Part 9-YoungDriverCar Insurance-Road Safety-FallInRoadCasualtiesk

Fall In Road Casualties

A recent report on road casualty figures for 2004 has shown that the number of casualties on our roads annually has fallen for the tenth successive year. The news of a fall in road casualties has pleased the government and the police dramatically. They suggest that this is great news for the motoring community with many different things contributing to the drop in figures.

The fall in casualties has been attributed to:

Speed cameras - It is believed that a lot of the credit for a fall in the casualties on the UK roads can be attributed to the steady addition of speed camera to the roads. The government believe that the addition of these speed cameras has lead to a reduction of speed by cars on the road that can be associated with accident, injury and costly car insurance claims.

Car Design - Another factor is believed to be that the safety tests for new cars on the road have been developed over the past years. These developments have lead to airbags and better general car structure that helps avoid injury in the event of an accident.

Advertising Campaigns - Advertising campaigns have also helped in the reduction of road casualties. These advertising campaigns have stressed the need to buckle up when driving, use hands free calling when driving and being aware of vulnerable road users.

Driver Education - Driver education has not only come from the advertising campaigns mentioned previously but also directly from the police. This education has come from lectures when stopped and the addition of penalty points to your licence which can help to raise performance car insurance but also awareness of what the driver is doing is wrong. The fact that the driving test has changed over the past few years has also had a major impact with a learner driver having to complete hazard awareness and theory tests in addition to the practical exam.

This information has been welcomed by the motoring community but some experts believe that the factors mentioned previously may not help to keep road accidents down. They feel that car safety technology has reached a plateau and there will not be any revolutionary systems in the near future to help keep accidents down. These parties also believe that the government's trend towards reducing the amount of police on the road and policing them with cameras may also have a detrimental effect if it carries on.

In closing I think that the government deserves a pat on the back for the driver education and the advertising campaigns. However the increase of cameras on the road is not the answer for long term casualty reduction. More police officers to target offenders that cause the accidents in the first place such as drink drivers would surely be a better option.

The fact is that costs associated with motoring such as road tax and young driver car insurance are rising all the time. The addition of speed cameras to the road is angering the public with the addition of penalty points to driers licences and huge revenue being generated from fines.

Maybe the government would be better using a large sum of the money generated from road tax and speed cameras on police officers to police the roads more efficiently in an attempt to keep road casualties falling in future years.

Part 8-Young DriverCar Insurance-Imported Cars-Cheap Imports

Cheap Japanese Imports

Have you ever looked in the car classified ads for that dream Japanese super car and been devastated when you realise that the prices are well above your reach? In which case this article is just for you.

The performance of some of the Japanese big boys such as Nissan and Mitsubishi has made them icons for a large majority of UK motorists. With dream cars such as the Nissan Skyline (see dream cars Nissan Skyline) and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (see dream cars Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution) who could blame you for wanting to own an icon. The fact is that some of these cars can cost the earth and mixed with costly performance car insurance premiums have long been out of the reach for the majority of us.

However things are beginning to look a little better for the Japanese manufacturer seeking motorist due to the change in car trends across Japan. Although still in production a lot of the Japanese sports cars are being exported to other countries. This has come about with the increased demand for small more economical cars in Japan in order to reduce the costs associated with running a car and the economically friendly push of the Japanese government. Not only is this good news for the new Japanese car buyer but it means that we are seeing an influx of the amount of second hand cars on the market in Japan.

With this influx of second hand performance cars comes a sharp decrease in the price. This has resulted in thousands of Subaru WRX, Nissan Skylines and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution's coming onto the market in Japanese auction houses for prices as low as £500. So what are the pro's and con's of importing a Japanese motoring legend?

Positives

Cost - These machines could save you huge amounts of money even up to 60% on prices that you may be paying on the UK second hand car market.

Selection - These cars are all the rage in Japan and therefore there is a huge selection on offer from all of the major Japanese manufacturers.

Condition - The Japanese look after their cars and have stringent road worthy laws which means that the cars are usually in good condition. It is not uncommon to find low mileage examples with minimal to no rust for very low prices.

Modifications - Due to the huge modification market in Japan a lot of the cars already come with expensive modifications saving you hundreds.

Negatives

UK registration - the UK registration process can be a lengthy and tricky one with some costs involved.

Shipping - The cost of shipping can increase the cost of your bargain purchase by as much as 100%

Car insurance - Some car insurance companies will charge you an extra large premium for an imported car so be sure to get some performance car insurance quotes before you leave.

Plane ticket - Finally the cost of a plane ticket to Japan could set you back as much as £1000 so be sure to budget this into your cost saving equation.

With all this in mind even with the extra hidden costs associated with travelling to Japan and sourcing your own Japanese import you are still getting a good deal for the money you will pay. However if you are a bit sceptical about overcoming the language barrier and travelling all the way to Japan there are companies in the UK that will do all the hard work for you for a small fee.

Part 7 - Young Driver Car Insurance - Drink Driving Prevention - The Alcolock

Drink Driving Prevention - The Alcolock

Drink driving is a huge problem all around the world resulting in many injuries and deaths on the roads each year. How a minority of drivers finds it impossible to stay off the alcohol when the majority of drivers can manage it is down right irresponsible. These drink drivers are not only putting themselves at risk but putting hundreds of innocent motorists at risk as well. The fact is that drink drivers have a lot to answer for and help to raise car insurance premiums in general to cover the claims resulting from their actions.

With all this in mind new technology being tested throughout Europe and already in service in the states could put an end to drink driving completely.

The alcolock is a revolutionary piece of equipment that stops the ignition from starting a car for drunk drivers. The machine works through a connection to the ignition which in turn is connected to a breath analyser. When a motorist enters their vehicle they are required to give a breath sample via a tube connected to the machine, this breath is analysed and if it reads a level of alcohol above the legal limit the ignition of the car is prevented.

These devices are already in use in some parts of the USA and Canada and are generally fitted to convicted drink drivers cars. This allows the American and Canadian governments to help and reduce the amount of known drink drivers on the roads. The locks in America require known offenders to give samples before a journey and at random intervals during the journey to avoid any cheating of the system.

Tests in the UK and Sweden have proved positive but the machines have a few flaws that need to be ironed out. One Swedish tester reported having to blow into the machine 75 times before it would allow him to turn the ignition, all this after not touching a drop of alcohol. The manufacturers need to be sure that the equipment is fault free before introducing it onto the market; it will not be received kindly if faults stop drivers that haven't touched a drop of alcohol from starting their engines.

Part 6 - Young Driver Car Insurance - Low Cost Car Insurance

Low Cost Insurance Quote for Young Driver

New measures to help deter speeding on today's roads are set to be trailed for the first time in England. The scheme is aimed primarily at young drivers after information released recently showed that yearly deaths of young drivers seems to be rising although overall road casualty figures seem to be falling.

The scheme is designed to slow motorists down and is aimed primarily at younger drivers. The reason that the scheme has been aimed at younger drivers is because as a young driver you are up to 8 times more likely to make a car insurance claim.

The insurance company behind the trial is asking for volunteers to have a speed detection device fitted to their car. The idea is that this device will record and warn the driver when they are exceeding the speed limit of a certain stretch of road. There will be a limited amount of leeway for speeding for instances such as overtaking but persistent speeders will be contacted and warned by the low cost car insurance company.

The scheme is designed to work on the 3 strikes and your out rule, meaning that if drivers are caught persistently exceeding speed limits on more than three occasions they can have their low cost car insurance quote for young driver revoked.

I hear you all ask "why would people want to volunteer for such a scheme?" Well the answer is simple. By volunteering it gives a young driver a realistic prospect of being able to afford to run a car in today's society where road costs seem to be soaring. The reason behind this is that the insurance companies involved with the scheme are offering volunteers low cost car insurance, in some cases you could receive up to 50% off your low cost car insurance.

Part 5 - Young Driver Car Insurance - High Risk Car Insurance

High Risk Car Insurance

As a young driver you will be classed as a higher risk than older motorists on the roads and can expect to pay higher car insurance premiums as a consequence. Add this to any driving endorsements that you may have picked up such as penalty points on your licence for speeding and finding competitive high risk car insurance can become a chore.

The problem is that high risk car insurance can be very expensive if you don't shop around to find the best deal possible you can find yourself forking out hundreds of pounds that you don't need to spend.

If you are a young driver or have endorsements on your licence don't start looking to down grade that engine capacity before you have done your homework.

In today's car insurance market there are some companies that understand there is a need to help drivers, of all circumstances, get competitive high risk car insurance. The fact is that by making sure that car insurance is available to ALL drivers at competitive prices we can help to curb uninsured motorists on the road.

The fact is that car insurance in general is relatively expensive and drivers that are perceived to be of a higher risk (often through no fault of their own such as a young age) shouldn't be over penalised. If you add the fact that prices of MOT's and road tax are increasing it is as important as ever to try and get the most competitive quote available for your car insurance.

If you are looking for high risk car insurance then dealing with specialised companies such as 4 Young Drivers can save you money. Ring the sales team 7 days a week on 0800 096 969 or log onto www.4youngdrivers.co.uk 24 hours a day to secure cheap high risk car insurance.

Part 4 - Young Driver Car Insurance - Fast Car Insurance

Fast Car Insurance

Ever dreamt of driving that sports car down the road with the wind in your hair happy in the knowledge that the car you are driving is exactly what you want to be driving. The problem is that many of us are put off splashing out on that sports car due to the high costs associated with fast car insurance.

If you have been put off that BMW M3 or Nissan Skyline for the sole fact that the fast car insurance is beyond your financial means then help is at hand.

In order to get a competitive quote for your fast car insurance it has always been a necessity to shop around to get the best deal. However there are companies that can help you do all the work by searching through dosens of fast car insurance providers in an attempt to find you the best quote out there.

Companies like 4 Young Drivers pride themselves on the fact that they specialise in fast car insurance for younger drivers. The problem is that due to their relative inexperience young drivers are classed as a higher risk than older drivers and are therefore penalised with higher insurance premiums. At www.4youngdrivers.co.uk they understand that just because you are a young driver it doesn't make you a reckless one and why should you be penalised?

If you are looking for fast car insurance for your dream car then log on for a free online quote 24 hours a day or call one of our friendly sales staff 7 days a week and see if we can get you the premium you deserve.

Part 3 - Young Driver Car Insurance - New Measures to Deter Uninsured Drivers

New Measures To Deter Uninsured Drivers

New measures released by the Motor Insurer's Bureau (MIB) to help crack down on uninsured drivers in the UK has been welcomed this month.

The UK has one of the highest uninsured driver's statistics in Europe with an estimate of over one million uninsured cars on the UK roads. However under a quarter of these drivers were detected and successfully prosecuted in 2004 which the MIB feels is not enough. They are hoping that these new measures to be imposed in the UK will help to raise this figure and help to deter drivers from using their vehicles without valid performance car insurance.

The new measures that are to e brought in to help clamp down on drivers without valid performance car insurance include:

Details - New legislation now means that the MIB can pass on a suspected uninsured driver's information to the police. This could result in the apprehension of many more drivers without up to date car insurance and lead to a dramatic increase in prosecutions.

Cameras - New camera technology already in use on the roads that can automatically check the validity of any performance car insurance could also help crack down on uninsured drivers.

Penalties - Plans to increase the penalties for driving without car insurance will also help in the fight against uninsured drivers. This will see an increase in the fines that can be issued and the crushing of uninsured driers vehicles in some instances.

New Technology - Finally the development of new technology such as the cameras already mentioned and specialised hand held equipment will act as vital tools for the police.

Basically the MIB wants to make it perfectly clear to all the drivers currently using the roads without valid performance car insurance that chances of evading detection are getting smaller.

Part 2 - Young Driver Car Insurance - Penalty Points and Cost of Insurance

How does penalty points in the UK affect your car insurance

If you have been caught speeding on the UK roads then you will probably have received a fine and a number of penalty points added to your licence, the number depending on the speed you were travelling.

There is no excuse for speeding and not only will the driver be penalised with a fine and penalty points but they can usually expect an increase in performance car insurance premiums. The reason behind the increase in young driver car insurance relates to the fact that as a driver who has been caught speeding you are classed as a high risk for the insurance companies. This high risk relates to the fact that as a speeding driver you are more likely to be involved in an accident that will involve car insurance claims.

A driver can expect to receive a fixed fine and three penalty points for every minor speeding offence. Points are added to your licence and will remain on the licence for four years, if you tot up 12 or more penalty points you are liable to recieve a driving disqualification.

With the amount of speed cameras on today's roads rising to an all time high records show that a record number of drivers currently have penalty points on their licence. So does this mean if you have penalty points on your licence the price of your performance car insurance may become too high for you to afford?

The answer is: not necessarily.

Shopping around for insurance is always a good idea but if you have penalty points on your licence it can be even more important to shop around for the best deal. There are certain companies that will go out of their way to find you the best car insurance quote whatever your circumstances. With this in mind it is imperative that you spend the time to shop around for the best deal.

At www.4youngdrivers.co.uk we aim to get you the best quote available whatever your circumstances. So call our sales team 7 days a week or log onto our 24 hour quote system to find the best quote to suit YOU.

Part 1 - Young Driver Car Insurance - Uninsured Drivers

Convictions Car Insurance

In recent years the number of uninsured drivers has risen to 1 in 20, that is both an astounding and appalling number in our eyes. We thought we'd take this opportunity to talk about some of the measures that are being taken to stamp this number down to something a bit more sensible.

We don't see why convictions and car insurance can't go together, so that's simply no excuse for driving uninsured. Many people have a few points on their license these days but thats another discussion.

Last year Professor David Greenway lead a review to find out what can be done to sort this problem out once and for all. Unfortunately the answer isn't as simple as "reduce insurance premiums" because the insurance houses need to be sure that they can cover any potential losses.

The report concluded that offenders simply aren't worried about being caught because the punishments are often trivial in the offenders eyes. If someone is caught driving without insurance, they are usually fined £200 and have their license (if they have one) confiscated. They are often convicted of driving without car insurance but this has little effect on people who knowingly do it.

You have to ask yourself who thought up these rules because the kind of person who repeatedly drives without insurance isn't really going to be bothered about losing their license are they? If you ask us, there should be much harsher punishments available, we won't say what they are in case any children are reading this.

However, we all understand that you can occassionally forget to renew your insurance and we don't feel these people should be penalised too heavily, everybody forgets things from time to time and I think we just need to use a little common sense.

However, it looks like the government might finally be getting it's act together and are bringing in some more legisalation that they hope is going to reduce this problem.

In the next article, we're going to discuss exactly what can be done to uninsured drivers to deter them from repeating the offence. Check back soon.

Study: Car Seats Fall Short in Safety

Study: Car Seats Fall Short in Safety
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
provided by


Seat and head restraints in more than 60 percent of car models fall short of state-of-the-art protection for neck injuries and whiplash, a new study has found.

Only 22 of 75 cars tests rated good for rear crash protection in collisions, according to a new test of car seats by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry group.

The institute says that neck injuries are the most common injuries reported in automobile crashes, estimating that they account for 2 million insurance claims each year, costing at least $8.5 billion.

The institute's ratings were based on geometric measurements of seats and head restraints, as well as simulated crashes at 20 miles per hour that measure how well seats would protect people of different sizes in rear-end collisions.

The number of good ratings, at 22, was an improvement from 2004, the first year that IIHS conducted the study, when seats in only eight car models earned the distinction.


12 models in the study earned an acceptable rating, while 17 earned a poor rating.

Volvo turned in the best result of any car maker, with all its models scoring good ratings. But all the Buick and Cadillac models in the study earned a poor rating.

"Even though we have more good performers, it's disappointing that so many designs are still rated marginal or poor," said Institute president Adrian Lund in a statement. "Neck injuries are common in crashes, and it's not difficult or expensive to design more protective seat/head restraints."

The institute awarded higher ratings to designs that contacted the crash test dummy's head quickly, and lessened forces on the neck and torso.

The best designs for neck protection included the Volvos, the Audi A4, S4 and A6; the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego; Nissan Sentra and Versa; Saab 9-3; and Subaru Impreza and Legacy/Outback.

Several manufacturers improved their ratings from poor to good this year. Restraints in the Audi A4 and S4, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and Nissan Sentra achieved the turnaround.

Some car makers actually earned lower ratings than in previous tests. Restraints in the Chrysler 300, Kia Amanti and Nissan Altima declined to marginal from acceptable ratings in earlier tests.

"We're simulating what happens when a vehicle rear-ends another one in commuter traffic or at a stop light," said Lund. "People think of head restraints as head rests, but they're not. They're important safety features."

When a car is rear-ended, the vehicle's seat propels the occupant's body forward, and if the passenger's head is not supported, it will lag behind. The goal of a head restraint is to move the occupant's head at the same speed as the torso.

Head restraints should extend as high as the center of gravity for the head of the expected occupant, and be positioned close to the head.

The institute measures the geometry of head restraints first to make sure they could protect taller people. If cars don't meet the bare minimum for geometry, they aren't included in the crash tests.

Models that didn't pass the initial geometry test include the Cadillac DTS, Pontiac Grand Prix, Suzuki Forenza and Reno, plus some seats in the BMW 5 series, Buick Lacrosse and Mitsubishi Galant.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.