Posts filed under 'advice'
More than 6 years has passed since the ban of using mobile phones whilst driving and if caught using a mobile phone you could have to pay a fine of up to £60 and get three penalty points, but this doesn’t seem to be stopping the distraction of mobile phones. A recent survey by Autoglass found:
More than half of drivers say that texting whilst driving is the biggest distraction for motorists.
71% admit that it is easy to become distracted at the wheel.
2 out of 10 people admit they have had an accident or momentarily lost focus while on the road.
Other distractions which made it on the list were eating and drinking, singing along to the radio, checking hair and make up, sneezing, lighting a cigarette and staring at an accident.
For tips on how to minimize distractions at the wheel visit
www.autoglassnews.co.uk
June 21st, 2010
You would think that a multi-car insurance policy would save you money but in actual fact it could be cheaper to buy individual policies, according to swiftcover.com. They put it to the test and compared the price of two popular cars on a multi policy with the cost of insuring them separately. They found that multi car policy users could be paying up to twice as much for their car insurance!
Over the past 30 years the number of households with more than one car has grown and in 2008, 32% of households had access to two or more cars, so it’s no surprise that multi-car insurance sounds appealing to many. But before you rush into buying your insurance, it’s a good idea to compare the prices of different policies first- you could save yourself a lot of money.
May 1st, 2010
The eruption of a volcano in Iceland has made headline news over the last few days, after it caused a massive cloud of ash to drift over Britain’s airspace. All flights from and to the UK have been delayed which has caused travel disruptions for thousands of people.
It is not yet known how long the disruptions will last, but the Met office has said that the ash could take a few days to clear. It has been advised that anyone travelling today should contact their airlines before heading to the airport.
Looking on the brighter side, I just read an article in The Mail Online which reported that the volcanic ash could result in some magnificent sunsets, so for the many people who aren’t travelling the volcanic cloud could just mean a beautiful evening.
April 16th, 2010
Many drivers will be feeling the strain of the rising fuel costs, with petrol prices rising close to a record high in the past few weeks. It seems almost unbelievable that this time last year we were paying an average price of 90.7 pence.
Here are some useful tips to help you save money on fuel:
Shop around for the best prices- some petrol stations offer better value than others so it’s always worth shopping around. There are websites such as www.petrolprices.com where you can find which petrol stations are the cheapest.
Lose unnecessary accessories and gadgets- anything that protrudes from your car will add resistance and cause you to use more fuel, so best to lose the roof racks and roof boxes when you’re not using them.
Drive smartly- breaking hard and accelerating harshly can use more fuel than driving smoothly. Driving fast also uses more petrol so stick to the speed limit. Taking your foot of the accelerator early when slowing down can also help.
Share a ride to work- if you are able to share lifts with others then this is a great way to cut down on fuel costs.
Don’t use your car for short journeys- short journeys are often more cost efficient than longer journeys.
Click here for some more tips on how you can save petrol.
April 9th, 2010
The freezing weather which we experienced at the start of the year has certainly taken its toll on the roads, with the number of potholes increasing by 60 per cent in the past two years. The AA reported that the amount of potholes has resulted in an increasing number of car insurance claims, and people have been left with flat tyres, damage to the wheels, steering and suspension problems.
I came across a useful website last week called fixmystreet.com where you can report potholes and other local issues; they will then forward your report to the local council, who will then look into the problem. There are a number of websites similar to this one which are useful for reporting damaged roads.
If your car has been damaged after hitting a pothole then you may be able to claim from the local highways authority. Here is a useful article about claiming for compensation: http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news-views/2010/02/09/claim-compensation-pothole-damage.
March 19th, 2010
With the majority of Britain proven to be image conscious, it’s no surprise that the popularity for today’s hot hatches is increasing. But what car insurance customers are unaware of, is the fact that having one of these sporty cars could increase your motor insurance premiums.
In recent insurance research done by Swiftcover found that sometimes it doesn’t matter how old motorists are, or how much road experience they have, it could still mean forking out a hefty amount for car insurance on a more luxurious hatchback.
The research showed that even a 30 year old man, with over 5 years no claims bonus could end up getting a car insurance quote of over £1000 on a Volkswagen Golf GTI, whereas if he were to opt for VW’s calmer version of the Golf hatchback, he could be saving over £500 on his annual premium.
It is mainly younger drivers who are tempted for the larger engine and sportier car, but car insurance claims figures show that these vehicles are more likely to be involved in an accident, cost more to repair and also appeal more to thieves.
swiftcover.com’s figures reveal the extra cost of opting for a hot hatch.
| ‘Hot Hatch’ |
Standard model |
Extra cost for a ‘hot hatch’ |
Volkswagen Golf GTI
£1,002 |
Volkswagen Golf S
£476 |
£526 |
Honda Civic Type R
£974 |
Honda Civic Type s
£507 |
£467 |
Seat Leon Cupra
£1,031 |
Seat Leon S
£485 |
£546 |
All quotes from swiftcover.com and are for a 30 year old male business professional living in Birmingham with five years no claims bonus and a £250 voluntary excess insuring 2010 models.
So, although having a hot hatch looks great, it could end costing more in the long run.
March 14th, 2010
Buying a second hand car is often cheaper than going to a dealer, but if you don’t know what to look for then it may cost you in the long run. Here is some advice for buying a used car:
If you dont know much about cars then take along someone who does. You could ask a friend or get an independent car check from a provider such as the AA.
Get a credit check, which will tell you if a car has any outstanding finance on it, if it does you may find that you don’t actually own it.
Go for a test drive- this will give you a good feel of the car and will help you pick up any potential issues, but make sure you have adequate car insurance cover to drive it.
Check the V5 registration document and make sure the name and address match the sellers. If the car doesn’t have a V5 document then best not to buy it.
Look at the vehicle identification number; make sure it matches the number on the V5 registration document, if it doesn’t then give it a miss.
For more advice click here: http://www.youtube.com/swiftcover
March 9th, 2010
Toyota’s recent recall of vehicles has raised concerns amongst Toyota drivers about whether it is safe to drive their cars, and some are uncertain if their car insurance would cover them in the event of an accident.
Toyota recalled six models of vehicles because of problems with the accelerator pedals. The models affected are the IQ, Aygo, Yaris, Auris, Corolla, Avensis and Verso. The Times Online reported that the recall has cost Toyota $2billion which includes cars in Europe, China and the US. They also reported that drivers will have to wait another week before the new parts arrive in the UK, and repairs are only due to start on the 10th February.
More than 10 000 people in the UK have phoned Toyota with concerns, and to find out whether they should continue driving their cars. If you are concerned about your car and whether you will be covered if you have an accident, then it’s probably best to contact your insurance company to check.
If you are a UK Toyota customer and unsure whether your car is affected, then click here for more information.
February 5th, 2010
Readers of lovemoney.com recently voted swiftcover.com as the best ‘Value for Money’ car insurer for 2010. The awards were voted for by actual insurance buyers, which gives a real-life reflection of what customers think about the insurer.
Marketing Director of swiftcover.com, Tina Shortle says:
To be named the best, ‘Value for Money’ car insurer shows that our commitment to low cost car insurance backed by a service customers expect, is working
So if you are looking for value for money then it might be worth getting a quote from swiftcover.com.
February 3rd, 2010
After spending a fortune on a brand new car, it is frustrating knowing that as soon as you drive it away from the car dealership it loses value. You may be interested in a recent report from Parkers which named and shamed the cars which depreciate the most. Surprisingly the more luxurious cars such as a Rolls-Royce and Maybach were found to depreciate the most; you could lose up to £127,526 over a year- Is it really worth it?
If you are looking for a car that depreciates slowly then the Honda Jazz may be the car for you, as it topped the list for the top 10 performers of 2009, depreciating only £1379 over the year. Other good buys are the Fiat 500 (08 on) or the SEAT Ibiza. If you don’t want to lose so much money it seems the smaller cars are the ones to go for as they took up 35 of the 40 top places.
The figures were calculated by comparing the estimated market value of 10,000-mile car, which was bought new 12 months earlier, against its list price new. Here is a full list of the findings:
Top 10 performers:
1 Honda Jazz (08 on) - £1,379
2 Fiat 500 (08 on) - £1,460
3 SEAT Ibiza (08 on) - £1,552
4 Hyundai i10 (08 on) - £1,650
5 Mazda2 (07 on) - £1,702
6 Kia Picanto (04 on) - £1,760
7 VW Fox (06 on) - £1,781
8 Suzuki Swift (05 on) - £1,900
9 Toyota Aygo (05 on) - £2,148
10 Mitsubishi i (07 on) - £2,271
Bottom 10 performers:
1 Maybach 62 (03 on) - £127,526
2 Maybach 57 (03 on) - £115,253
3 Rolls-Royce Phantom (03 on) - £81,183
4 Bentley Arnage (98 on) - £66,040
5 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (05 on) - £51,627
6 Mercedes-Benz SL AMG (02 on) - £51,381
7 Bentley Continental Flying Spur (05 on) - £47,080
8 Aston Martin DBS (08 on) - £41,347
9 Bentley Continental GT Coupé - £40,110
10 Ferrari F430 (05 on) - £37,188
January 29th, 2010
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