Are You Driving the Cost of Your Car Insurance Up?
What kind of habits do you have when behind the wheel of a car? Are you as good a driver as you believe yourself to be? A bad driving habit makes you more likely to have an accident and you could be classed as a greater insurance risk.
One of the major causes of road accidents, fatal or otherwise, is driver distraction. Distracted driving is the same as dangerous driving in that processing and therefore reaction times are affected by being distracted by something. As many as twenty-five percent of vehicle crashes in the US are caused by distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That's some statistic, and one which is no doubt reflected at least in part here in the UK. Another alarming statistic reports that a person having a hands-free mobile phone conversation is far more likely to have a car accident than a person driving whilst four times over the legal alcohol limit.
Smoking and Driving: In the UK, it is illegal to smoke on public transport. You can light up in the privacy of your own car but don't let that fool you. According to the Highway Code, smoking while driving is a distraction and is a breach of rules. A driver may receive a fine of £2,500 if found to be smoking when the crash occurs. The Scottish Highway Code banned smoking and driving in 2006, but this law has been in effect in Sweden for as long as I can remember. In Canada, an Ontario trucker was fined for smoking in his rig. Police pulled over the trucker and ticketed him $305 for smoking in the workplace, a violation of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Likewise it is illegal to smoke in any work vehicle in the UK, so don't be tempted.
Eating or Drinking and Driving: Spilling a drink while driving can easily cause a loss of focus as the driver tries to recover and attempt to stop it occurring again. The best example of why not to snack or sip whilst driving is a hot drink. A spilled coffee can really hurt if it lands in your lap, and a road accident will hurt even more. Whether the drink is hot or cold, trying to recover from the situation causes the biggest distraction. Disastrous results can come from attempting to eat a sandwich or a chocolate.
Listening and Driving: A study by the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University showed that brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver listens to conversation or music. Thankfully mobile phone use (unless using hands-free) while driving is already banned in the UK, and since Jan 1st in Canada too, but what about listening to the radio? A report by the University of Leicester entitled Football Focus suggests that almost two million motorists have had an accident or a near miss while listening to sport on the radio. As the match progressed, some considerable and often erratic variations in driver behaviour were noted. Also noted were significant speed changes and dangerous lane changing.
Driving Convictions: In the UK, a driving offence - whether driving while using a mobile phone, or driving under the influence of drink or drugs - will undoubtedly result in a conviction and loss of points on the driver's licence. The more points a driver has on his licence, the more high-risk the driver. 12 points added to a licence within a three-year period will automatically ensure that licence is revoked. When the banned driver finally gets his licence reinstated, it can be difficult to find an insurance company which will offer an affordable premium for future cover.
In the UK it is illegal to drive without insurance, and you could be sent to prison. A driver without insurance may also find his vehicle impounded, which incurs yet another cost. In the US it is not unusual for a vehicle to be permanently confiscated from re-offenders.
Insurance Hikes: A high-risk driver is normally interpreted as one more likely to make an insurance claim and so their premium will be higher. The premium can often be so inflated that the driver may have problems affording car insurance entirely.
Many insurance companies do not consider the actual offence and just put on the pounds to get a bigger profit. What many fail to realise is that a driver who gets three points on his licence for speeding is more likely to stick to the limits in future and be the ultimate safe driver. The fear of extra points is often what breeds safe drivers.
Under these conditions, a driver with one speeding offence is actually penalised twice; once for the speeding fine and again for the higher premium. Bolt-on insurance products such as contract hire GAP insurance, vehicle replacement insurance, car warranty cover, key loss insurance and even tyre insurance are not affected by speeding convictions, although anyone previously convicted of a fraudulent insurance claim may need to speak to their insurer about eligibility for help with insurance and car depreciation.
Tips To Keep Your Premium Low
Distractions are the major cause for accidents in the UK. Use these tips to remove the distraction and become a better driver.
Using an insurance company who does not penalise first time offenders will get you a much better overall deal.
One of the major causes of road accidents, fatal or otherwise, is driver distraction. Distracted driving is the same as dangerous driving in that processing and therefore reaction times are affected by being distracted by something. As many as twenty-five percent of vehicle crashes in the US are caused by distracted drivers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That's some statistic, and one which is no doubt reflected at least in part here in the UK. Another alarming statistic reports that a person having a hands-free mobile phone conversation is far more likely to have a car accident than a person driving whilst four times over the legal alcohol limit.
Smoking and Driving: In the UK, it is illegal to smoke on public transport. You can light up in the privacy of your own car but don't let that fool you. According to the Highway Code, smoking while driving is a distraction and is a breach of rules. A driver may receive a fine of £2,500 if found to be smoking when the crash occurs. The Scottish Highway Code banned smoking and driving in 2006, but this law has been in effect in Sweden for as long as I can remember. In Canada, an Ontario trucker was fined for smoking in his rig. Police pulled over the trucker and ticketed him $305 for smoking in the workplace, a violation of the Smoke-Free Ontario Act. Likewise it is illegal to smoke in any work vehicle in the UK, so don't be tempted.
Eating or Drinking and Driving: Spilling a drink while driving can easily cause a loss of focus as the driver tries to recover and attempt to stop it occurring again. The best example of why not to snack or sip whilst driving is a hot drink. A spilled coffee can really hurt if it lands in your lap, and a road accident will hurt even more. Whether the drink is hot or cold, trying to recover from the situation causes the biggest distraction. Disastrous results can come from attempting to eat a sandwich or a chocolate.
Listening and Driving: A study by the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon University showed that brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver listens to conversation or music. Thankfully mobile phone use (unless using hands-free) while driving is already banned in the UK, and since Jan 1st in Canada too, but what about listening to the radio? A report by the University of Leicester entitled Football Focus suggests that almost two million motorists have had an accident or a near miss while listening to sport on the radio. As the match progressed, some considerable and often erratic variations in driver behaviour were noted. Also noted were significant speed changes and dangerous lane changing.
Driving Convictions: In the UK, a driving offence - whether driving while using a mobile phone, or driving under the influence of drink or drugs - will undoubtedly result in a conviction and loss of points on the driver's licence. The more points a driver has on his licence, the more high-risk the driver. 12 points added to a licence within a three-year period will automatically ensure that licence is revoked. When the banned driver finally gets his licence reinstated, it can be difficult to find an insurance company which will offer an affordable premium for future cover.
In the UK it is illegal to drive without insurance, and you could be sent to prison. A driver without insurance may also find his vehicle impounded, which incurs yet another cost. In the US it is not unusual for a vehicle to be permanently confiscated from re-offenders.
Insurance Hikes: A high-risk driver is normally interpreted as one more likely to make an insurance claim and so their premium will be higher. The premium can often be so inflated that the driver may have problems affording car insurance entirely.
Many insurance companies do not consider the actual offence and just put on the pounds to get a bigger profit. What many fail to realise is that a driver who gets three points on his licence for speeding is more likely to stick to the limits in future and be the ultimate safe driver. The fear of extra points is often what breeds safe drivers.
Under these conditions, a driver with one speeding offence is actually penalised twice; once for the speeding fine and again for the higher premium. Bolt-on insurance products such as contract hire GAP insurance, vehicle replacement insurance, car warranty cover, key loss insurance and even tyre insurance are not affected by speeding convictions, although anyone previously convicted of a fraudulent insurance claim may need to speak to their insurer about eligibility for help with insurance and car depreciation.
Tips To Keep Your Premium Low
Distractions are the major cause for accidents in the UK. Use these tips to remove the distraction and become a better driver.
- Help yourself avoid the temptation to smoke by removing the ashtrays from your car.
- Don't drink and drive, even if it is a soft drink. Spill the drink and you will end up in a bigger spill. Don't eat and drive. Greasy fingers will get you into a sticky situation.
- Don't get carried away with the match on the radio. You could end up being literally carried away.
- Keep off of your phone, including opening/sending text messages! It is not a digital umbilical cord. You have a messaging service so use it.
Using an insurance company who does not penalise first time offenders will get you a much better overall deal.
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