A word to the wise comes from Direct Line with a reminder that any modifications made to a vehicle change the risk profile and therefore the insurance premium.
Lots of car owners are making changes to their vehicles now, personalising them with new wheels, sound systems and much more. Drivers are advised by Direct Line to get in touch with their car insurance provider to let them know about these modifications and enable them to recalculate the premium. If this is not done then the vehicle insurance could well be invalid should a claim be made.
A Direct Line spokesperson did say that modifications that improve the safety or security of a vehicle would not usually see premiums increased, though most mods are usually about enhancing the looks or performance of a vehicle and so would incur costs.
Excellent first quarter results for the Admiral group have raised expectations for a record year through the rest of 2008.
Turnover for the car insurance provider was up by 14 percent in Q1 compared with the same time last year at GBP232 million. More excellent news came with the increase in customer numbers that was also recorded. Admiral saw the number of customers rise by 17 percent, a factor that leads them to consider the possibility of a record year.
The CEO from Admiral insurance said that they would keep delivering good results in spite of the difficult trading conditions they are dealing with. Car insurance is something that everyone needs and by being competitive they can win more market share.
The RAC is advising UK drivers to make sure they check their tyres regularly to avoid problems.
Having asked drivers about tyres it seems that a number of them are unaware of legal requirements regarding tread and also the general condition of the tyre. The RAC survey found 45 percent of drivers did not know that the minimum tread depth of a tyre is 1.6 mm. For female drivers this went up to 60 percent being unaware of the figure.
Tyres can be forgotten about quite easily but they are very important for road safety, general performance and also fuel economy. The RAC would like drivers to check their tyre condition and pressures at least weekly to avoid having a problem on the road.