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March 3rd, 2012 admin
Young drivers are having to turn down work because they are being ‘hammered’ by the soaring cost of car insurance, a leading MP has warned.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Nigel Evans said that young people could face a genuine financial conflict between accepting a job and affording the car insurance to drive to work.
High costs mean drivers are being ‘punished before they have even sat behind the wheel’, he warned.
Mr Evans argued that people in rural areas are particularly badly hit since a lack of regular public transport leaves them with no alternative to driving.
The MP called on insurance firms to use ‘more imagination’ to solve the problem.
Possible solutions could include the offer of a rebate after a year of no claims, or an insurance quote based on the scores in the practical driving test, Mr Evans suggested.
‘I do recognise that young people are in a high risk bracket for insurance, but the vast majority of them are not involved in accidents nor do they drive dangerously,’ he added.
The MP said he hopes to meet with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to discuss how to take the issue forward.
According to figures from the AA, young drivers have seen their motor insurance premiums jump by up to 90 per cent in just two years.
Men under the age of 22 have seen their payments rise by an average of £1,427 – or 82 per cent – to £3,163 a year.
Young women’s premiums have also surged by £50, or 90 per cent, up to an average of £1,799.
Female drivers could also be hit by another hike of up to £1,315 from the end of the year due to an EU ruling, which will force insurance companies to charge male and female drivers the same premiums.
High insurance costs may also be leading to young drivers putting themselves at risk by skipping their car insurance, a firm has warned.
One in five young drivers is considering breaking the law and driving without insurance, according to a survey by Young Marmalade.
Meanwhile one in three has thought about modifying the information they supply to their insurer to bring down their quote, the insurer found.
The ABI commented that employment status is one of the factors that insurers use to set premiums.
‘Many insurers have reported that there is an additional risk associated with being unemployed. We understand that this can cause difficulties for people, but it is a quantified factor supported by evidence,’ it said.
James Dalton, Assistant Director of Motor at the association suggested that young drivers can take measures to reduce their premiums, such as shopping around, perhaps changing their car or keeping their mileage down.
He added that higher premiums for young drivers reflect the greater risk they pose. Young drivers aged 17 – 24 account for 12 per cent of license holders, but 25 per cent of all road accidents where someone is injured.
‘To improve the road safety of young drivers and reduce their motor insurance costs, we have long argued for reform and we are urging the government to introduce a minimum learning period, a structured learning programme, graduated driver licensing and a zero alcohol limit for young drivers,’ Mr Dalton said
From : Daily Mail website
Passsing your driving test in Bedford with a driving school or driving instructor can greatly increase your chance of getting a job!! Finding employment will be easier as you will have more freedom & won’t have to rely on finding a job near public transport. You can work night shifts or evening shift & won’t need other people to pick you up or drop you off at work!
Many driving schools in Bedford offer a course called PASS PLUS which can reduce your insurance costs. Driving instructors take you out on various roads to develop your existing driving skills, once you have passed your driving test in Bedford. Topics covered in the PASS PLUS course in Bedford are motoways, dual carriageways, rural driving, night driving, town driving & all weather driving.
PASS PLUS courses vary between driving schools but your would be looking to pay around £150 (which covers the minimum 6 hours required).
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Driving Tests, Pass Plus, Road Safety | No Comments »
July 6th, 2011 admin
TONY Davison still remembers the knock on the door that dark winter’s morning.
“It was twenty to four,” he recites, the details as fresh now as the day they happened. “Fourth of November 2002.
“The policeman said there had been a serious road crash in Bramhope and there were fatalities. That’s all it took to shatter our lives.”
Tony’s son Adrian, 18, was a passenger in the car of a friend who drove after drinking. It crashed and both boys died.
It would have been Adrian’s birthday last Saturday, his 27th. What should have been a day of celebration was marked instead with a visit to his graveside.
“Life moves on, but at the same time he will never be forgotten,” says Tony. “Anniversaries are still difficult, even though it’s coming up to nine years ago. It’s as fresh in my mind now as it was the day we were told.
And it will be until the day I leave this mortal coil.”
Adrian was one of a disproportionate number of young men who die every year on our roads.
West Yorkshire road safety charity Brake used its annual international conference last week to put the issue under the spotlight.
Every year in Britain one young male driver in every 60 is involved in a crash that results in death or injury to themselves, a passenger or another road user.
While young drivers aged between 17 and 24 account for 12 per cent of licence holders they are involved in one in four road deaths and serious injuries.
One in five will crash in the first six months after passing their test and every year more than 3,300 young drivers and passengers aged 17 to 24 are killed or suffer a life-changing injury as a result of a road crash.
Brake says the current system under which young people learn to drive is inadequate, leaving young drivers without sufficient experience and maturity to face the complex challenges of driving unsupervised and unrestricted.
Its response has been to launch the Too Young to Die campaign, which calls for a system of graduated driver licensing so new drivers can build up their skills and experience bit by bit.
Under the scheme, learners would spend at least a year taking lessons before they were allowed to sit a test.
Once they passed, new drivers would be allowed to drive unsupervised but would have restrictions on their licence for at least two years.
These would include an effective zero tolerance drink drive limit, plus restrictions on passengers and driving at night.
“It’s all about finding a way to ensure young drivers learn to drive in a safe and protected way as much as possible,” says Ellen Booth, campaigns director for Brake.
“Young drivers are disproportionately affected by road crashes, significantly so. A young person is more likely to die on the road than any other cause.
“And the evidence is quite clear that males of all ages, not just young men, are more likely to take risks on the roads. So it’s all to do with driver attitude and behaviour.”
Speeding, taking unnecessary risks and using a mobile phone are some of the factors associated with an increased crash risk among men.
Males are also more likely to get behind the wheel when they’re tired and keep driving even if they feel sleepy.
The risks faced by young male drivers peak at 17, when they are in their first year of motoring.
“There are a number of factors, especially those of age and inexperience, that mean young drivers are more likely to have an accident,” says Ellen.
“When you combine those with the additional risk-taking habits that men exhibit they make young male drivers the most at risk group on the road.”
Tony Davison has been involved with Brake for several years, speaking to thousands of school and college students about his own experience.
He, for one, supports calls for the Government to make changes to the current system of driver licensing.
“The trouble is that young people don’t really learn to drive until after they have passed their test. All we do in this country is teach people to pass their test.
“In Germany it’s a totally different structure – they have to do night driving, motorway driving and there are none of these seven-day crash courses.
“We need to educate young people. They don’t think it’s going to happen to them, but it will happen to some of them.
“It’s not about scaremongering, it’s a proven fact: young males between 17 and 25 are the ones who are most likely to be involved in a serious crash.
“There needs to be a coherent strategy which first of all has to be incorporated into the national curriculum, not ad hoc as it is at the moment.
“Some schools are incredibly pro-active, but there are lots of high schools in Leeds we haven’t visited. To me it has to become part of the national curriculum, delivered to those youngsters who are coming up to learning to drive.”
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Driving Tests, Pass Plus, Road Safety | No Comments »
March 26th, 2011 admin
He was the ultimate New Labour political survivor – a wily operator who negotiated the twists and turns of the Blair and Brown Governments to serve 13 years in the Cabinet.
But adjusting to life after more than a decade of being chauffeured everywhere has left Jack Straw flummoxed by the rules of the road – so the former Home Secretary is learning to drive again.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Mr Straw, MP for Blackburn, is undertaking a ‘driving refresher course’ and has also received coaching from a senior Labour colleague on coping with motorway driving.
Last night a friend of Mr Straw said: ‘Jack was pretty much driven everywhere for 13 years. He did a spot of driving on minor roads to run the odd errand but not much else.
‘Perhaps wisely, he is taking some refresher lessons for driving on motorways and in big cities, that sort of thing.’
Perhaps Mr Straw worries about breaking one of his own laws – in 2009, as Justice Secretary, he announced that the maximum penalty for reckless driving would be more than doubled from a two-year jail term to five years’ imprisonment.
The change in the law led to a rise in the number of drivers – particularly those of advanced years – opting to take refresher lessons.
While almost every other founding member of the 1997 New Labour Government fell by the wayside – either the victims of scandal, exhausted by office or caught on the wrong side of the Blair-Brown feud – Mr Straw was one of only three, along with Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown, to remain in Cabinet from 1997 to 2010.
He also served as Foreign Secretary and Leader of the House.
Mr Straw, who stood down from Labour’s front bench last year, was not available for comment last night.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1367950/Former-minister-Jack-Straw-driving-lessons–13-years-chauffeur-hes-forgotten-drive.html#ixzz1Hf7cbfe8
Jack Straw should contact one of the Bedford driving schools or driving instructors in Bedford to ask about taking driving lessons in Bedford. Many Bedford driving instructors can offer driving lessons or refresher courses / refresher lessons to those drivers that don’t have confidence to deal with todays roads.
Fully qualified driving instructors featured on www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk should be able to offer help & advice to drivers that haven’t driven for a long time. There are Bedford driving instructors who also offer the PASS PLUS course to new, recently qualified drivers. Completing the PASS PLUS course with a driving instructor or driving school in Bedford can help to lower car insurance premiums, reduce your fuel costs & develop your existing driving skills to make you a safer driver.
Why not contact a driving instructor or driving school in Bedford & ask about refresher driving lessons or PASS PLUS in Bedford.
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Eco-Driving, Pass Plus, Road Safety | No Comments »
February 28th, 2011 admin
Speed limit could reach 80mph in Bedfordshire.
The UK Transport Secretary, Philip Hammond, has proposed to increase the speed limit on UK motorways from 70- to 80mph.
The idea behind the change is to reduce journey times, as the Government believes that the economy could be improved if motorists spend less time behind the wheel.
Mr. Hammond said that safety might not be the only factor to consider when it comes to judging how fast cars travel on the roads.
Speaking to the ‘Daily Telegraph’, he said: “We need to do this on a pretty rigorous cost-benefit basis. At the moment there are a clear set of criteria for making these decisions. Perhaps we ought to ask if we are using the right set of criteria.”
Motorway speed limits in the UK are significantly lower than those in other European countries. The maximum speed on similar roads in France and Italy is 81mph. In Spain, Portugal and Ireland it is 75mph.
The UK’s 70mph motorway speed limit was introduced in 1965, following a series of reports of manufacturers and car owners testing high performance cars to their limits.
There were 132 deaths on UK motorways in 2009, which is the last year for which figures are available. However, motorists are more likely to experience an accident on town and country roads with lower speed limits, poorer visibility, less space and no division between oncoming traffic.
From : Yahoo!
Most driving instructors and driving schools in Bedford, Bedfordshire listed on www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk are able to offer motorway tuition, motorway driving lessons, motorway lessons in Bedford. Many of Bedford’s driving schools & driving instructors can also offer the Pass Plus course which is designed for new drivers, once they have passed their driving test. The Pass Plus course includes motorway driving & your driving instructor in Bedford will help you to build up your confidence with new driving skills. You can find contact details of various different Bedford driving instructors & Bedford driving schools on www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk. Give them a call & remember to mention you found their details on www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk.
Posted in Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Driving Tests, Pass Plus, Road Safety | No Comments »
October 17th, 2010 admin
Newly-qualified motorists in Shropshire face a bill of almost £9,000 to pass their test and be able to use their cars on the road, it was revealed today.
County learners can expect to fork out nearly £1,000 in driving lessons to pass their test, based on the UK average of 45 hours behind the wheel.
But the unprecedented rise in insurance premiums and other costs pushes the total bill up towards £9,000.
A Shropshire Star investigation reveals newly-qualified male drivers could pay almost £8,000 a year for third party insurance on a small second-hand car that itself is worth only £1,500.
Premiums offered to young male drivers are often double those to young women, the AA said.
The shocking cost of motoring to new county drivers comes with news that the price of driving lessons varies across the UK.
An hour-long lesson can be as low as £7.50 and as high as £34, a survey by Yell.com and Ipsos MORI found. The average Shropshire price is £20 an hour.
At the same time, the AA has recorded the biggest jump in the cost of car insurance since it started tracking the market, with teens bearing the brunt of the rise.
Young male drivers are paying the most. The Shropshire Star obtained quotes for a newly qualified 17-year-old male driver that varied between £4,143 and £7,839 on a third party, fire and theft policy.
One young learner driver, a 17-year-old student from Telford, today said he was forced to quit because of the cost of insurance, which was an extra £3,252 on his mother’s policy.
He said: “The only reason they put insurance prices that high is because they think every 17-year-old is a boy racer who wants to beep at old ladies and go tearing round the streets at 3am.”
Read more: http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2010/10/16/the-high-cost-of-learning-to-drive-in-shropshire/#ixzz12c8GOvea
From : Shropshire Star website
If you want to learn to drive & take driving lessons in Bedford then www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk is the website for you. It allows you to compare driving schools & driving instructors in Bedford. You can look for cheap driving lessons in Bedford, low cost driving schools in Bedford or cheap driving instructors in Bedford.
www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk recommend that new drivers take the PASS PLUS course with a qualified Bedford driving instructor or Bedford driving school such as Txt-Drive Driving School in Bedford, Chandler Driving School in Bedford, Bahra School Of Motoring in Bedford, ASM in Bedford, APEX Driver Training in Bedford & Debbie’s School Of Motoring.
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Pass Plus | No Comments »
September 4th, 2010 admin
Millions of motorists could be risking their lives and the lives of others due to driving with poor eyesight, according to new research by LV= car insurance.
Despite 45 per cent of all motorists being prescribed glasses or contact lenses for driving, almost one in ten do not always wear them, posing a safety risk to themselves and other road users.
Of the motorists who don’t currently wear prescribed glasses or lenses, nearly a quarter admitted their eyesight was “not perfect”, and one in ten have trouble seeing when driving at night.
The penalties for driving without meeting the visual requirements include a fine of £1,000, three penalty points and even disqualification from driving.
John O’Roarke, LV= car insurance managing director, said: “The number plate test is a compulsory requirement of the driving test for a very good reason. However, this is no substitute for regular eye examinations as eyesight can change significantly over time.
“Driving with poor eyesight is a criminal offence and can result in a fine, penalty points or even a ban, as well as invalidating your car insurance when it comes to making a claim.”
In other news, a police safety crackdown in Scotland this week has found 313 people not wearing a seatbelt.
Fuel costs mounting up? Visit fuelcards.co.uk for the best deals on fuel cards .
From : Fuelcards.co.uk
Many driving schools in Bedford and Bedford driving instructors will require a quick eye sight test before starting your first driving lesson in Bedford. Many will ask that you read a car number plate from the required distance (depending on if a new style or old style number plate).
At the start of your driving test in Bedford, the examiner will ask you to read a car number plate from the required distance (as described above), failure to do this will result in you being unable to continue with your driving test!! So www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk suggest that you get your eyes tested a few weeks BEFORE your driving test in Bedford to enure you CAN read the car number plate!!
Being able to see properly (reading a car number plate from the required distance) is essential to road safety in Bedford and elsewhere in the UK!!
You can compare driving lesson prices in Bedford from driving schools and driving instructors in Bedford. Compare by price, car, transmission, instructor gender, days worked etc. Just visit www.bedford-driving-schools.co.uk for more information – it’s FREE to use & it’s FREE to list your details if you are a Bedford driving school or Bedford driving instructor!!! We DO NOT charge you for any pupil leads – it is a TOTALLY FREE service!!!
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Driving Tests, Road Safety | No Comments »
July 26th, 2010 admin
SAN FRANCISCO, July 12 (UPI) — A student driver in California hit six pedestrians in a crosswalk, sending three of the victims to hospitals, one by airlift, authorities said.
Farhat Mohammed, 20, was learning to drive on her learner’s permit and was with a licensed driver when she made a left turn on a Livermore, Calif., street and struck the six adults Saturday evening, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Surrounding streets were closed for about 3 hours as police investigated the incident and examined Mohammed’s Honda Civic, the newspaper said.
None of the victims’ injuries were life-threatening, authorities said.
From : UPI.com
Although this accident happend in the USA it is important to draw attention to what can happen if you are not accompanied by a FULLY QUALIFIED driving instructor. Qualified driving instructors in Bedford will display a GREEN badge in their windscreen. Always ask to see if a driving instructor is fully qualified BEFORE taking any driving lessons. Some large driving schools use TRAINEE instructors who have to display a PINK BADGE in their windscreen. Trainee driving instructors will often charge the same as fully qualified driving instructors – but may never pass their exams & become a fully qualified driving instructor.
Posted in Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Driving Lessons, Driving Schools, Driving Tests | No Comments »
April 26th, 2010 admin
A recent survey carried out by the AA has found that people in London and the south-east England had more attempts at taking their driving test than candidates in other regions of the UK.
The survey of 20,109 AA members has found people from London and south-east England took an average of 2.1 attempts to pass, more than the UK average of 2.
The east of England seemed to perform the best with the average person taking 1.87 attempts to pass their driving test. Road conditions, time of day or even year can have an adverse affect on people passing.
AA Driving School director Simon Douglas has said that various factors can affect the local pass rate, including population.
He said: “In some less-populated regions, learners find it relatively less challenging.”
The people of London and the south-east are unfortunate to incur extra costs for additional driving tests. Driving Standards Agency suggests already, on average, a person undertakes about 45 hours of professional driving lessons.
The cost of lessons and driving tests, combined with buying a car and paying for UK motor insurance, means learning to drive can be a costly qualification, no matter what region you live in.
CompareInsurers.com is managed by a team of insurance professionals and car enthusiasts. Our aim is to enable you to find all the information you need to get a competitive UK car insurance quote. With over 50 UK car insurance providers, you can be sure of finding the quote and the information you need.
From : PR Fire website
Posted in Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Tests | No Comments »
April 26th, 2010 admin
A new form of insurance will allow young learners to drive your car without prompting a massive rise in premiums or endangering your no-claims bonus.
Young Marmalade, which specialises in offering cars and insurance to new drivers, has come up with the policy aimed at learners called Provisional Marmalade.
The cover costs between £90.95 and £99.50 per month. The price is based on where you live, and you will be excluded only if you’re looking to add a learner to a high-powered car.
Because it’s a separate, fully comprehensive policy in the name of the learner driver, the parent’s no-claims discount is not in danger. The policy tackles the dilemma facing many youngsters, who can’t practise in their parents’ car because insurers won’t cover them.
Around half of insurers won’t offer cover to those aged under 21 – some place the restriction at 25 – and most won’t allow you to put a provisional driver on your insurance. Even those who will allow learners to be added as a named driver frequently charge between £1,000 and £3,000 for a year.
Yet the Driving Standards Agency advises learners to have 22 hours’ practice after they have had 45 hours of professional driving instruction and before taking their test.
Nigel Lacy, of Young Marmalade, says: ‘The high cost of insurance has put off youngsters learning to drive or they are tempted to practise without insurance. We want to encourage safer motoring. The more practice they get, the better drivers they will be.’
The policy, which is underwritten by Chaucer, is being sold by motoring accessory store Halfords, where details of the scheme are included in packs of L plates, as well as by brokers and through the company directly. It covers only young drivers in the car you’ve stipulated at the outset.
The AA is also planning to bring out monthly provisional driver cover, though it hasn’t yet decided how much it will cost. Learners can be covered to drive your car as long as it’s not worth more than £20,000.
As with Provisional Marmalade, friends or other family members can supervise the learner in your car provided they have been driving for three years. The supervisor must be aged over 25 with Marmalade and over 21 with the AA. Once the learner passes their test, the policy ends or you can add them to your existing policy as a named driver.
Some insurers, such as Admiral, Direct Line and More Than, will allow you to add a learner to your policy on a monthly basis. And if you have protected your no-claims discount, you won’t lose it if your youngster has an accident.
Twins get on the road
Twins Charlotte and Haley Lapping were given driving lessons for their birthday when they turned 17 last November.
Now that the sisters have had some instruction, their mother, Lorraine, is prepared to let them practise in her car.
Sales office manager Lorraine, from Leeds, says: ‘Their instructor suggested they went on my insurance, but my insurer, M&S, wouldn’t take provisional drivers.
I looked on the internet, but all the policies were too expensive. They are near to being ready for their test, so when I came across the cover from Young Marmalade it seemed ideal. I’m hoping I’ll only need it for a couple of months.
‘I like the fact that my insurance won’t be affected and that other family members can take them, as I don’t have a great deal of patience. My car is an old Vauxhall Astra, which is perfect for them to learn to drive in.’
New era of paperless insurance
Drivers may no longer be given paper certificates to prove that they are insured.
A new law will give electronic certificates, which are emailed to the driver and kept on a computer database, the same legal force as a paper one.
Starting this week, drivers will be sent an email containing their certificate, which they can print out if they need it. Those who want a paper certificate can still request one.
Some insurers have already experimented with sending out email certificates to customers. The AA will require new customers to set up a password-protected online account to access their paperwork.
A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers says: ‘This will make the process quicker for consumers and save money for insurers, which will make the industry more efficient.’
Electronic certificates will be valid from April 30. One of the main occasions when drivers need to present a paper certificate is when they renew their car tax at the Post Office.
However, millions now do this online – and there are hopes that the Post Office will soon be able to check insurance details online.
The police use a computerised system to check whether a car is taxed and if a driver has insurance. But officers may still ask for insurance and registration details if you are asked to present them at a police station.
From : Daily Mail website
Some driving schools and driving instructors in Bedford offer a course called Pass Plus. This course is designed for new drivers & will help them gain experience & develop their existing driving skills. Once the course of 6 modules is completed (6 hours) the new driver should receive a discount on their car insurance. Several hundred pounds can be saved on car insurance.
Posted in Bedford, Car Insurance, Driving, Driving Instructors, Pass Plus | No Comments »
April 17th, 2010 admin
The cost of driving has risen by 20% in the past three years and is up 8.6 per cent compared with just five months ago, according to new research.
Sainsbury’s Finance said that “steep” increases in fuel and insurance costs were the main factors in bringing annual motoring costs up to £2,539.
In the past five months, typical car insurance premiums have risen by 11.25% to £612.84 a year, while the prices at the pumps have gone up by 10.41% to take the yearly fuel bill to £1,398, the bank noted.
Over the same period, tax has risen by 3.4 per cent to £173.07 a year, while the average annual cost of servicing a vehicle has climbed by 0.68 per cent to £301.
Compared with 2007, it is now £438 a year more expensive to run a car, the bank added.
Sainsbury’s car insurance manager Ben Tyte said: “The cost of driving can be kept better in check by shopping around, particularly for car insurance and servicing.”
According to the Department for Transport, there were 27.02 million private cars registered in the UK in 2008.
From : My Finances website
For new drivers to cut the cost of driving, they should do the Pass Plus course, which is offered by many driving instructors & driving schools in Bedford. It is designed for new drivers and can give a substantial discount on the car insurance. A pupil with Txt-Drive driving school in Bedford saved £350.00 on their car insurance by doing the Pass Plus course. It develops existing driving skills & makes you a safer driver.
Posted in Car Insurance, Driving, Pass Plus | No Comments »
