Apparently 1 in 6 drivers would never leave their insurance details and 45% would only consider it if it looked serious, despite careless car parking costing a reported £1.3 billion of damage.

The majority of these incidents are happening on the street where drivers are forced to pull out of tight spots and are generally in a rush.

The consequence of this is that victims on average end up paying out £1800 in repair costs for damage caused by so-called ‘prank and runs’ and even risk losing their no-claims bonuses when making a claim. Furthermore, victims usually end up paying out a hefty ‘excess’ charge on top.

Insurance experts at eQuoteDirect who specialise in car insurance and motor trade insurance have advised being careful where you park and when you can, avoiding tight spots where another car might try to squeeze in near yours making it vulnerable to damage.

A spokesperson for eQuoteDirect, comments: ‘Most of the time these incidents are unfortunately unavoidable, as in busy built-up areas where parking is limited accidents can happen. However if there is another parking option available or somewhere with more room for tricky manoeuvres, this is probably a much safer option for somewhere to leave your car’.

The study also reported that the majority of cases occur where the owner of the car isn’t in the car. Therefore, when the owner returns to the scene they are usually left with evidence of the prang but no contact details owning up to the accident by the person responsible.

eQuoteDirect also warn car owners that even those who aren’t involved in an accident are paying the cost for these accidents as every case pushes up the cost of car insurance – and the number of prangs looks set to rise.

eQuoteDirect have been protecting dealers for years – negotiating with providers for tailor-made motor trade insurance policies on their behalf.  Their services are set to be in popular demand as the need for quality protection increases because of rising used car values.

MotorTrader.com recently reported that a lack of quality used cars on the market is effectively forcing up values.  This means auto traders are buying used cars that are in greater need of repair and then channelling more energy, and funds, into refurbishment – which is damaging ROIs.  eQuoteDirect are offering their services to dealers who need to protect these investments.

The brokers are encouraging dealers to cover themselves, especially if they are purchasing stock based on estimated sales, instead of guaranteed orders.  The cars on the forecourt have become more valuable through their own rarity – traders cannot afford to incur damages to them.

A spokesperson for eQuoteDirect commented:

‘The used car market is becoming increasingly competitive as traders contend with each other to acquire the most profitable stock.  Once acquired, that stock needs protection – perhaps now more than ever.  That is where we can come in and broker a policy for dealers – one that is custom built specifically for their business.’

Meanwhile, there are encouraging signs of a healthy increase in January new car sales in the USA, which eQuoteDirect are viewing with some positivity.  The industry on a whole is constantly changing but the adaptable brokers are always on standby to help their clients secure adequate motor traders insurance.

Market researchers Finaccord, recently revealed that more companies are seeking commercial fleet insurance year on year.  The increase indicates how savvy businesspeople have become when applying for insurance – discounts are available through these specialist deals, especially when operating through a qualified broker.

Brokers assess the overall record of a fleet and if drivers are well trained – the likelihood of accidents goes down and so too can the price of insurance.  Winter driving courses can be obtained fairly cheaply through bulk orders and are well worth the effort.  Qualifications alone may or may not bring insurance quotes down but the resulting driving behaviour will pay huge dividends in the long run.

Outlining the extent of your desired insurance to a broker can prep them to go off and negotiate a tailor made policy for your fleet.  With a trained set of drivers, your claims will be at a minimum and with that clean record, brokers have an even better chance of finding an inexpensive package for you.

Intensive and defensive driver training courses are widely available online for commercial fleets.  Utilising these in conjunction with good industry practice can go a long way to ensuring your drivers are advanced enough to keep the risk of accidents extremely low – in turn, your fleet car insurance will be diluted to a very attractive amount and with a broker’s help, it may be even cheaper.

Brokers know the applicable risks associated with your business and together you can seek not only cheap insurance but adequate insurance too.  Should a trained driver have a mishap and need to claim, your brokered deal can guarantee you are covered – providing you outline that risk area to your broker before signing a deal.

The sophisticated system has the potential to inform insurers of things like average speed, distance and hard braking frequency.  BMW plan to install the systems into all their new cars by 2015.  Telematics software works in a similar way to GPS navigation and calculates the data, before forwarding it to the insurer who can run assessments accordingly and quote people with much more accurate and fair insurance quotes.

It is particularly useful for firms seeking motor fleet insurance because they too can examine the driving patterns of their staff.  With fuel consumption being monitored in real-time too, companies can address eco-friendly drivers and encourage others to follow their lead.

If a company car or truck is involved with an accident, the software can be used to judge the driver’s responsibility in the incident.  It is a major step forward for the industry but there are teething problems predicted.  For example, moderating responsibility in an accident can be difficult if only one of the vehicles involved is equipped with telematics software.

Still, discussing the benefits of telematics with a qualified insurance broker is the best way to decide if a business should opt to install the software to its vehicles.  The Insurance Times takes a positive standpoint on telematics, highlighting its advantages on top of its aid to fleet insurance i.e. improved analytics, fuel efficiency and fraud prevention.

An indirect negative is that the software itself needs to be insured and can be exempt from cover with certain policies.  Again, experienced brokers listen to specific requirements and make sure the package received protects the vehicles in question for everything – these are the best people to speak to regarding new insurance-related technologies.

Fully qualified instructors are the safest drivers on the road, so too are their pupils while being supervised.  The instructors who put the effort in between lessons are even safer and ensure their car is always fit to withstand a day of unintentional abuse from novice drivers.  These are the teachers who can benefit from lower driving instructor insurance quotes.

A neglected vehicle is prone to engine and clutch failure but more importantly, it can be susceptible to brake failure.  Emergency-stops put pressure on the brake fluid and if this is at a low level, the pressure may be too much and the car won’t stop in time – which is particularly dangerous when instructors need to intervene.

Learner drivers probably use their indicators more than regular motorists but if they are not working, it can be hard to identify the fault from inside older cars without dashboard warning lights.  Therefore, it can be hard for following roadsters to perceive the intentions of a learner who is driving without operational indicators and can switch lanes erratically in confusion.

Car maintenance goes a long way in general but it is even more important for instructors.  The safety of the learner is paramount, along with their own safety but damage to their vehicle is damage to their income and without insurance they could be out of pocket – just because they failed to identify a single vehicle fault.

There are ways to lower driving instructor car insurance premiums such as teaching during off-peak hours only but it is imperative for the instructor to notify their insurer about such specific information in order to get the discount.  Not all insurers will adjust quotes for teaching hours etc, but insurance brokers will.

Applying for insurance through a broker allows instructors to discuss their whole operation and the broker will then create a bespoke insurance package to match – a package which can work out cheaper and provide more extensive cover.

If you are subject to a driving conviction during working hours there is no doubt an offence such as a speeding conviction can be damaging on your business’ reputation. However you do not want to ruin this reputation further by not paying for your insurance. After a conviction many insurance providers will charge costly premiums to compensate for the damage you have caused with this conviction. As a result some van drivers may not be able to afford such high costing insurance so refuse to pay and end up driving on the roads without full convicted van insurance.

Driving without any insurance is an offence in itself but once you add your convictions into the equation then you are taking an even bigger risk. If customers of your van driving business find out about this then the damage to your reputation can mean that your customers or clients may choose competitor businesses over yours. If this happens you may then be left with a loss of income or even worse one of your customers could inform the authorities.

Convicted van insurance is the best approach to take should you have driving convictions held against you. As this shows insurance companies that you are willing to start afresh. Also it shows to your customers that you are trying to get back on track with your driving and realise there was a problem previously so just want to get everything back to normal with the full level of cover. This reassures your customers as they know you are fully covered should a claim occur while you are working off your convictions.

After you have proven yourself to your insurance company that you are on the right track, you may eventually be able to change from convicted van insurance to a standard van insurance policy and will find premiums lower than they would be should you have instantly chosen standard insurance after your conviction.

As a motor trade business can be classed as either someone who sells or buys cars and also anyone involved in the repairing of vehicles, there is quite a broad spectrum of different motor trade businesses. Bearing this in mind, you may think that due to this, it would be highly expensive to take out effective motor trade insurance as you could end up paying extra for cover that is not specific to your motor trade business. This is why it is good to follow a specialised motor trade insurance policy when taking out your insurance.

To make sure you get an affordable policy, it is best to take out a specialised motor trade insurance policy as this can be completely bespoke to your motor trade business. This bespoke approach means you can select anything you would like to have included in your policy whilst removing any costly unnecessary extras. By having the option to remove these extras you are able to reduce the cost of your overall motor trade insurance policy without compromising on losing the important aspects of cover that you require.

Another advantage to the bespoke and specialised motor trade insurance cover is that it is completely unique to your business. This is beneficial in case you feel your business could also benefit from adding another policy on top such as professional indemnity insurance. By following a specialised insurance policy, insurance brokers will be able to advise you exactly of what is required to adequately protect your business from any claims. Once it is all easily and affordably arranged you can get back to business without worrying about costs of claims as motor trade insurance provides you with the confidence that everything is taken care of.

If you just take out standard car insurance, this is a very dangerous risk to take as although you will be covered your student driver will not be covered. This can take serious effect should your student driver be driving the vehicle and an accident occurs as your current car insurance policy will not cover the costs of claims meaning you or even your student driver will have to pay  the costs from their own pocket. Having comprehensive driving instructor insurance means extra considerations are taken into account to protect you or your student driver having to pay out money to cover the costs of claims.

As a driving instructor you are at risk of liability every day. As you have vulnerable and inexperienced drivers behind the wheel regularly you can never be fully prepared for an accident on the road.  Standard car insurance does not take into account this risk meaning you could be held accountable for the cost of the claim if your current car insurance provider refuses to pay out. However, driving instructor insurance includes this into each policy. As you and your student will be fully protected in the event of a claim with driving instructor insurance, you can be comforted to know that there is no need to panic in the event of an accident on the road as your insurance provider will be able to provide you with the necessary costs.

The great thing about taking out driving instructor insurance is that if you are unsure about what kind of policy or insurance requirements your driving school business needs or what is legally required, you can seek advice from specialised driving school insurance brokers. By gaining this advice you will be given the confidence that everything is covered, so you can get back on the road to teach the future drivers of tomorrow.

If you own a business that requires a fleet of vehicles to operate on a daily basis, you should make sure you are appropriately covered in the event of a claim being made against one of the drivers or one of your vehicles in your fleet. Unfortunately accidents do happen frequently on our roads and although you cannot foresee if an accident that may be subject to a claim can happen, you can ensure that every vehicle in your fleet is adequately covered with fleet insurance.

This level of insurance is quite specialised, as a business may have vehicles in their fleet ranging from everything from bicycles to trucks, so it is very important that you take out the correct level of insurance cover as an incorrect policy could result in you not being appropriately covered in the event of a claim. However, there are many fleet insurance providers that can offer a bespoke policy that uniquely caters to the type of fleet of vehicles that you are in possession of. A bespoke approach rivals a standard policy as you can feel comforted to know that every vehicle is fully insured. A standard policy that caters only to vans or trucks is no use if you have cars in your fleet.

Another thing you will find with fleet insurance is that there is also the option to have a company car insured. This is quite beneficial for companies that have employees who have to travel to meetings on a weekly basis as you can then offer them a company car which can subsequently be insured on your fleet insurance policy rather than having to take out individual policies per vehicle. From a cost saving perspective, you can also save quite a lot of money from insuring your fleet of company cars on a group fleet insurance policy rather than individually.

Even if you are a courier service operating in a city and have a selection of bikes that your courier employees use, if you choose a bespoke policy or a bike specific fleet insurance policy then you will be able to provide adequate cover for your employees should they be involved in a claim. There are many things that your insurance provider can assist you with costs for should a claim occur. Claims can be anything from accidents on the road to breakdowns and repairs. Once you know that your entire fleet has comprehensive insurance you can feel comforted to know that you are fully and financially prepared in the event of a claim.

Having comprehensive HGV insurance shows that you are legally able and qualified to drive a high goods vehicle, be it a truck or a lorry so it is imperative that you ensure you have adequate cover. Some insurance companies may not provide you with full cover that you require such as breakdown assistance or even accidents on the road. If you do not have adequate HGV insurance then in the event of a claim being made against you, you could be held as liable and risk court action if your insurance company will not pay up for any costs to pay for the claim.

Luckily, if you are confused over the legal HGV insurance requirements there is a specialised approach to HGV insurance that is the best option to follow. With this level of insurance you have the facility to deal with insurance brokers who specialise in HGV insurance, meaning they know the legal requirements and what extras you need and which ones you don’t. Specialised insurance brokers are constantly kept up to date with the legal requirements for HGVs and as laws can change frequently they are able to update you constantly on whether or not you have the correct level of protection. By taking this approach you can be confident in knowing that you are legally in line with the law’s requirements for drivers that use HGV vehicles.

There is no denying that a run in with the police over failure to present adequate HGV insurance can be highly damaging. This can extend to financial damage and reputation damage, as customers and clients are more likely to choose a HGV service if the drivers and vehicles are all covered by insurance. Therefore it is highly worth realising how a small investment into HGV insurance can pay off greatly in the future by avoiding any reputation loss or financial damage.