Car Insurance Fundamentals

by: Christine Zafra

An interesting study conducted by one of Manchester University professors, George Beattie, was released to the public. The Manchester professor concluded that males tend to be more aggressive on the road because of the primitive set-up of our scientific forefathers. Males are the hunters of the society. They are the ones who are more likely to try to outmaneuver each other on the streets, always vying for that number one spot when it comes to speeding. This study shows that the risky behaviors of men are something natural and perhaps, no amount of restriction can hinder them from violating traffic rules.

Photo taken from http://www.cartoonstock.com

One thing you have to learn by heart when driving is that of defense driving. A lot of people think that if they already know how to hold that steering wheel, they know all the stuff about driving. Wrong. Although defense driving is taught in driving schools, not everyone takes it by heart.

Defense driving teaches you the basics on what you are going to in case a mishap is about to happen. An example of this is that of snow skidding. Some worn out tires have a hard time grasping on snow, and so, when the time comes that your tires suddenly give up, defense driving teaches you what to do (i.e. how to steer the wheel, what position should the gear be etc.).

Photo taken from http://www.ses.nsw.gov.au

Apart from the previous mentioned data gathered by Direct Line Car Insurance, it shows that almost 12 percent of the car owners have left some of their important documents visible to the public eye. This is in fact dangerous—more so if their cars have less or no tints at all. Direct Line Car Insurance interviewed some people and they found out that 7 percent of the drivers forgot to put aside their documents away from people’s visibility, and that 6 percent said that they have completely forgotten to lock their doors once or twice. These types of people are the favorites of those identity thieves, so better change your ways now if you don’t want your identity to be used by someone else.

Photo taken from http://www.whostolemyidentity.com

Identity theft is now the in “thing” amongst the criminals. Using others’ identities, criminals can do lots of things ranging from “small time” filling up of harmless forms, to damaging ones such as home and car insurance fraud. But, what’s more disturbing is the fact that a lot of the cases filed with regard to identity theft have something to do with the owner’s irresponsibility. According to Direct Line Car Insurance, 1/10 of all the parked cars on the streets either have their personal documents showing such as bank account statement, bills and others for passersby to see.

Photo taken from http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov

Residents of Connecticut are raging over one of the policies of insurance companies. They have rallied over the State Capitol, blowing their horns to protest about the efforts of some insurance companies to steer/direct their respective policyholders to their affiliated automobile repair shops.

This practice is in fact unfair for those motorists who have their own preferred auto repair shops. Most car owners would not want to trust their cars with other repair shops since they have no idea how these repair shops work. Also, insurance companies might get repair shops that have higher pricings compared to their preferred ones.

Photo taken from http://www.mustangautorepair.com

It seems like the movie Fast and Furious has made a lot of followers all over France. In 2007, a study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that a lot of drivers in France like to floor the accelerator… and the result? Lots of injuries and deaths related to car crashes in the said year. Now, to minimize, if not eradicated, these speeding addicts, France placed lots of cameras and speed traps on all highways to prevent speeding drivers from doing their thing.

It’s a good thing that France is actually doing something about it—more so since they are one of the top country manufacturers of some of the famous sports cars.

Photo taken from http://www.weeklygripe.co.uk

Get your copy of your policy and look at it. Do you see any “bodily injury liability” written there? That coverage is vital in any car insurance policy since, if you get involved in an accident, it protects both parties involved in many ways. This coverage covers your passengers’ and your medical expenses when you are rushed to a hospital, as well as the damage done to the other party (income loss within the period of injury is included). Aside from these, it also protects you from the future lawsuit the other party will file if ever you are found at fault.

Photo taken from http://matthewandmandy.blogspot.com

If your friends think driving under the influence (DUI) is cool, car insurance companies think otherwise. To protect their customers (and to further their financial opportunities perhaps?), insurance companies conduct different random checks on their clients and new applicants. If the insurance company finds out that you have been caught DUI even once, the insurance company can raise your premium if you’re an old policyholder, or increase the price of their premium on you if you’re applying for a new one. These companies wouldn’t want to put under their umbrellas irresponsible drivers and pay for their future damages.

Photo taken from http://www.peoriapd.com