New car insurance scheme to be trialled on drivers in Northern Ireland

autoline

A new car insurance scheme which uses an electronic device to monitor driving habits and abilities will be trialled in Northern Ireland.

The data recorder can be fitted inside any car and will collect information on how well or badly the car is being driven. The information which is gathered by the recorder will then be used by the driver’s insurance provider to help in calculating an insurance premium which is in-line with the driver’s capability behind the wheel.

The new style insurance scheme is being offered by Autoline Insurance to drivers in Northern Ireland only initially. A similar system has been piloted in US for several years and has since made its way over to selected parts of Europe.

Autoline Insurance stress that this type of cover is completely voluntary and only drivers who request the data recording devices will have these installed in their vehicles. The recorders tell the insurance company how well the car is being driven, the times at which the car is on the road, if the driver keeps within speed limits, and even the location of the vehicle.

The insurance provider believes the new system could have “huge repercussions” for the car insurance industry as it could change the way premiums are calculated in the future, avoiding the one size fits all approach.

Over three quarters of women believe European ruling on car insurance is unfair

Young-female-driver

According to a recent report published in the wake of the recent European Court of Justice ruling which found gender bias in the insurance industry to be discriminatory, 1 in 8 women believe the ruling is unfair.

Currently, women enjoy cheaper rates than male drivers on car insurance as statistics show that they are less likely to be involved in an accident, and even when female drivers are involved in a crash, their claims are lower.

However the European Court of Justice this week ruled that using gender as a means by which to calculate risk by insurance companies was tantamount to discrimination, and so from December 2012, gender will no longer be taken into consideration when calculating car insurance premiums.

The upshot of this is that women can expect higher rates of car insurance, while male drivers are likely to see a reduction. However a recent report found that the vast majority, 78%, of those women questioned thought the ruling was unfair. Only 22% of respondents thought the ECJ ruling was just.

Not surprisingly, the poll found that male drivers were happy with the ruling, with 74% declaring that they agreed with the decision from the court in Luxemburg that gender bias is discriminatory and that they welcome the change in the rules.

Women will face higher car insurance premiums following ruling from Europe

woman-driver

It’s been the subject of much discussion over the course of the last few months, and now it’s official; women will have to pay more for their car insurance in the future following a ruling from the European Court of Justice which found that gender bias in calculating insurance rates is discriminatory.

Women currently benefit from cheaper rates of car insurance as they are viewed as a lower risk group compared to male drivers who are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident. Figures also show that male drivers tend to be involved in more serious accidents than their female counterparts, and so in the past, insurance companies have used these kinds of statistics to calculate risk.

However the European Court of Justice in Luxemburg has ruled this week that using gender as a “risk factor” to calculate the cost of car insurance premiums “constitutes discrimination”.

The ruling means that from December 2012, insurance companies will no longer be able to offer lower rates of cover to drivers based on their gender. As a result, female drivers could face an increase in the cost of their insurance of up to 25%, while male drivers could see a reduction of as much as 10%.

As well as affecting the insurance premiums, the ruling will also have an impact on the way life insurance and pensions are calculated.

Female car insurance provider not worried about EU ruling

sheilas-wheels

Specialist female car insurance provider, Sheila’s Wheels, say they are not worried about the forthcoming European Court of Justice ruling which is expected to bring an end to gender bias in the car insurance industry.

Currently, women enjoy cheaper car insurance premiums than men on the whole, this is especially true in the younger age brackets as young male drivers have been proven to pose a bigger risk to insurers as they have a higher accident rate. However if the expected EU ruling goes ahead, it will then become illegal for insurance providers to calculate insurance rates based on gender.

This could spell bad news for insurance companies, such as Sheila’s Wheels, who specialise in cover for female drivers. However the insurer says they are not worried about the anticipated change. They believe that the change could be beneficial to specialist female insurers as it will attract more drivers to their brand.

Although Sheila’s Wheels do offer insurance policies to men, the overwhelming number of customers are female. Because of this high ratio of women to men holding Sheila’s Wheels policies, premiums will be kept low as women are statistically, less likely to be involved in a serious accident.

Sheila’s Wheels are currently running an advertising campaign on TV and in press publications, however they are not planning to run an ad campaign in light of the expected change to gender discrimination in the insurance industry.

Car insurance provider finds UK drivers failing to run maintenance checks

Car-maintenance-oil-change

Car insurance provider Sainsbury’s has found that 21% of UK motorists are failing to run regular maintenance checks on their cars, which could have a knock on effect on the efficiency of their vehicle as basic problems are not being detected early on.

According to the study, car tyres are one of the most overlooked areas on a car, with a high number of drivers admitting to not checking theirs regularly. The gap between men and women was also obvious, with 26% of female drivers admitting they don’t regularly check their cars, compared to 16% of male drivers.

When it comes to drivers in different regions of the country, those in London and the East of England were found to be the worst culprits at failing to make maintenance checks on their cars, while drivers in the East Midlands, North East of England and Scotland were found to be the most conscientious when it comes to car maintenance.

Young drivers are more likely to take a casual approach to the upkeep of their car, with 29% of those aged between 18-24 years admitting to not checking their cars regularly, compared to 15% of the over 65’s.

Out of those drivers who don’t run regular monthly maintenance checks on their vehicles, the most common reason for not doing so was that the motorists deemed it unnecessary.

However motoring experts advise spending a few minutes every month to take a look over your car so any issues can be nipped in the bud, and not left to deteriorate and cause bigger problems later down the line.

Young female drivers could be hit by car insurance price hike following new ruling

female-driver

Young female drivers could be about to see their car insurance premiums rise by as much as 50% if an anticipated ruling from the European Court of Justice is made next month.

Typically, young male drivers are hit by the highest car insurance premiums as they are deemed riskier to insure. However if the ruling from the European Court of Justice goes ahead as planned, it would make it unlawful for insurers to calculate premiums based on gender.

Up until now, insurers were able to justify charging young male drivers more for their cover as there is strong statistical evidence to suggest that young men pose more of a risk to insurers compared to young females. Males aged 17-22 years are twice as likely to make a claim on their cover compared to their female counterparts, while young men are 10 times more likely to be involved in a serious accident.

Despite this evidence, if the European Court Rules that calculating insurance premiums based on gender is discriminative, women could be about to see their annual car insurance premiums rise by as much as £1,000 a year, while young male drivers may note a slight decrease in the cost of their cover.

Will car insurance rates continue to rise in 2011?

car-insurance

Following the sharp increase in the cost of car insurance premiums over the last 12 months, many motorists are concerned about any future price rises, and whether they’ll be able to afford to keep a car on the road after 2011.

Comprehensive car insurance policies rose by a massive 38% over the course of 2010, but Third Party Fire and Theft car insurance policies fared even worse and suffered a 56% increase on average which translates into an extra £322 on each of these policies.

The huge price hikes have left most motorists worried about how they’ll afford insurance in the future if prices continue to rise at their present rate.

The experts believe the dramatic increases we witnessed in car insurance premiums last year were fuelled by a rise in personal injury claims, and also the practice of “fronting” where parents put themselves as the first name driver on a policy in order to get cheaper insurance for a child.

However the verdict from several industry experts is that the price hikes are starting to lose momentum and rates are beginning to level off.

According to one insurance specialist from moneysupermarket.com, premiums will rise throughout the coming year, but not at the same rate which we’ve previously witnessed, which spells good news for UK motorists. Many are predicting a rise in premiums throughout year of 20%, which is significantly lower than the 38% rise we experienced in 2010.

Changes to car insurance rules could make it illegal to not have breakdown cover

Car-Breakdown

Under proposed changes to car insurance legislation, it would become illegal to not have breakdown car insurance cover in place on your vehicle. At present, it’s considered illegal to keep a vehicle with valid motor insurance, however there are no rules on breakdown insurance.

The new proposals put forward by the coalition government would change the current system by making it a legal requirement to hold a valid breakdown insurance policy on a motor vehicle.

The British Insurance Brokers Association has welcomed the news as they believe it will encourage a responsibility culture amongst UK motorists and also create a “fairer system” for honest and conscientious drivers.

The penalties for being caught in possession of a car without a valid breakdown insurance policy have not yet been specified.

The change would come under the Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE) regulations, legislation which the BIBA have been fighting for since 2004.

As well as changing the law on breakdown cover, the CIE regulations are also considering a change to the rules on uninsured drivers which would mean a car owner could be charged for simply owning a vehicle without adequate car insurance, whereas currently, the driver must be caught behind the wheel of the illegal vehicle for police to be able to take action.

2010 was a record year for car insurance price hikes

Brand-New-Cars

It’s official, the figures are out and they have revealed what we all suspected: 2010 was the worst year for car insurance price increases.

On average the figures showed that premiums rose by 38% which translates into an extra £200 being added to the cost of cover. However the situation was even worse for those with Third Party, Fire and Theft policies as these saw an increase of 56% on average.

While the age bracket 17-21 are typically worst hit by price hikes in car insurance, it appears that this was not the case during the last 12 months as the group which reported the biggest rise in car insurance rates was those aged between 51-55 years.

However it’s been suggested that parents adding their children on their car insurance policy were responsible for the majority of these increases, possibility as a knock on effect of the high rates of cover for drivers in the younger age bracket.

The rise in the cost of car insurance during 2010 was triple the increase reported during the previous year. The average cost of annual car insurance across the board of age brackets now stands at £695, which is up £200 on the average cost of car insurance in 2009.

Car insurance price comparison sites are now becoming increasingly popular as motorists are more inclined to shop around for cheaper deals on cover as they attempt to beat the rise in premiums.

New pay as you go car insurance aimed at women drivers

Young-female-driver

A new pay-as-you-go car insurance policy aimed at female drivers has just been launched by specialist insurance provider CoverGirl.

The new policy aims to reward careful drivers with reduced premiums and bonuses. The policy works by installing a special device in the policyholders’ car which monitors their driving.

If you’re a female driver who doesn’t use her car very often, and consider yourself a safe driver, this new policy maybe just up your street. The policy works through in-car telematics as a device is fitted to the car to record driving ability and practices.

The new piece of technology is known as the Clear Box is installed in the policyholder’s car and records the driver’s style of driving, how safe they are behind the wheel, average speeds they travel at, and the times of day at which they travel.

In the past, pay-as-you-go car insurance policies have penalised drivers for driving at certain times of the day. However CoverGirl say that this is not the case with their new policy as they will seek to reward drivers for safe driving and low mileage.

CoverGirl is a specialist car insurance company for female drivers. For more information on the new policy, please see their website.