may well be the two Christmas Specials that will be broadcast this year will also be remembered for one of its reporters receiving serious injury.

According to early reports James May suffered a head injury while filming the second of the two programmes in Syria. Apparently May was hurt when helping to get Jeremy Clarkson’s car out of a ditch. The recovery of the vehicle involved attaching a tow rope to the car and when the rope went taut James May was entangled in the rope. He was catapulted to one side, knocking his head against a rock. The presenter was rushed to hospital and given a brain scan as his injuries were judged to be that serious.

All turned out okay though and fans of the series will see the programme on Boxing Day. Why were the boys in Syria? Apparently they were trying to recreate the journey of the three wise men in the original Christmas story. The entire journey covered 1200 miles and viewers will have to wait until December 26^th for the outcome of the epic route.

The series also has another Christmas Special which was filmed in the USA and features the boys driving a Mercedes SLS, a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Porsche GT3 RS.