Car insurance soaring.

[anotheoldgit]

http://tinyurl.com/5tgkt4b

Is the price of car insurance getting unaffordable for the average motorist?

The companies put the blame on the “no win, no fee” lawyers who openly encourage drivers to make claims, many who do so fraudulently.

Could not the Government introduce measures so as to put a cap on premiums charged?

Or perhaps two separate policies could be introduced, one being for the vehicle and the other for personal insurance?

These suggestions have not been properly thought out, they are just hurried reactionary ideas, with the idea of creating other suggestions.

[R1Geezer]

well they could offer the option to opt out of the personal injury part but I don't know how much of the premium that would save and you run the risk of getting sued for genuine personal injury. I think young drivers add a lot as do uninsured drivers. To be fair though if you are sensible it's not that bad, I have a group 50 car and it's £501. Yes they do try and hike it up each year but I just move companies and my premium has actually got cheaper in 2 years. I have NCB in decades mind! They bike is ust over £100 for the R1, but then I never claim because they get it back in the premiums even with NCB protection.

[Barmaid]

I think the insurance companies should look to their own doorstep before they start blaming the lawyers. Many of the accident management companies out there are owned by the insurance companies!!

[hc4361]

It is because of the risk of personal injury that you HAVE to have motor insurance.
You write off a car and the highest possible bill would probably be around £100k, cause a person harm and the bill could run into millions

[ChuckFickens]

Insurance companies also like ripping off existing customers (though they would probably call it "inciting new customers")

The difference in price between the renewal of an existing policy and the price you'd get as a new customer to a company is ridicules.

[Oneeyedvic]

More cars of the road would be a good thing - it means I would be able to get to work quicker :)

Seriously, make the driving test more difficult and raise the age limit to 21, maybe even 25. Make people retake their tests every 5 years and make the tests harder and include simple things like motorway driving!

If people are better drivers, there will be fewer accidents and lower premiums.

[R1Geezer]

Unusually, I am forced to mostly agree with Vic, though not with retaking the test, some sort of assessment by all means but I doubt many experienced drivers would pass a test now.The problem is that drivers who pass the test have been taught parrot fashion to do what the examiner wants to see. Only later do they actually learn to drive. The first Mrs geezer did her test later in life and I remember the first time she gave me a lift, gawd I nearly sh1te myself at how dangerous it was!

[ummmm]

Personal insurance...

What if they hit a pedestrian and don't have personal insurance?

[TTG]

Shop around then call your own insurance company and say you have had a lower quote. They will usually match it (mine did).

[The-HouseHusband]

The easy way to cut down on insurance costs is to take one of the recognised advanced driving tests, these are aimed at real life driving not the parrot fashion driving test as R1 has already mentioned.

As for the average motorist being priced out I think the express have had a knee jerk reaction to try and stir up a hornets nest. I have not met anyone who has had their premium increase by a grand.

Maybe it is the posh council estate I live in that keeps my insurance costs down!!! or the fact that I belong to the RIGHT CLASS of society!!!

[anotheoldgit]

ummmm

/// What if they hit a pedestrian and don't have personal insurance?///

Make the personal part of the insurance 3rd party only and obligatory, and the vehicle part voluntary.

[hc4361]

There is currently 38 million drivers in the UK.
If they were retested every 5 years that would be 7,600,000 retests every year.
That works out at nearly 21000 extra tests each and every day, including Christmas day.

Can't be done.

[hc4361]

Can't make the vehicle part voluntary either. One car could feasibly write off several cars and other vehicles in one accident.

[Gromit]

Hey what the hell, I'm sure we'd get there eventually...

http://menmedia.co.uk...over_insurance_fraud_

[Oneeyedvic]

Good point HC - maybe every 15 years then - and R1 - not the current type of test, but the more advanced style test.

Or maybe just a retake required if you have an accident or you get points?

Again, something that most people will disagree with, but I support the use of average speed cameras everywhere - one of the very dangerous roads near me is only dangerous because people try to speed. If you stopped people speeding, you would stop a high proportion of the accidents.

[ABerrant]

3rd party injury - obligatory
3rd party damage - obligatory
All other injury/damage - optional

That is the current legal status of motor insurance in the UK and I cannot see how lesser levels of mandatory cover would protect the victims of road incidents.

[classylady60]

I had a car accident last week, hit by a lorry too close behind me. When contacting my insurance company they immediately said they would put me through to their legal people who will deal with personal injury claims - even though, thankfully I wasn't injured! I told them I didn't want them to, that I was shaken up but not badly hurt and I might feel better in the next few days. They said they would put it on hold then...and half an hour later I rec'd a call from their legal side (or another company acting for them) to deal with suing the other party!! I was fuming because it is has been said, these ambulance chasers pushing claims when some aren't needed. It never used to be like that years ago.. but now we have the sue culture, then everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. So IMO some of the car insurers are the worst for pushing you to claim compensation as it was in my case.

CL

[hc4361]

I agree with you about speed, Vic. And why can't all vehicles be fitted with speed limiters?
Why does a vehicle need to be capable of doing 100+ miles per hour if it is only ever driven on the public highway?

[The-HouseHusband]

AOG you can already get personal accident insurance only, it is called "Road Traffic Act Insurance" however you will probably find it will cost just as much as "third party, fire & theft" or "comprehensive". Insurance companies see people who take out such forms of insurance as a higher risk as they are not bothered about their own vehicles and are therefore more liable to be involved in an accident and leave the scene if they think they can get away with it.

[anotheoldgit]

Just so the Express, are not the only one being accused for 'creating a knee jerk reaction and trying to stir up a hornets nest', I have included a similar link for all those who wish to read from their own particular politically biased news source.

http://tinyurl.com/6huewey

[The-HouseHusband]

Have you got a link to the "SUN" or some other high class paper so that we can see it from the workers perspective!!!