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.
Endsleigh Insurance is warning homeowners that getting repairs and home improvement work done by non-approved people can mean home insurance is not valid, leaving the consumer unprotected.
Should the design or workmanship of a home improvement project be below the typical standard, or if unsuitable materials or tools are used, Endsleigh Insurance will not pay out for any claims made. They, along with many other insurers, will also refuse to pay when structural modifications that have been done on a DIY basis, lead to a buildings insurance claim.
The view of the insurer is that they are basing their premiums on the perceived risk of the property as described. If this changes, through a home improvement project for example, the insurer, be it Endsleigh home insurance or any other, needs to know about it, and to what standard it was done, so they can re-evaluate the risk profile.
More Than Insurance has confirmed what most parents already knew, that they show less patience than their children on car journeys over the summer.
Data gathered from the survey found about 10 percent of parents feeling the first signs of impatience and irritation in the first 10 minutes of a journey. More Than Insurance also found the average time parents can manage before they want the journey to end is just 24 minutes. Children on the other hand managed a full 90 minutes before feeling they needed to get out. Children do have the benefit of MP3 players, books and games in the car that greatly helps on the journey.
From a car insurance perspective it is important for parents to remain calm so as to retain full control of the vehicle and maintain their levels of alertness toward other road users. More Than Insurance hope this recent survey will highlight this need for parents, leading to safer and more relaxed journeys.
