Reckless drivers who misuse their fog lights caused over 300,000 car accidents in 2011, according recent research by car insurance provider swiftcover.com.
With 1 in 10 motorists admitting to using high intensity lights when visibility is normal, and two million ‘near misses’ caused in the same period, there is clearly a problem with the misuse of fog lights and it seems to be taking its toll on the safety of Britain’s roads.
In a surprising discovery 14% percent of drivers said they over use their fog lights simply “because they look good”. This reasoning seems to come from predominantly younger drivers with 22% of 18-34 year olds who admit to misusing fog lights saying coolness was the motivation.
London drivers seem to be the main culprits as Swiftcover reported more accidents caused by use the of fog lights in the capital than any other region. 50% of these reported they had been dazzled by another drivers fog lights and gone on to make a claim.
“Young drivers trying to look ‘cool’ by using their fog lights at all times are recklessly and thoughtlessly endangering other motorists”, commented Robin Reames, chief claims officer at swiftcover.com. “Fog lights are designed for a very specific purpose – helping drivers to see and be seen when visibility is severely reduced. Misusing these lights has the effect of dazzling and distracting other motorists and causes a staggering number of crashes, as evidenced by our research. If you can see further than 100m (roughly the length of a football pitch) then your fog lights should remain off, and if they are not then you are breaking the law and could face a £30 fixed penalty notice.”
January 27th, 2012
Car insurance providor swiftcover.com has uncovered evidence that the outlawing of using mobile phones whilst operating a vehicle seems to be having the opposite effect on actual driving behaviour.
A freedom of information request revealed that the number of FPNs (fixed penality notices) issued for using mobile phones is actually higher than in 2006, which was before the tougher measures for the offence were introduced. One in five drivers (around 18%) admit to driving using a mobile phone in the last year. This could imply that the legislation is simply not being enforced properly, but a massive £10m worth of FPNs have been dished out in the last 12 months alone.
The social media explosion since 2007 seems to be having more of an effect on behaviour with 1.5 million drivers admitting they have used a mobile phone to access social networking sites when driving.
Robin Reames, chief claims officer at swiftcover.com, commented: “It’s clear that current measures to stop motorists using their phones while driving simply aren’t working. An irresponsible but substantial minority of motorists are continuing to flout laws and endanger others, all for the sake of a phone call that could be taken at another time.”
Original legislation was put in place in 2004, before harsher measures including a doubling of the fine to £60 and a possible three points on your license were brought in to drive the message home.
January 9th, 2012
According to a recent survey by online home insurance provider swiftcover.com, Britain is gluing and screwing its broken household items together more than ever.
Brits have spent £700m replacing broken domestic items in past 12 months and around 15 percent have attempted to repair them.
Despite this huge sum being spent replacing household items, 1.2 million British households (three million people) are eating and drinking using plastic cups and plates, presumably because of difficult economic circumstances.
James Barclay, home insurance expert at swiftcover.com, commented “Although millions continue to replace broken items around the house, many are making do, repairing damaged items or in extreme situations, using plastic plates and cups. There’s clearly a growing acceptance that money is tight so getting the glue out or making do, is now most definitely back.”
The survey also revealed brits have been particularly careless in the kitchen. 65% of domestic items broken are broken in the kitchen, with 2/3 thirds of people recently breaking a cup and over 50% breaking plates, bowls or other kinds of crockery.
November 11th, 2011
On Wednesday 12th of October; shoppers at Westfield had the chance to ride in the fast lane thanks to swiftcover.com.
In partnership with Screach, Swiftcover created the UK’s first live interactive gaming screen out of a 72 sheet billboard in the Westfield shopping centre. Shoppers used their smartphones as video game controllers, and along with up to ten members of the public, they were able to play controlling a motion controlled car on the screen.
‘The 60 second challenge’ driving game was the biggest London has ever seen, and all participants had the opportunity to win prizes and gifts all day.
Amanda Edwards, senior marketing manager at swiftcover.com, said: “It’s a very exciting project for us as we’re always striving to do something slightly different to the norm, and this certainly fits the bill. We’ve been active in digital outdoor for some time but it’s the first time we’ve introduced gaming interactivity to our marketing activity. Being able to connect the game with people’s Facebook pages gives it a personal touch so they’ll be able to share their driving successes with their friends and family.”
On the day, shoppers downloaded Screach to their Smartphone and entered a unique code which was displayed on the screen. After that they were battling it out with fellow shoppers to have their name up in lights.
October 13th, 2011
As of the 31st August Swiftcover goes mobile and it is now possible to get a car insurance quote on your mobile through the Swiftcover mobile app.
The key feature of this app is that there is no need to download it to your device. If you log onto swiftcover.com it will redirect you to a mobile site which has been optimised for some of the leading devices including iphone, black berry and android.
This comes on the back of more than 50,000 visitors to swiftcover.com accessing it via mobile every month.
The website now adapts to a specific mobiles specifications and screen display, which means a much smoother and satisfying user experience as well as no need to scroll left and right to view the site properly as you would on a standard desktop site.
Customers will be able to both get a quote as well as buy insurance through the mobile site on meaning saving time and hopefully money when renewal time comes around.
September 13th, 2011
Recent research by car insurer swiftcover.com has revealed that one in three drivers heading to foreign roads this summer may drive on the wrong side of the road at least once clocking up thousands of miles driving on the wrong side of the road.
One in ten UK drivers identified Italy as being the most difficult country to drive in, followed by France and then Germany.
The insurer provider compiled a mini-guide for driving in France and the EU with some useful tips to know before heading out on your next road trip:
• The speed limit in France is 130kph on motorways. This is reduced to 110kph in wet weather, which is legally enforceable
• In France and most of the EU, the maximum permitted level of alcohol is 0.5 mg/ml. This is substantially lower than the UK (0.8 mg/ml), so catch a taxi home after sampling the forbidden fruits of France. Cabs in France will cost you a lot less than a ride in London so take the safer approach.
• In the EU, traffic already on the roundabout has priority, unless signposts indicate otherwise. In this case, traffic approaching the roundabout has priority.
• While driving in France, you are legally required to carry a high visibility jacket and a warning triangle, and it is recommended that you carry a first aid kit.
And before you head out onto the open road, be sure to check that your car insurance covers you adequately for driving aboard.
August 22nd, 2011
According to recent research by swiftcover.com; over five years Britain has resigned £500 million pounds worth of electrical gadgets to the bin.
Overall since 2006, the British public have spent £1.5 billion pounds on over 300 million gadgets. This works out to an average of six per person, demonstrating the explosion in mobile and handheld technology over the last decade.
With devices being continually upgraded in increasingly short periods; the rate at which phones, mp3 players, televisions and other gadgets get disregarded has dramatically increased. 35 per cent of all gadgets bought in the past five years are no longer being used by the original owner.
The final resting place for 60 percent of gadgets is completely unknown but figures suggest they don’t all end up in the bottom of drawers or in shoeboxes under the bed. 19 percent of brits say they recycle their gadgets while 21 percent say they give their gadgets to friends and family.
There is also a noticeably different approach to unwanted gadgets between men and women. 40 percent of woman hand down or recycle their gadgets while 31 percent of men preferred to sell or discard their gadgets.
All this points to gadgets becoming entrenched in day to day life, but they are increasingly expensive.
Worryingly 29 percent of people who have bought a gadget in the last five years assume their gadgets are covered by contents insurance; which can be the case but not always. This leaves gadget enthusiasts exposed to huge financial costs should they lose or damage their gadgets.
August 5th, 2011
Tough economic times mean that almost two thirds of UK motorists are trying to cut costs on motoring in 2011.
Recent studies have shown that around 750,000 car insurance customers are planning on skipping their annual car service in a bid to save money; putting themselves, their passengers and other road users in potential danger.
The research on motorists risking their lives to save money also found that around a third of those looking to save some cash on motoring will just try to drive a bit less. The biggest segment of those choosing to drive less are between the ages of 35 and 44; which means a tougher time for working parents as this age group tends to rely on their cars for the school run and work commitments.
Pensioners are also trying to reduce their living costs by cutting back on car use. One in five pensioners are leaving their vehicles at home in favor of using public transport which supplied free for all over 65’s.
Motorists who are looking for reassurance before spending their precious pennies may find the Good Garage Scheme especially useful. Every garage listed works to a strict Code of Conduct and can be trusted to do a good job on your next service, MOT or car repair.
June 16th, 2011
It’s two weeks to go until the Isle of Wight festival starts, and if you want to go it’s not too late to get some tickets…
swiftcover.com are giving away two pairs of weekend camping tickets for this years fantastic festival! There will be a great line up of bands including Kaiser Chiefs, The Courteeners, Foo Fighters and Kasabian to name just a few.
It looks set to be the one of the best Isle of Wight festivals ever. To enter the free prize draw, visit facebook.com/roadology and you simply have to upload a photo of the craziest item you would like to take with you. It’s open to everyone so tell your friends about it too. Good luck!
May 27th, 2011
Where do you keep your car keys at night - in your hand bag, near the front door, in your pocket … or in your bed?
According to swiftcover.com more than 1.5 million motorists take their car keys to bed with them. This has resulted from the increase in home burglaries where car keys are targeted.
Despite this growing trend there are still 4.5 million motorists who leave their car keys next to their front door, and a quarter of Brits leave them in a bag or coat pocket.
Robin Reames, claims director at swiftcover.com, said:
Millions of motorists are so worried about car key burglaries that they’re resorting to taking their car keys to bed, but millions more are ignoring the dangers. Modern cars are extremely difficult to steal without a key, thanks to sophisticated security systems but the downside is that car key burglaries is now an increasing threat to UK motorists. Motorists who keep their keys on a surface near their front or back door are the easiest targets for burglars and may even be victims of car key fishing where thieves literally fish for the keys through the letterbox.
Where ever you decide to keep them, make sure they are in a safe place and out of view of prying thieves.
May 18th, 2011
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