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.
After a study of the data gained through the Tesco car insurance comparison site it has been found that car choice is determined a lot by the age of the driver.
The typical Jaguar driver, for example, is 47 years old, whilst if it is a Mercedes then they will be, on average, 43. Moving down a little on the age groups, Volvo drivers tend to be around 42 whilst Porsche drivers, specifically of the 911, Boxster and Cayenne will be around 40 years old.
These marques are only a small sample from the full list, but one thing that is immediately apparent is that, with the average value of these cars higher than the general runabout drivers may well need to be 40 plus in order to get car insurance cover at a reasonable premium, from Tesco Finance or anyone else.
Kwik Fit Insurance has taken steps to meet future legislation by investing in electronic car insurance certificate equipment.
The legislation to enable the delivery of electronic car insurance certificates is expected to arrive in 2009, making it easier to fulfil the needs of approximately 70 percent of Kwik Fit Insurance customers who buy their car insurance cover online. It also reduces costs, with less administration needed through the process.
There can be issues with electronic communication, especially regarding identity fraud, but Kwik Fit Insurance are investing in this new system to protect against such issues, which should be reassuring to customers and road users alike.