As the winter season approaches and the signs of colder weather are becoming more apparent, it’s not surprising that many websites are giving tokens of advice regarding safety on the road for drivers. Many of these handy tips are there to ensure you don’t run the risk of being involved in an accident on the road. But one car safety tip that is frequently mentioned, is not only there for your protection, but could also save you a fine of up to £10,000 and 12 points on your driving licence – tyre safety.
As October has officially been named Tyre Safety Month, it seems fitting that we’re writing a blog that raises the dangers of having unsafe tyres and the penalty you could pay if you don’t do anything about it.
The main issue amongst most drivers is the fact that the majority are unaware about the laws on tyre safety. A comparison website has recently discovered that 57% of drivers were unaware that the correct tyre depth is 1.6mm, whilst 58% did not know the answer to what the correct pressure of their tyres should be.
Surprisingly, it was also discovered that the age group least likely to know how to put air into their tyres are those aged 18-24, who are the group that not too long ago would have been shown how to do this in their driving lessons. This bears evidence to the fact that not enough is being done to ensure road safety.
So what are the rules on tyre safety? The two main focuses are on tyre depth and tyre pressure. It’s suggested that you should check the pressure of your tyres once per week. However, it’s very unlikely that most people will have the time to do this, so we suggest at least once per month and to make it a priority before embarking on a long distance journey.
Tyre depth is especially important, as this can rack up a hefty fine if it’s not checked frequently. The law states that there should be a minimum of 1.6mm throughout the 3 central quarters of the tyre. If police discover that your vehicle is above this depth, they can slap you with a fine of £2500 and 3 points on your licence for each illegal tyre. Additionally, if you’re involved in a crash and it is found that your tyre depth is below the legal limit, you run the risk of voiding your car insurance policy all together!
Other tips on tyre safety include checking the overall appearance of your tyres. Any visual signs of wear and tear should make you consider replacing the tyre, as this is the cheaper alternative to getting caught with illegal tyres.
This may not be the most interesting topic and checking your tyres regularly is not on top of everyone’s list of priorities, but it’s seen as one of most basic aspects of road safety. It’s a worrying fact that most people are unaware of the rules on tyre safety whilst court convictions for driving on defective tyres are at a four-year high, not to mention the high level of risks you run when driving with illegal tyres.
Help is at hand for those still unsure about how to correctly check their tyres are legal on the road. Throughout Tyre Safety Month, tyresafe.org is sharing the best tips and advice available, with a focus on driving in the winter.
So as the winter months begin to set in, now is the perfect time to get into the habit of checking your tyres. It’s common knowledge that road hazards are much higher during this time and the risk of being involved in a car accident increases. Tyre safety is essential, whatever the weather. To ensure that you are completely covered on the road, this is one aspect of road safety you can’t afford to overlook.
If you’re a driver looking for a great value quote on your car insurance, visit eCar - an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Make sure you’re kept safe this winter. Avoid fines and increased risks on the road by making sure your tyres are properly maintained and visit eCar to make sure you get the right cover whilst saving you money on your car insurance at the same time.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs.
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Thursday, 20 October 2011
Thursday, 6 October 2011
The eInsurance Group guide to owning a car at university.
It’s that time of year again - a new group of students begin their journey into higher education, with most moving out from home and into their university digs.
For many it’s time to think about purchasing a car in order to get around their new city and also make it easier to drive back home to give the parents some clothes to wash! But with the cost of being a student becoming more and more expensive, it has never been more important to ensure that students can buy a car that will please both their university lives and their wallets.
Here are some handy tips from eInsurance Group:
Get the right Insurance.
It can be difficult for students to find the right type of car insurance policy without it costing most of their student loan! Therefore, it’s very important to shop around and find the right policy for you. When purchasing your car, it’s always a good idea to think about the insurance cost. For example, cars with a smaller size engine and fitted security features will usually get the driver a much cheaper policy.
Students should also consider Pay As You Go options where they can pay monthly instead of being stuck with one large annual payment.
Click here to get a quick and easy quote online with eCar - As well as our Standard Annual Policy, we offer a Short Term Policy from 1 to 28 days, to a flexible Pay as you Go (PAYG) monthly policy.
Student Car-Share Schemes.
This is a great way to save money as well as being environmentally friendly. Student car-share websites such as www.studentcarshare.com can help students find others who are willing to car share in various universities across the country.
Alternatively, you can simply ask those who are on your course if they might be interested in car sharing. Most students generally live in the same areas so it’s worth asking, plus it’s a great way to potentially make new friends on your course.
Choose the right car ...
Choosing a car as a student is not just about what colour you’d like or how fast it can go. The type of car you get can affect what you pay on your insurance, road tax, petrol and all other additional costs you need to make.
Cars such as Ford Fiestas, Vauxhall Corsas and Renault Clios are all popular choices for students as they’re cheap to run and cheap to repair should something go wrong.
Also remember to check the car’s service history. There is no point in buying an old banger for it’s cheap price tag, only to have a massive car-service charge for it further down the line.
...& Haggle!
Once you’ve found the right car, it’s always a good idea to negotiate with the salesperson to ensure you’re getting it as cheap as possible. Most car dealerships set the price high enough to leave some room for haggling, so it’s worth asking how much they are willing to reduce the price to.
Drive safe.
A student who has a car will likely be asked by their peers for lifts to the supermarket, to lectures or from nights out in exchange for petrol money. It’s the latter request that you need to be careful with.
Decide before you go out if you are going to be the designated driver or not. If you’ve made the decision to drive everyone home that night – stick to the soft drinks!
Driving under the influence is a serious crime that can be a major risk both to yourself and all those around you. Police have a zero tolerance policy for this, so it’s not worth taking the risk.
The rule is simple – Don’t drink and drive.
If you’re a young driver looking for a cheap quote, visit eCar - an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs.
Follow us on Twitter
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For many it’s time to think about purchasing a car in order to get around their new city and also make it easier to drive back home to give the parents some clothes to wash! But with the cost of being a student becoming more and more expensive, it has never been more important to ensure that students can buy a car that will please both their university lives and their wallets.
Here are some handy tips from eInsurance Group:
Get the right Insurance.
It can be difficult for students to find the right type of car insurance policy without it costing most of their student loan! Therefore, it’s very important to shop around and find the right policy for you. When purchasing your car, it’s always a good idea to think about the insurance cost. For example, cars with a smaller size engine and fitted security features will usually get the driver a much cheaper policy.
Students should also consider Pay As You Go options where they can pay monthly instead of being stuck with one large annual payment.
Click here to get a quick and easy quote online with eCar - As well as our Standard Annual Policy, we offer a Short Term Policy from 1 to 28 days, to a flexible Pay as you Go (PAYG) monthly policy.
Student Car-Share Schemes.
This is a great way to save money as well as being environmentally friendly. Student car-share websites such as www.studentcarshare.com can help students find others who are willing to car share in various universities across the country.
Alternatively, you can simply ask those who are on your course if they might be interested in car sharing. Most students generally live in the same areas so it’s worth asking, plus it’s a great way to potentially make new friends on your course.
Choose the right car ...
Choosing a car as a student is not just about what colour you’d like or how fast it can go. The type of car you get can affect what you pay on your insurance, road tax, petrol and all other additional costs you need to make.
Cars such as Ford Fiestas, Vauxhall Corsas and Renault Clios are all popular choices for students as they’re cheap to run and cheap to repair should something go wrong.
Also remember to check the car’s service history. There is no point in buying an old banger for it’s cheap price tag, only to have a massive car-service charge for it further down the line.
...& Haggle!
Once you’ve found the right car, it’s always a good idea to negotiate with the salesperson to ensure you’re getting it as cheap as possible. Most car dealerships set the price high enough to leave some room for haggling, so it’s worth asking how much they are willing to reduce the price to.
Drive safe.
A student who has a car will likely be asked by their peers for lifts to the supermarket, to lectures or from nights out in exchange for petrol money. It’s the latter request that you need to be careful with.
Decide before you go out if you are going to be the designated driver or not. If you’ve made the decision to drive everyone home that night – stick to the soft drinks!
Driving under the influence is a serious crime that can be a major risk both to yourself and all those around you. Police have a zero tolerance policy for this, so it’s not worth taking the risk.
The rule is simple – Don’t drink and drive.
If you’re a young driver looking for a cheap quote, visit eCar - an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs.
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
Tune in on YouTube
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Rock-eating pug among those nominated for the 'weirdest pet insurance claim' award.
You never know what kind of trouble your pets can get into, which is one of the reasons why many of us purchase pet insurance.
Most pet insurance claims may involve more common, regular types of accidents and injuries, although recently there have been reports of some much stranger claims pet owners have made.
One of the latest odd pet insurance claims concerns a pug named Harley who lives in Rhode Island. He has been in the press recently after his owner Lori Laverdiere noticed that he was unable to eat or drink without vomiting. After taking Harley for an X-ray, they found that he had eaten over 100 rocks, which were crammed into his stomach and intestines!
Thankfully, Harley made a full recovery, passing the rocks after taking some medicine.
For such a small dog, this is quite an achievement; one which the Veterinary Pet Insurance Association has recognised in their annual ‘Hambone Awards’. These awards highlight the more unusual pet insurance claims that have been made throughout the year.
Harley will have to fend off some tough competition for the coveted award. For example Tobey, a 7 year-old Labrador, paid the price for his love of playing with the garden sprinkler after his stomach bloated to twice the size from consuming so much water. Another unlucky pet was Chico, a Chihuahua who was injured after an owl swooped down to catch the miniature dog as a light snack. Luckily the owner managed to scare the owl away, but left Chico with a puncture wound on his foreleg.
Many others have also been put up for the prize, in which the general public vote on which story they believe worthy enough for the prize.
Although these stories are humorous and entertaining, there is a serious message behind them - how important it is to purchase pet insurance for your furry members of the family. These stories highlight how your pets can fall victim to serious injuries in the most bizarre situations. Harley’s owner Lori says how happy she was that she took out a pet insurance policy, which she was able to use for the X-ray needed for her dog.
Luckily, all of the pets nominated were in fact covered by some form of pet insurance. However if this weren’t the case, it’s likely most of these owners would have been faced with a costly veterinary bill.
What needs to be remembered is that our four-legged friends are a curious bunch and can get themselves into trouble. It makes sense therefore, both for your pets’ safety and your bank balance that they are covered and kept safe!
Visit ePet for pet insurance to protect against unforeseen incidents that can affect both your pet and your pocket. ePet offers a variety of policies to suit you and your pet. Each year 1 in 3 pets are injured or become ill and need urgent veterinary treatment. We can help cover the cost of these unexpected bills for as little as 13p a day, leaving you with the important job of helping your important member of the family back to full recovery.
Read more about this story here.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
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Most pet insurance claims may involve more common, regular types of accidents and injuries, although recently there have been reports of some much stranger claims pet owners have made.
One of the latest odd pet insurance claims concerns a pug named Harley who lives in Rhode Island. He has been in the press recently after his owner Lori Laverdiere noticed that he was unable to eat or drink without vomiting. After taking Harley for an X-ray, they found that he had eaten over 100 rocks, which were crammed into his stomach and intestines!
Thankfully, Harley made a full recovery, passing the rocks after taking some medicine.
For such a small dog, this is quite an achievement; one which the Veterinary Pet Insurance Association has recognised in their annual ‘Hambone Awards’. These awards highlight the more unusual pet insurance claims that have been made throughout the year.
Harley will have to fend off some tough competition for the coveted award. For example Tobey, a 7 year-old Labrador, paid the price for his love of playing with the garden sprinkler after his stomach bloated to twice the size from consuming so much water. Another unlucky pet was Chico, a Chihuahua who was injured after an owl swooped down to catch the miniature dog as a light snack. Luckily the owner managed to scare the owl away, but left Chico with a puncture wound on his foreleg.
Many others have also been put up for the prize, in which the general public vote on which story they believe worthy enough for the prize.
Although these stories are humorous and entertaining, there is a serious message behind them - how important it is to purchase pet insurance for your furry members of the family. These stories highlight how your pets can fall victim to serious injuries in the most bizarre situations. Harley’s owner Lori says how happy she was that she took out a pet insurance policy, which she was able to use for the X-ray needed for her dog.
Luckily, all of the pets nominated were in fact covered by some form of pet insurance. However if this weren’t the case, it’s likely most of these owners would have been faced with a costly veterinary bill.
What needs to be remembered is that our four-legged friends are a curious bunch and can get themselves into trouble. It makes sense therefore, both for your pets’ safety and your bank balance that they are covered and kept safe!
Visit ePet for pet insurance to protect against unforeseen incidents that can affect both your pet and your pocket. ePet offers a variety of policies to suit you and your pet. Each year 1 in 3 pets are injured or become ill and need urgent veterinary treatment. We can help cover the cost of these unexpected bills for as little as 13p a day, leaving you with the important job of helping your important member of the family back to full recovery.
Read more about this story here.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
Tune in on YouTube
Friday, 9 September 2011
New parental controls for cars as 4 year old caught driving
It’s a stage that most parents have to go through and which most of them dread... their child has just passed their driving test and wants to borrow the car! Whilst they have passed their test with flying colours, it’s hard not to turn into an over-concerned parent and wonder how your child will drive once they are free to venture the roads by themselves. However, parents may soon be able to put their worries aside, thanks to a new piece of technology that can ensure your kids are behaving on the road.
Motor vehicle giants Ford are set to launch new parental controls for the 2012 Fiesta. The technology works via the ignition key, where parents can programme in a maximum speed, limit the volume of the stereo system and make many other tweaks to make the car much safer to drive.
Whilst many deem this to be a step in the right direction, there are still some issues. For example, the parents can only put a speeding cap on of up to 80mph. There is nothing in place to stop someone from going up to 80mph in a 30mph zone, apart from a warning chime that will go off when the car reaches certain speeds.
Whist this is still in its early stages, many will welcome this new safety tool, allowing many parents to feel more at ease when handing over the keys to their eager-to-drive offspring.
This is also seen as a much more productive technique to teach your children road safety, than say teaching your four-year-old child how to drive by handing over the keys and giving directions from the back seat, which is exactly what happened recently in Jinal, China.
The video was uploaded onto YouTube, where you can hear the parent filming, telling his child to “concentrate” and “be careful”. It is reported that the parent gave his child stilts to use so she could reach the pedals, similar to a famous scene from the Indiana Jones films.
What’s even more staggering is that when local officials were quizzed on the incident, they claimed there was little they could do if they were to catch the family responsible; as children under the age of 14 in this region cannot be given tickets. Instead, they would only be able to ‘educate the parents’ not to let their child who was still using a pacifier, to drive a car!
From the reports describing how shocked and appalled many people were from this video, it’s unlikely this will catch on in the UK! For the parental control key system however, it appears to be a step in the right direction. It has not yet been reported whether installing systems such as these will help to decrease the high costs of insurance premiums for new drivers. However, it will more than likely be a benefit rather than a hindrance. Only time will tell if this new piece of technology will catch on and benefit safe young drivers who are constantly suffering from high insurance premiums.
If you’re a young driver looking for a cheap quote, visit eCar, an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
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Thursday, 1 September 2011
Be careful who you leave your Ferrari with
When you hand over your car to the mechanic, you’re taking a possible risk. You give your car to a potential stranger and hope they have actually done what they say they have. Of course, most mechanics nowadays are highly qualified and trustworthy, but you never know when one might decide to take your car for a spin, which may have drastic consequences, such as potentially writing the car off!
This is exactly what happened to one particular owner’s vehicle, with his car being none other than a £300,000 Ferrari F40!
The owner of this vehicle had initially bought the car brand new 20 years ago for this price. There have been reports of these cars now going for as much as £1 million in good condition!
It has been reported that the owner of this vehicle was in Europe on business at the time and it was the mechanic responsible for the car during this time that was driving the car.
Eye-witnesses reported that the car was going between 70-90mph in a 35mph zone when he lost control of the vehicle as it veered into the curb and hit the fence. It’s unclear whether the crash was down to a driver error or a mechanical failure in the car. What is known however is that the mechanic should not have been driving the car at the time, let alone at such excessive speeds!
This is not the first story that has come out in recent years in regards to the bad luck Ferrari owners seem to have. For example, in 2010, another hapless mechanic lost control and destroyed a Ferrari worth £200,000 after taking it for a drive as part of its MoT. It’s safe to say that the owner was not happy to hear about this ‘quick’ road test!
Another example happened more recently in Croatia, when a van had lost control of its brakes, slamming into a parked Ferrari spider worth £120,000 and pushing the front end of the car into the sea.
Luckily with all of these incidents, no one was majorly hurt or injured, apart from the owners’ feelings, as well as their cars!
What’s particularly sad about the Ferrari F40 however is the fact that the owner had previously bought it 20 years ago, brand new. For many Ferrari enthusiasts, this model is believed to be one of Ferrari’s greatest cars ever built and is one of the last cars to be made before the company founder, Enzo Ferrari stepped down as founder and managing director of the company. It would therefore be a shame to see it written off, which is looking likely from the damage to the frame.
This should be a warning to all Ferrari owners. When taking your pride and joy for a ‘routine check-up’, make sure you can trust who you’re leaving it with. It might also be a good idea to ensure you’re covered with Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) Insurance.
If your car is stolen or written off then GAP Insurance will pay out the difference between the price you paid for your vehicle and the value that your insurer will pay out after depreciation.
Premiums start from just £115 for 3 years cover and GAP Insurance will cover any car up to the value of £150,000. It might be too late for the Ferrari F40 owner but not for you to protect your own investment!
Visit eInsurance Group for all your insurance needs
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This is exactly what happened to one particular owner’s vehicle, with his car being none other than a £300,000 Ferrari F40!
The owner of this vehicle had initially bought the car brand new 20 years ago for this price. There have been reports of these cars now going for as much as £1 million in good condition!
It has been reported that the owner of this vehicle was in Europe on business at the time and it was the mechanic responsible for the car during this time that was driving the car.
Eye-witnesses reported that the car was going between 70-90mph in a 35mph zone when he lost control of the vehicle as it veered into the curb and hit the fence. It’s unclear whether the crash was down to a driver error or a mechanical failure in the car. What is known however is that the mechanic should not have been driving the car at the time, let alone at such excessive speeds!
This is not the first story that has come out in recent years in regards to the bad luck Ferrari owners seem to have. For example, in 2010, another hapless mechanic lost control and destroyed a Ferrari worth £200,000 after taking it for a drive as part of its MoT. It’s safe to say that the owner was not happy to hear about this ‘quick’ road test!
Another example happened more recently in Croatia, when a van had lost control of its brakes, slamming into a parked Ferrari spider worth £120,000 and pushing the front end of the car into the sea.
Luckily with all of these incidents, no one was majorly hurt or injured, apart from the owners’ feelings, as well as their cars!
What’s particularly sad about the Ferrari F40 however is the fact that the owner had previously bought it 20 years ago, brand new. For many Ferrari enthusiasts, this model is believed to be one of Ferrari’s greatest cars ever built and is one of the last cars to be made before the company founder, Enzo Ferrari stepped down as founder and managing director of the company. It would therefore be a shame to see it written off, which is looking likely from the damage to the frame.
This should be a warning to all Ferrari owners. When taking your pride and joy for a ‘routine check-up’, make sure you can trust who you’re leaving it with. It might also be a good idea to ensure you’re covered with Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP) Insurance.
If your car is stolen or written off then GAP Insurance will pay out the difference between the price you paid for your vehicle and the value that your insurer will pay out after depreciation.
Premiums start from just £115 for 3 years cover and GAP Insurance will cover any car up to the value of £150,000. It might be too late for the Ferrari F40 owner but not for you to protect your own investment!
Visit eInsurance Group for all your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
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Friday, 19 August 2011
To beat a car thief you must first think like a car thief...
There is no worse feeling for any driver than returning to your car only to find that it has been broken into, or even worse has been stolen all together. Whether it’s your £300 P Reg Fiesta or your £1m Bugatti Veyron, there is always the fear that when you leave your car, you’re leaving it in the hands of opportunistic car thieves.
Search the web and you’ll find thousands of articles that give you advice on how to keep your car safe. Here at eInsurance, we’ve decided to compile the best bits of advice from these articles into one handy list that will hopefully minimise your chances of becoming the latest victim of car theft.
•Buy a Ford Ka.
Between 2004-11, confused.com claimed that not one car theft had involved a Ford Ka. When questioning ex-burglar Michael Fraser, they discovered that one of the possible reasons for this may be because they are not very desirable cars in terms of ‘street cred’ in the crime world. Therefore cars such as BMWs, Jaguars and Range Rover Sports should be replaced with a Chevrolet Matiz or a Hyundai i10 Comfort, which are much less at risk to car theft, even if you may lose some ‘street cred’ points in the process!
•Get a tracker fitted.
A study has found that over 90% of vehicles with a tracking device installed that were stolen in the first half of 2011 were recovered, with 80% being returned to the owner within 24 hours. As many car thieves have discovered, it’s becoming much harder to physically break in and steal a car, which means that they focus on home burglary or assault in order to obtain the keys. A tracking device is an extra layer of security for your car should all else fail. Our sister company CVD have teamed up with security specialists Sure-Track to save you over £100 on the purchase of a wireless tracking unit. Many sites say that this should be a necessity for all vehicles, so click here to find out more and save money.
•Turn your wheels when you park/ ensure you steeling wheel is locked.
Many people advise that when you park your car, you should always turn the wheels to face the curb or towards another car next to you. This makes it much harder for thieves to move it, meaning they would have to put more time and risk into stealing it, thus making it more likely for them to move on from your vehicle. Most cars should now have a steering lock system installed, where the steering wheel will lock into place when the keys are pulled out. It’s always a good idea to ensure that your steering wheel is locked into place before leaving your car, which again will make it much more difficult for car thieves.
•The usual...
Make sure your car is locked, keep any valuables out of sight (or take these with you) and wipe off any marks on your windscreen that might have been made from your sat-nav holder. These may all be pieces of advice that people have heard a thousand times, but many still fail to abide by them. Anything that is left on show that can suggest to thieves your car will contain something of value will make it more of a risk. So regardless of the situation, if you’re running late or in a hurry for example, always ensure you follow these basic rules.
•The importance of having the right insurance.
Earlier this year, the government made it compulsory for everyone in the UK who owned a car to have it insured, whether you were driving it or not. But making sure you have the right type of insurance for you is very important. When getting a new policy, always ensure you’ve told the truth on your insurance application to ensure you are fully covered for any situation. For car insurance, honesty really is you best policy.
Whilst many of you may already know what is written above, the fact is that those who are victim to car theft are found to have not followed these pieces of advice. Car thieves hunt for those who are in a hurry or the ‘it won’t happen to me’ types of people. So the one time you may leave a valuable item in the back seat may be the time you find that your car has been broken into.
Whist all these things may be seen as an inconvenience or an extra expense you could do without, it can only take one moment of negligence to find that you have fallen victim to car theft. Security measures for vehicles are always changing, as are car thieves’ methods, so it’s always a good idea to keep up to date with the latest security measures and to ensure you keep as safe as possible.
If you want to sort out your car insurance right away, visit eCar, an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
Tune in on YouTube
Search the web and you’ll find thousands of articles that give you advice on how to keep your car safe. Here at eInsurance, we’ve decided to compile the best bits of advice from these articles into one handy list that will hopefully minimise your chances of becoming the latest victim of car theft.
•Buy a Ford Ka.
Between 2004-11, confused.com claimed that not one car theft had involved a Ford Ka. When questioning ex-burglar Michael Fraser, they discovered that one of the possible reasons for this may be because they are not very desirable cars in terms of ‘street cred’ in the crime world. Therefore cars such as BMWs, Jaguars and Range Rover Sports should be replaced with a Chevrolet Matiz or a Hyundai i10 Comfort, which are much less at risk to car theft, even if you may lose some ‘street cred’ points in the process!
•Get a tracker fitted.
A study has found that over 90% of vehicles with a tracking device installed that were stolen in the first half of 2011 were recovered, with 80% being returned to the owner within 24 hours. As many car thieves have discovered, it’s becoming much harder to physically break in and steal a car, which means that they focus on home burglary or assault in order to obtain the keys. A tracking device is an extra layer of security for your car should all else fail. Our sister company CVD have teamed up with security specialists Sure-Track to save you over £100 on the purchase of a wireless tracking unit. Many sites say that this should be a necessity for all vehicles, so click here to find out more and save money.
•Turn your wheels when you park/ ensure you steeling wheel is locked.
Many people advise that when you park your car, you should always turn the wheels to face the curb or towards another car next to you. This makes it much harder for thieves to move it, meaning they would have to put more time and risk into stealing it, thus making it more likely for them to move on from your vehicle. Most cars should now have a steering lock system installed, where the steering wheel will lock into place when the keys are pulled out. It’s always a good idea to ensure that your steering wheel is locked into place before leaving your car, which again will make it much more difficult for car thieves.
•The usual...
Make sure your car is locked, keep any valuables out of sight (or take these with you) and wipe off any marks on your windscreen that might have been made from your sat-nav holder. These may all be pieces of advice that people have heard a thousand times, but many still fail to abide by them. Anything that is left on show that can suggest to thieves your car will contain something of value will make it more of a risk. So regardless of the situation, if you’re running late or in a hurry for example, always ensure you follow these basic rules.
•The importance of having the right insurance.
Earlier this year, the government made it compulsory for everyone in the UK who owned a car to have it insured, whether you were driving it or not. But making sure you have the right type of insurance for you is very important. When getting a new policy, always ensure you’ve told the truth on your insurance application to ensure you are fully covered for any situation. For car insurance, honesty really is you best policy.
Whilst many of you may already know what is written above, the fact is that those who are victim to car theft are found to have not followed these pieces of advice. Car thieves hunt for those who are in a hurry or the ‘it won’t happen to me’ types of people. So the one time you may leave a valuable item in the back seat may be the time you find that your car has been broken into.
Whist all these things may be seen as an inconvenience or an extra expense you could do without, it can only take one moment of negligence to find that you have fallen victim to car theft. Security measures for vehicles are always changing, as are car thieves’ methods, so it’s always a good idea to keep up to date with the latest security measures and to ensure you keep as safe as possible.
If you want to sort out your car insurance right away, visit eCar, an online insurance solution that will let you manage your car insurance whenever is suitable for you. As well as annual car insurance, we provide short term car insurance from 1 to 28 days and monthly car insurance in the form of a flexible Pay As You Go car insurance policy.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
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Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Pets really are good for you!
For those of you who don’t own pets, you may not fully understand why pet owners dedicate so much of their time, effort and attention to their furry members of the family. Recent stories have shown the extremes of this recently, with some pet owners finding their dogs a suitable partner to marry and 1 in 10 pets now having their very own Facebook pages!
But why is this? Why are these animals getting pampered to a life of luxury when some believe they will give nothing but a mess in the back garden back? A recent study published by the American Psychological Association may have the answer to this.
Most people generally depend of human interactions for social support, but can your pet cat give you similar results? It has been widely reported that for people with health problems, animals have been helpful in facilitating that said person’s emotional well-being and physical recovery. But this new study gives evidence that suggests that you don’t have to be ill to benefit from the company of animals.
Three studies aimed to see if everyday people did in fact benefit from their pets. They found that they had better self-esteem, were more socially communicative and generally less fearful than those who did not have an animal companion in their lives. They also found that when a participant had experienced rejection in their lives, their pets would give them a good level of support to make them feel better.
Participants were also asked to write about their favourite pet and one of their friends. The results from this showed that writing about a pet has the same positive effects as when they are writing about a friend.
This is the first study of its kind to focus on the benefits of pets to everyday people. Past studies have only focused on the benefits pets have to owners who are struggling with health problems.
So if your parents or loved ones are sceptical about adding a furry edition to the household, it might be worth bringing up the fact that pets have shown evidence of positively changing your life.
It may also be worth considering that if your pets are giving your all of these benefits to you, maybe it’s time to return the favour and show how much you care...
Visit ePet for pet insurance to protect against unforeseen incidents that can affect both your pet and your pocket. ePet offers a variety of policies to suit you and your pet. Each year 1 in 3 pets are injured or become ill and need urgent veterinary treatment. We can help cover the cost of these unexpected bills for as little as 13p a day, leaving you with the important job of helping your important member of the family back to full recovery.
Read more about this story here.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
Tune in on YouTube
But why is this? Why are these animals getting pampered to a life of luxury when some believe they will give nothing but a mess in the back garden back? A recent study published by the American Psychological Association may have the answer to this.
Most people generally depend of human interactions for social support, but can your pet cat give you similar results? It has been widely reported that for people with health problems, animals have been helpful in facilitating that said person’s emotional well-being and physical recovery. But this new study gives evidence that suggests that you don’t have to be ill to benefit from the company of animals.
Three studies aimed to see if everyday people did in fact benefit from their pets. They found that they had better self-esteem, were more socially communicative and generally less fearful than those who did not have an animal companion in their lives. They also found that when a participant had experienced rejection in their lives, their pets would give them a good level of support to make them feel better.
Participants were also asked to write about their favourite pet and one of their friends. The results from this showed that writing about a pet has the same positive effects as when they are writing about a friend.
This is the first study of its kind to focus on the benefits of pets to everyday people. Past studies have only focused on the benefits pets have to owners who are struggling with health problems.
So if your parents or loved ones are sceptical about adding a furry edition to the household, it might be worth bringing up the fact that pets have shown evidence of positively changing your life.
It may also be worth considering that if your pets are giving your all of these benefits to you, maybe it’s time to return the favour and show how much you care...
Visit ePet for pet insurance to protect against unforeseen incidents that can affect both your pet and your pocket. ePet offers a variety of policies to suit you and your pet. Each year 1 in 3 pets are injured or become ill and need urgent veterinary treatment. We can help cover the cost of these unexpected bills for as little as 13p a day, leaving you with the important job of helping your important member of the family back to full recovery.
Read more about this story here.
Visit eInsurance Group for your insurance needs
Follow us on Twitter
Friend us on Facebook
Tune in on YouTube
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