News
Courts too lenient on Uninsured Drivers
UK Courts have been accused this week that they are being too lenient on
uninsured drivers. The figures released by the Home Office have highlighted the
fact that in 1997 the average fine for driving without adequate car or van
insurance was £224 compared with £177 in 2005. However the amount of cases
against people driving with car or van insurance have actually dropped from
397,133 in 1997 to 392,763 in 2005 (statistics only available up until 2005).
According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) people prepared to drive
without car or van insurance are 10 times more likely to have drink driving
convictions and 6 times more likely to be driving an unroadworthy vehicle.
With fines as low as £177 for driving uninsured it is hardly surprising that
there are over 2 million vehicles (according to the latest Government figures)
without car or van insurance considering the average fully comprehensive policy
costs £833 (according to AA figures)
New legislation introduced this year has now effectively ended the possibility
of serving a prison sentence for drivers who kill whilst driving without a
driving licence or valid insurance. The new rules handed down by the Sentencing
Guidelines Council, mean that judges are now more inclined to serve community
punishment orders instead of prison sentences.
The community punishment rule has been applied to all new motoring legislation
and introduces a charge for causing death by driving either disqualified,
unlicensed or uninsured. The maximum prison sentence for this is 2 years
however the courts have been told to only enforce this if the person driving
kills whilst already serving a driving ban.
Driving without adequate car or van insurance is very dangerous to everyone
involved. In order to protect yourself and members of the public you must
ensure that if you are driving for you are fully covered. For a fantastic van
insurance quote that offers complete peace of mind that you are fully insured
please click here.
Corporate Manslaughter Act’s effect on the Construction Industry
With the new legislation coming into effect on Sunday 6th April, UK companies
are being forced to make Health and Safety procedures their top priority.
Whereas in the past companies would usually go unpunished for deaths at work as
new law means that courts can take a wider perspective and view the collective
actions of senior management rather than looking for an individual to blame.
All companies, organisations and Government bodies will be affected by the new
law and if it deemed that a person’s death is the result of gross negligence of
the senior management unlimited fines and criminal records can be issued.
Although unlimited fines are already in place for other Health and Safety
legislation the thought is that fines for this will be in the region of 2.5% -
10% of the annual turnover. The courts also will have the power to publicise
the conviction and release all the details about the case.
The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 is due to have a
massive impact on construction companies as in 2006/07, 32% of all employee
deaths (241 in total) occurred in the construction industry. Disturbingly
however there have only been 34 prosecutions and 6 convictions since 1992
according to the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service)
How to protect your business:
-
Strict management of Sub-Contractors with an emphasis on their Health and
Safety credentials before employment
-
Proactive Health and Safety procedures and officers onsite to police them
-
Ensuring senior management have appropriate insurance in place (such as
Employer’s Liability Insurance)
-
Clear and visible Health and Safety signage
Ensuring good health and safety procedures is mostly common sense and installing
a proactive attitude in staff members is key to avoiding accidents at work.
Constructaquote even rewards companies with good Health and Safety records in
reducing the premiums on Public and
Employer’s Liability Insurance policies.
Which Trades make the most Liability Insurance Claims?
Recent research conducted by Constructaquote.com has revealed some interesting
facts about the types of people who make the most liability insurance claims.
The research involved looking at the occupations of liability insurance
claimants and the study involved over 20,000 trades people.
On average it was the building profession that reported the largest public and
employers liability claims. However it was the plumbing profession that made
the most claims closely followed by Carpenters and Electricians. Plasterers
reported the least amount of liability insurance claims.
There are two types of liability insurance. The first is public liability
insurance and this is designed to protect members of the public. If a member of
the public is injured through the work conducted on your premises then you or
your business can be held liable for any damages suffered. A public liability
insurance claim will therefore cover the injured person’s compensation, legal
expenses and hospital fees. Although public liability insurance isn’t a legal
requirement it is highly recommended as public liability claims can run into
millions of pounds and have serious consequences on a business.
The second type of liability insurance is employer’s liability insurance. For
any business operating in the UK it is a legal requirement to have employer’s
liability insurance if you have 1 or more employees. This type of liability
insurance allows businesses to pay for compensation and legal fees for injuries
that occur while at work though the fault of the employer.
It is very important when a claim is made to deal with it as soon as possible.
For example if a business puts in a claim for loss of earnings due to something
that was your fault then the compensation claims can continue to grow. Also
having your business in local media as not paying a claimant as quickly as
possible is only going to have a negative affect on your company and could
damage your recruitment opportunities in the future.
Constructaquote.com offers a fantastic liability insurance product that combines
public liability insurance and employers liability insurance for complete peace
of mind. The Liability Insurance products available through Constructaquote.com
encompass many unique benefits that will not be found anywhere else in the
market.
Other products available through Constructaquote.com include
Commercial Van Insurance, Goods
In Transit Insurance, Plant
and Material Insurance and a new
Business Support package which provides legal insurance to fully
protect your business. For more information about our Liability Insurance
offering or any of the other fantastic products available through
Constructaquote.com please visit or call us now on 08081 68 68 68.
Speed Bumps Giving Drivers the Hump!
Speed Bumps were first introduced as a measure to slow traffic and reduce the
risk of accidents. Seventeen years later and most motorists see them as an
annoying obstacle in the road, in fact recent research showed that 87% of UK
motorists would prefer to have them removed altogether.
One of the reasons for so many people holding such a point of view is that speed
bumps can cause damage to car and especially van exhausts (when fully laden),
radiators and suspension thus resulting in expensive car and van insurance
claims. In fact more than 30% of MOT failures each year are a result of
suspension damage. Others argue that speed bumps are very uncomfortable to
drive over especially for drivers with conditions such as osteoporosis.
There are devices now that van drivers in particular can install to their vans
to prevent their vehicles sinking, dipping and ‘bottoming out’ when fully
laden. Suspension muscle kits can be easily installed to a van which prevent
the vehicle sinking when carrying a full load. Such devices help ensure not
only a comfortable ride, but improve road handling which in turn lessens the
likelihood of accidents and ultimately van insurance claims.
Whichever point of view you hold whether speed bumps are a nuisance or a road
safety necessity, one thing is certain - they are here to stay.
Constructaquote views road safety, as with all issues of Health and Safety, with
the utmost importance. Van drivers with good driving records can receive great
discounts on their van insurance quotes
through Constructaquote. Constructaquote also offer a full suite of Commercial
Insurance products including Public and
Employer’s Liability Insurance,
Goods In Transit Insurance, Plant
& Material Insurance and Legal
Expenses Insurance designed to cover your business in any legal matter
.
Refurbishment Workers Risking their Lives
During February the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) carried out more than
1000 spot checks on sites being refurbished across the UK. The results were so
bad that 30% of sites were ordered to stop work immediately. The potential cost
to the companies in question could have been millions of pounds in employer’s
liability insurance claims had anything happened in what the HSE described as a
‘blatant disregard for safety’.
As well the closure of 30% of sites, a further 395 enforcement notices were
issued meaning that vast improvements are required for safe operations. The
results from February’s inspections are similar to that of last summer’s
campaign which issued enforcement notices to 1 out of every 3 sites.
A Health & Safety spokesperson stated that the 30% of inspected sites were
closed as it was felt that there was a real and imminent threat that life could
be lost or ruined through serious injury. If this had happened Employer’s
Liability Insurance claims could seriously damage businesses not only through
the insurance claim but through the damage to the company’s reputation.
The spokesperson went on to mention that poor health & safety standards
would not be tolerated whether at a building site or any other place of work.
The HSE strives to protect all workers through closing sites with unacceptable
safety standards) and prosecuting those responsible for them.
Constructaquote fully supports the HSE’s efforts for improving Health and Safety
in the Construction Industry. We offer not only offer free Health and Safety
advice but give excellent discounts on Public
and Employers Liability Insurance if a company can display a good
Health and Safety record.
SMS or the Road – What’s your eye on?
Amazingly, it’s been a year since penalties for using hand held mobile phones
were introduced. What’s more amazing is that almost half of UK motorists are
jeopardising their car or van insurance premiums by continuing the practice.
New research involving 2,000 UK motorists found that 45% of drivers admitted to
sending a text whilst driving.
Since the introduction of the penalties if you are caught using a mobile phone
while driving you would receive a £60 fine and 3 penalty points on your licence
(which can not only have serious effects on your car or van insurance premiums,
but your eligibility to drive under the ‘totting up’ rule). However such
penalties seem to have little effect with only 11% of motorists admitting to
switching their phone to mute or off whilst behind the wheel.
According to this research the highest levels of sending SMS whilst driving are
in London with 53% of participants admitting so. The lowest levels were
reported in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Bristol and Edinburgh.
In spite of these incredible figures, 75% of people believe that using a mobile
phone whilst driving endangers people’s health and safety. Findings unveiled by
Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick also found that the use of mobile phone
behind the wheel makes you up to four times more likely to be involved in an
accident.
Constructaquote.com actively promotes good health and safety methods whether it
be whilst driving or in a working environment. As such we offer discounts on
our all our insurance products whether it be Van
Insurance, Public Liability
Insurance, Goods In Transit
Insurance or Plant &
Material Insurance
Public Liability Insurance is a Must!
Insurance Industry Experts have spoken out today about public liability
insurance and the impact it has on UK business. They are now urging employers
to ensure they have adequate liability insurance to cover any costs of personal
accident claims. They have spoken out to outline the dangers of not being
covered with respect to being unable to pay claims that could arise. Public and
Employer’s Liability claims can run into millions of pounds and force
businesses to close unless they are adequately covered.
Although public liability insurance is not a legal requisite, it is highly
recommended that all businesses are adequately covered. Research completed back
in 2003 found that many customers who hire trades people to complete
renovations in their homes actually insist on them having public liability
insurance.
Liability insurance only becomes a legal requisite if you have people working
for you. Employer’s Liability Insurance provides insurance cover against any
claims by an employee as a result of their employer’s negligence.
To ensure that your business is completely covered Constructaquote.com offers
you the complete liability insurance package. When choosing a tailor-made
liability insurance quote from Constructaquote.com you will have the option to
choose from a panel of top UK insurers and to ensure complete peace of mind you
can have both Public and Employers Liability Insurance in one policy to cover
every eventuality.
Adequate Van Insurance is Essential to UK Businesses
Recent research has indicated the majority of van insurance customers believe
their commercial vehicle is essential to the survival of their business.
The study conducted by the AA involved 200 commercial van insurance clients in
the UK. It found that 59% of clients thought that the loss of their van would
hurt their business with almost a quarter believed they would lose money.
The survey highlights the significance of the commercial van to the UK industry
and how the loss of a business’ vehicle would severely damage earnings
therefore indicating the importance of having adequate van insurance. The
research also revealed the following key trades for which the commercial van is
most popular: Builders, Couriers, Shopkeepers and Electricians. It also showed
that 35% of van insurance customers and commercial van drivers were women.
Constructaquote understands the importance of Commercial Vans and their contents
to the UK Economy. As such Constructaquote offer unbeatable rates on
Goods In Transit and Commercial Van
Insurance.
Health and Safety Training Works!!!
New research commissioned by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health
(IOSH) found a clear correlation between the investment companies made in
Health and Safety training and the amount of accidents that occurred. The study
which included evidence from 101 contractors (employing over 200,00
construction workers) found that companies that vet sub contractors had a 60%
lower accident rate than those who don’t.
The study, which is the first of its kind conducted in the UK, suggests that
investment in Health & Safety personnel
and procedures is not only beneficial to staff but actually good for business.
Such measures reduce Employment absenteeism, and a good Health & Safety
record will be favoured by Insurance Companies as this could potentially
indicate a reduction in future Employer
Liability claims.
However IOSH officials have pointed out that it is important that Health &
Safety consultants are firstly qualified because currently the profession is
not legally regulated, which means anyone can call themselves a Health &
Safety ‘Expert’ without any training (the IOSH is currently petitioning for UK
– wide legal standards for everyone employed in the Health & Safety
profession).
The employment of under qualified Health and Safety personnel was shown in the
study to be counter productive as the study found that on average the more
qualified in Health and Safety the Line Manager on site resulted in a lower the
accident rate.
Constructaquote.com recognises the need for good Health and Safety and rewards
companies with good Health and Safety records with additional discounts on
public and Employer’s Liability
insurance premiums.
London Low Emission Zone launches on 4th February
In a bid to cut the amount of pollution and increase air quality many European
cities have initiated Low Emission Zones. Cities like Berlin, Cologne, Hanover
and Milan have all introduced such measures with many more European cities
joining in later in the year.
London has the most ambitious plan with the ‘London Low Emission Zone (LEZ)’
initiative covering the whole of Greater London making it the largest LEZ in
the world. The idea behind the proposal is to get the worst polluting
commercial vans, buses and coaches off the city streets with penalty charges of
£200 per day and fines of £1000.
The LEZ will affect diesel engined buses, coaches, minibuses and commercial vans
and lorries exceeding 1.205 tonnes (unladen weight). The introduction of the
LEZ will be staggered from February 2008 until January 2012 but will also
include specialist vehicles ranging from motorised horse boxes to refuse
collection vehicles The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone is using this
initiative to encourage businesses to clean up their commercial vans and
fleets.
According to Transport for London (TfL) figures this £600 million campaign is
likely to improve air quality in the London area by 11.6% by 2010.
Constructaquote can offer rates on commercial van insurance and can further
reduce these costs if you are insuring more than 3 commercial vehicles. For a
highly competitive van insurance quote please
click here.
DVLA Clampdown on Untaxed Vehicles
The DVLA and NCP started an initiative back in May 2006 with the goal of
removing untaxed vehicles from the roads as they are seen as a danger to the
general public. Incidentally many vehicles found without tax are also without
insurance and MOT’s.
Thanks to a new fleet of NCP monitoring vans, a record number of untaxed
vehicles are now being removed from UK roads. As many as 9,000 vehicles are now
being removed a month with annual figures expected to hit 100,000.
These new NCP vans are now fitted with Automatic Number Plate Reader (ANPR)
technology allowing them to scan up to 10,000 vehicles a day. This information
is then fed through wanted lists issued by the DVLA and the Police.
Vehicles found to be without a valid tax disc are likely to be clamped, towed
and in some cases crushed. A DVLA spokeswoman did however state that such
action would only be taken against offenders who have no intention of
purchasing tax as opposed to people who have missed their renewal date by a few
days.
In order to have a clamp removed from a vehicle the owner must produce a valid
tax disc and pay a release fee of £80. In order to get a vehicle released after
it has been towed and impounded the owner must pay a £160 fee plus storage fees
of £15 per day as well as producing a valid tax disc or surety payment. A
surety payment acts as a deposit for your tax and will cost £120 for a car or
motorcycle and up to £600 for other vehicles. This payment will be refunded
once your vehicle has been taxed and a valid tax disc produced. If however a
valid tax disc is produced within 2 weeks you will forfeit the surety payment.
Unclaimed vehicles that have been impounded are likely to be crushed after a
7-day period.
This new zero tolerance approach will also help reduce the amount of illegal and
unsafe vehicles on the road. This is due to the fact that a tax disc can only
be purchased with a valid car, motorcycle or van insurance certificate and MOT.
If you require a highly competitive commercial van insurance quote please
click here Constructaquote also offers a variety of commercial
insurance products including Goods
In Transit, Plant and
Material and Public and
Employer’s Liability Insurance.
Traditional Building Methods Back On Top
With new regulations coming into force over the next couple of years to combat
climate change, the cost of building new homes is going to increase. Challenges
such as energy efficiency, carbon footprints and waste emissions are now
leading the construction industry to look for alternative building techniques
in order to keep costs down.
As a result an increasing number of UK construction companies are now resorting
to the use of timber frame in the building of residential homes. In fact the
timber home market has increased at a rate of 10% per year since 2004, this
figure has passed the 50% mark for Scotland.
As timber is a lightweight material, timber frame home construction requires
much less groundwork beforehand reducing the energy requirements needed. Also
once the homes are built they offer remarkable thermal efficiency reducing the
ongoing costs of fuel to heat it.
The use of timber as a major construction material will not only benefit the
environment but also the economy. An increased demand for local timber will not
only generate more jobs but also reduce the transport costs incurred by
construction companies.
Before you begin any commercial construction project it is essential that you
have sufficient commercial insurance including liability insurance. If you
require a highly competitive public liability insurance quote please
click here. Constructaquote also provides highly competitive,
Goods In Transit, Plant &
Material and Van Insurance Quotes.
Uninsured Drivers raising Premiums on Car and Van Insurance
The cost of uninsured motoring in the UK has reached approximately £500,000,000
each year according to the Association of British Insurers. To compensate for
this, insured motorists are having to pay in excess of £350,000,000 in extra
insurance premiums.
In research conducted by the British Insurance Broker’s Association (Biba)
concluded that the likelihood of an uninsured motorist being involved in an
accident is eight times greater than that of an insured driver. These
staggering figures have resulted in insured motorists having to pay an extra
£30 per year in insurance premiums.
The Motor Insurer’s Bureau (MIB) believes that the demographic group most likely
to drive without insurance is young males. Even through programmes designed to
raise awareness of the importance of having adequate car, motorcycle or
van insurance many still don’t understand the risks and consequences of
driving uninsured. The MIB’s figures show that 15% of drivers admitting to
driving without insurance were between 17 and 21 years of age and even more
astonishing 48% were under 30.
Car, motorcycle and van insurance is not only a legal requirement but if you are
caught driving without adequate insurance you are likely to receive penalty
points on your licence plus a fine. Penalty points on your licence will not
only have a detrimental effect on your ability to drive legally in the UK (thus
affecting your business) but will also increase your insurance premiums when it
comes to renewal.
If you require a highly competitive van insurance quote please
click here.
Millions of drivers on UK roads without Car or Van insurance
According to Government figures, there are more than 2 million vehicles on UK
roads without car or van insurance To
put that into perspective, 1 in 15 vehicles are being driven uninsured.
This not only leads to an increase in car and van insurance premiums but
research conducted by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has indicated
that uninsured motorists are more likely to stop after an incident and ten
times more likely to ignore the drink driving regulations.
An MP reported that Department for Transport figures showed an increase of
100,000 uninsured motorists in one year, with the amount accounting for 6.5% of
vehicles on UK roads (2.1 million vehicles). In a press release she stated that
it is the law-abiding citizens who end up paying the price. In this case it is
estimated that uninsured drivers add an extra £30 on car and van insurance
premiums.
In a Parliamentary response, Transport Minister Jim Fitzpatrick stated that
there was recent evidence from insurance companies that for the year 2006 there
was a 4.2% decrease in the amount of compensation claims for victims of
uninsured drivers.
The Government is trying to tackle this problem with the introduction of new
technology such as automatic registration plate recognition and the improved
police powers enabling them to seize vehicles.
Car and Van insurance is not only a legal requirement but if you are caught
driving without adequate insurance you are likely to receive penalty points on
your licence plus a fine. Penalty points on your licence will not only have a
detrimental effect on your ability to drive legally in the UK (thus effecting
your business) but will also increase your car or van insurance premiums when
it comes to renewal.
If you require a highly competitive quote on your van insurance please
click here
12th October 2007 - Cost of Car and Van Insurance Claims outweighs Inflation
Rate
Bodily injuries in car and van insurance claims in the UK are far outweighing
the rate of inflation according to a major new study.
Over a 10 year period (between 1996 and 2006) the Fourth U.K. Bodily Injury
Awards Study (published by the Association of British Insurers and the
International Underwriting Association) reported the reason of the rise in
total costs was due to an increase in claims and the average value of these
claims.
During this time Private Car and Commercial
Van Insurance Companies saw injury claims climb by an annual rate of
9.5% which is much higher than the 4.3% increase in national average earnings
for the UK between 1996 – 2006.
Between 1996 – 2006, the study found that there was a 19% reduction in the
amount of deaths and injuries on our roads although there was a 3% increase in
the amount of claims reported. The most significant increase in car and van
insurance claims was in the £2,000 and £5,000 bracket (this is the bracket that
most whiplash claims will fall into).
This Study investigated more than 2 million car and
van insurance claims provided by more than 20 insurance companies. This
equates to 90% of the bodily injury claims within the 10 year period.
In order to protect against such risks, constructaquote.com offers very
competitive van insurance quotes and has been recognised for an award-winning
claims service.
For a highly competitive van insurance quote please
click here. Constructaquote also cover a range of commercial insurance
needs whether it be Plant and
Material, Goods In Transit
or Public Liability Insurance we
can provide the cover you require.
16th February 2007 - Constructaquote Goes Live
Constructaquote.com - the only home for construction
insurance
Constructaquote.com which was launched earlier this month, is
poised to revolutionise the way Tradesmen buy their insurances. The site allows
contractors to compare insurance quotes for Liability, Van, Goods in Transit
and Plant and Materials from over 15 insurers online.
Constructaquote.com has been designed to serve the insurance
needs of those working in the Construction Industry and only the Construction
Industry.
Unlike other sites, Constructaquote.com provides contractors
with instant quotations from multiple household name insurers and, even more
impressively – e-mails your policy documents to you immediately upon acceptance
of cover.
Constructaquote.com offers the following products:
Tradesman’s Public and Employers Liability insurance
Plant, Materials and Tools insurance
Goods in Transit (including Tools) insurance
Van insurance
All products in the Constructaquote.com range are unsurpassed
both for cover and price.
As well as providing you with quotations, the site has been designed to keep you
informed. You can compare the products that are on offer from insurers for your
various covers so you can make an informed decision about your insurances. We
will also keep you updated of any developments which may affect you whilst also
providing direct links to other useful websites.
Constructaquote.com has already been hailed as an exceptional
site and it will continue to develop, already plans are afoot to offer even
more insurers to the Constructaquote.com panel as well as
continually adding to the products available and functionality of the website.