Month: February 2018

To keep the premium rates affordable, you must focus on safe driving

Insurance companies want to provide coverage because they basically think you are worth protecting. For them, there are generally two types of customers: safe-driver (which is the preferred class) and high-risk driver. Each type receives different treatments as the former has the bigger advantages such as discounts and generally cheaper rates. On the other hand, providing coverage for high-risk drivers is quite risky; insurers think that those drivers have tendencies to get involved in accidents. Based on this assumption, high-risk drivers will have to pay more without discounts and other good benefits. You are categorized as either safe or high risk type based on DMV’s data concerning driving records. Traffic offenses such as speeding, reckless driving, or driving while intoxicated are some of most important violations which will adversely affect your premium. Not wearing seat-belt is probably a minor one, which can be dismissed from the record after paying fines, will probably never affect anything. You can actually figure out whether you are in the “safe-driver” or “high-risk” category by using car insurance estimator; this tool provides a simple way to use some of your personal data to determine the cost.

Why Traffic Tickets Increase Your Premium Rate

Traffic laws are written to keep everybody who uses the roads safe. Hundreds of different routes have distinguishing features, for example speed limit, number of lanes, signals, road signs, etc. When obeyed properly by everyone, there is almost no possibility of accidents. Failure to comply with all the rules put everybody to risk of fatal injuries due to road accidents. You are not allowed to keep on going at red lights, speeding at school area, or driving to the wrong direction on certain lanes. Even if those offenses do not end up in accidents, you will be pulled over if you commit any of them. You will receive a fine for those violations. The fine are documented by DMV, attached to your records, and eventually will be checked by your insurers. If any important violation appears on the records, your company can simply transfer you from safe-driver category to the high-risk one, meaning you need to pay higher for the coverage. In worst case, your policies will be cancelled. When your policies are cancelled, it can be very difficult to get full coverage insurance, unless you purchase the policies from new insurers who accept high-risk drivers as customers.

A different traffic ticket affects the rate differently as well; some will only increase the premium slightly, while others can break the bank. Parking fines will not affect premium no matter how many you have collected. The biggest problem they can cause is vehicle registration renewal difficulties, but they will never increase your rate. A DUI (Driving under Influence), however, can be quite a problem. There are some types of citations including minor, major, and criminal. More severe offense means greater consequences. Some of the most common citations that will simply increase are excessive speeding, driving while intoxicated, careless or reckless driving, and driving without insurance. Each of them is considered major violation simply because it increases the likelihood of fatal accidents which end up in heavy injuries.

Note that accidents are not the only variables on driving records. There are many other things that they use to determine rates. It means even if you are never involved and at-fault in accidents, any fine will be enough for insurers to charge you more for the coverage. If you think the increase is too much, you can always find new less expensive insurer as long as you meet the minimum coverage requirement in your state. Some websites provide car insurance calculator services for not cost at all, meaning you can estimate the cost before even asking for the quotes. If you properly enter personal data, kind of car, and driving records, the results of the calculation will be accurate.

How Much Will My Rates Increase?

It is difficult to determine the actual amount of the increase. There are some important factors playing their roles such as the specific laws in your state and contractual agreement. A single auto fine for a minor infraction may not increase the rate at all. Your insurer will also consider your previous driving record. If this is your first offense and you have been good customer so far, you will probably be able to discuss the issue and ask them to ignore it. However, a DUI ticket is very serious and there is very little chance that you can get away with it without paying more for the coverage. Your driver license can be suspended for this offense as well. Also, repeated offense is often a reason that insurer cancels your policy. Some companies will not give coverage to high-risk driver, meaning you need to find new insurer before you can reinstate driver license. There are some big firms providing coverage for high-risk drivers; most even give free auto insurance quotes to potential customers. You can compare the quotes to find one that is suitable for your circumstances before deciding to make a purchase.

Please put in mind that any increase in the premium will only occur during renewal. You will probably not realize the increase months after the offense is committed. Bottom line, the best way to avoid any increase is to drive safely obeying any law and road sign you see while you are driving. If you stay on the safe side, your insurer has almost no reason to ask for more money to provide coverage for you. If you drive safe, any increase should be normal or caused by certain circumstances such as changing address to a more crowded area or bad credit score.

A different firm has different rules. You need to consult insurance agents or call your insurers for the details. Some of them simply cannot afford to provide coverage for high-risk driver, and they will cancel your policy due to any major infraction you commit. Luckily, you can find new insurer easily via Internet; you can access almost any company’s official website to get quick car insurance quote. It eliminates the hassles of making appointments with agents or making phone calls to all companies in your state. This is probably the quickest way to get back insured after policy cancellation.

About Parking Tickets

As previously mentioned, parking fines are highly unlikely to increase estimates. Other violations including Driving while intoxicated and speeding have clear correlations with the likelihood of accidents, but that almost has nothing to do with it. Parking tickets are non-moving violation, meaning the offense is committed while the vehicle is not moving. You will receive this fine if you park in the wrong place, such as fire zone or handicap park area. Furthermore, it does not demonstrate any lack of skill as driver. A parked vehicle is not liable for accident; even when the parked auto is involved in an accident, the fault rest on the moving vehicle that crashes into it. A driver must avoid fixed object of any kind including parked auto. When the vehicle is parked (even in the wrong place), it does not pose risk to insurer and will not affect your rates.

The problem is that being not-at-fault does not always mean that your company will pay for the repair. It certainly depends on the coverage you have. There are various types of coverage including comprehensive, liability, collision, medical payment, etc. A minimum requirement may not cover hit-and-run cases, for example when your parked auto is hit by another driver in a moving vehicle.

Parking tickets cause driver license suspension

While parking fines will not directly affect rates, they can unfortunately cause driver license suspension. It will only occur if you get too many tickets and you fail to pay the fines in time. A fine in a parking lot is considerably cheap, but many of them can be very expensive. Suspended driver license means you are not allowed to drive anymore, or you cannot legally drive your car anywhere. The companies will only want to provide coverage for legal drivers, and suspended license can cause policy cancellation. In such case, you need to re-apply for insurance as soon as your license in reissued. A suspended license due to parking fines is not major violation, so you can apply to new company easily. Some major companies give free quotes to potential customers. Just because you ask for the quotes, it does not mean you must purchase it. You can use it merely for comparison before you finally decide to make a purchase.

Fines from another state

In the past, you could get away with speeding fine issued in another state. You did not even have to pay it because the information concerning such issue would never reach your actual local DMV. Nowadays, information is sent electronically in an instant, and DMVs can access central database to all drivers. The database, popularly known as DLC (Driver License Compact), makes information available and easily accessible by almost all DMVs in the country. Therefore, fines from another state will affect insurance as well. All states are member of DLC except Michigan, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Georgia. Unless traffic offenses are committed in those states, it is almost impossible to avoid an increase in your premium rates. There is also another database known as National Driver Register which keeps all suspension records and reports them. In case your driver license is suspended, you cannot simply apply for a new one in another state.

When individuals get a vehicle, it’s usually one of their biggest financial investments in life. Whether the car is new or second-hand, it is essential to take care of it. Cars can be expensive but a lot of individuals treat them badly. To maintain the value as much as possible, you should keep the outside and inside thoroughly clean. The majority of people these days don’t have much time and car cleaning is far down the list of their responsibilities. In such cases it is very important to get mobile car valeting services.

Even those people who can find the time to clean their vehicles, merely do a quick wash and wipe, to maintain it clean looking. Not many people are going to spend time applying wax to the surface. But this is the procedure, which makes the car shine more and helps protect the bodywork. Once a vehicle has been waxed, it looks like brand new. The most effective way to do this is by simply getting mobile car valeting services, and allowing experts to do the job.

These sort of valeting services are now available throughout the country and they are surely worth the cost. Doing a comprehensive interior clean of the vehicle isn’t only time consuming, but it is also difficult and usually a lot of places are ignored. This does not happen with a proficient service. A thorough inside valet will include mats cleaned, all surfaces wiped down, mirrors polished, carpets vacuumed, rubbish removed, any stains on the seats removed, and numerous other things. All the irritating tasks will be completed.

A lot of drivers take their vehicles to a car wash, but aren’t aware of the fact that they’re just cleaning the most visible parts. If you choose to take your vehicle to a car wash, look at it carefully after that and you will notice that many parts are not appropriately cleaned. For instance, the foot seals will be filthy. All of the doors will have filth on them, the same counts for the tailgate. Therefore a standard car wash doesn’t actually clean the vehicle.

The best way to be sure that the entire car is cleaned, both outside and inside, would be to hire a mobile car valeting service. The nice thing about this kind of service, besides having a stunning vehicle at the end, is that it frees up a lot of time. So, the car owner could sit back and relax while the experts do all of the work. Because of valeting services, it has never been so simple to retain your vehicle fresh and clean.

Mobile car valeting services are different from the standard car cleaning services. A few cleaning products could do more damage than good to your vehicle. That is why you will need specialized valeting services. Pros do not use cheap agents that can harm vehicles. They use only high quality products, which make your vehicle look nice. Then again, discover just as much information as you possibly can about the particular valeting business before you choose to go there. You must ensure your vehicle is left in the right hands.

A new vehicle is a major investment. In fact, apart from buying a home or a high-end boat, this is one of the most important purchases that many people will ever make. Thus, it is important to know how to care for your auto. Unless you happen to be a mechanic, however, routine vehicle maintenance can be surprisingly daunting.

One of the most important things to know about automobile ownership is that a record of ongoing upkeep will be diligently tracked by all licensed providers. This is done to give prospective car buyers a better understanding of routine upkeep for the different, used cars that they consider. Before purchasing a used car, most people request vehicle history reports. These reports list any accidents that cars have been in as well as all of the services that they have received.

Due to this fact, taking your car to a local shop for servicing and car is a great way to ensure a good resale value. Comprehensive records of diligent maintenance help people feel more comfortable about these investments. They know that well-maintained cars are a lot less likely to break down than are vehicles that are hardly cared for at all.

It is important to always buy premium fuel for your car. Paying a little bet extra for a top-quality fuel can have a remarkable impact on your engine. These options tend to be cleaning burning and this means that they leave behind a lot less sediment that can cause interior components to become coated, slow-moving and more likely to wear down.

Getting the oil changed in a car is especially important. Your mechanic can put your on a regular oil change schedule based upon the amount of driving that you do and the type of driving that you subject your car to. Most people need to pay for these services every six to twelve months. Your provider can additionally check and top off all fluids during these visits.

When small accessories break down or break off, have them replaced right away. Efforts like these protect both vehicle aesthetics and resale values. Broken or chipped mirrors, missing hood ornaments and damaged dash accessories or floor mats are easy and inexpensive to replace. You can even work with aftermarket sellers to get customised replacements so that your vehicle better suits your needs and personality.

Tyres should be rotated every six months. If you go to a full-service mechanic, this is something that can be handles along with you oil change or regular tune-ups. Tyre rotation ensures even wear and tear on the treads and will give you a lot more traction on the roads, even when they are slick, wet or icy. It can also minimise the likelihood of serious auto accidents and extend the lifetime of these important vehicle fixtures. When tyres are rotated, brake pads can be checked and changed as need for maximum stopping ability.

Finally, you should visit a premium car washing service every one to two months. These companies can clean off built up dirt and grime while protecting your paint and polishing the car and its various features to a high shine. This will prevent chips, scratches and other issues caused by fine, abrasive materials and extended period of general neglect.

Purchasing a car is an incredible experience, especially if you have a sufficient budget for getting make, model, features and upgrades that you really want. You can pad your budget for this purchase by offloading the vehicle that you currently own. Following are a few tips that will help you get excellent returns on this investment.

Spend several weeks pampering your car with a top-grade fuel. These fuels have special additives that clean sediments out of the engine. When they are used regularly for any significant period of time, they can make vehicles sound and run much smoother. They also make them more efficient and for cheaper fuel costs all around.

The next step in these efforts is to clean your auto up. Take it to a car wash and have it cleaned on the inside and the outside. Eliminate all of your personal items and pay to have the carpeting and upholstery shampooed. This won’t take long or cost a whole lot, but it can radically improve overall vehicle aesthetics.

Start creating a listing for your auto by determining a reasonable sales price. Spend some time online looking at the prices for comparable vehicles that are currently being sold and account for any differences in features or overall condition that exist. If you set the price too high or too low, you won’t attract the type of attention that your offer deserves.

You can also take advantage of vehicle valuation sites. These are free sites that list the appropriate sales values for cars based upon their year of manufacture, condition and included features. Use the numbers that you get from several sites to arrive at a feasible price of your own while accounting for all other research that you have performed.

Determine how to sell your car. For instance, you may simply want to turn it into a dealer for an onsite credit. If this is the case, use the research and numbers that you have compiled to negotiate for a reasonable credit amount. You will get far more value from this transaction if you come to the negotiating table well-researched and well-prepared.

Opting to offload a vehicle as a private seller will usually net you a lot more money. This will also give you the option of having cash on hand that you can use to invest in any new car of your choosing, rather than having to make do with a dealer credit. When selling to private buyers, however, you will need to make sure that all of the necessary documents are up to date so that the transfer process is both smooth and seamless. Dealers can assist with this which is why many people choose to get credit towards their next auto purchases, even if this diminishes their overall gains from these transactions.

Get in touch with a mobile car detailing service. These companies can replace any lost or damaged accessories such as mirrors, dash kits, hood ornaments and more. These finishing touches will ensure that your vehicle makes the best possible impression on any, interested and qualified buyers that your print ads and online listings attract.

When you plan on traveling outside of the country, you may take great strides to ensure that your home, property, and other important assets are well protected during your absence. While your residence and possessions may be safe, you might wonder what you can do with your car until you return. When you must drive it to catch your flight, you do not have the option of leaving it at home in your driveway or garage. You may have to rely on other accommodations like leaving it at one of the airports out of which you plan to fly for your journey.

Even if you must leave it at one of the airports in your area, you may still wonder what you can do to ensure that the vehicle remains safe and protected from theft or damages. One option could be to make a reservation and arrange for your vehicle to be left under the watch of the service’s staff. During your absence, the staff of the company will make sure that your car is ready to go when you return.

You might be convinced to make a reservation when you research the service online. The company’s website makes available details that you might need to figure out if the service is right for your travel needs. One need may involve keeping your vehicle in a secure location where it could not be accessed by burglars or thieves.

The company makes available around-the-clock protection for your vehicle to ensure that it is not broken into or damaged while you are away. The area where you park the car is monitored and patrolled. Cars left there remain guarded until their rightful owners pick them up.

The area is also covered, which protects the vehicles from weather damages like hail or wind. If you park the car out in the open, such as on the street curb or a driveway, you leave it exposed to the elements. Covered areas could provide you the level of protection you desire for the vehicle.

After you park it there, you may wonder how you can get to your gate on time. You may be unable to walk a great distance. You also might not have the time to walk quickly to the gate. Rather than miss your flight, you might use the shuttle services available to you.

The shuttle could pick you up where you park the car and then take you to the gate of your flight. After you return, the shuttle might then also pick you up at the same gate and take you back to your car. You avoid having to walk, which could be a relief if you have a disability or prefer not to walk without a security escort.

 

It doesn’t matter if you are driving alone or with someone, safety should be your topmost priority. With rates of accidents on the rise, it’s imperative for drivers to know the basics of safe driving. Every year, the number of car accidents happening is increasing exponentially and this is partly down to the negligence of individuals.

Some of the tips you should follow are:-

• Avoid the left lane: If it’s a multilane, avoid taking the left or “fast lane”. Instead, take the centre of right one because it will give you the chance to quickly change lanes in case of any emergency. Also, most accidents happen on the right lane.
• Keep your eyes focused: Never just see what’s immediately in front of your car only; look further ahead. Look for any traffic movement several cars ahead. This will give you time to react if any unforeseen events arise.
• Beware of blind spots: Make sure to adjust your rear and side view mirrors accordingly so that you have a panoramic view of what’s behind you. If something is not showing in the mirrors, turn around and see it so that you don’t miss anything. If there is a big truck behind your car, ensure that you don’t get into the blind spot.
• Keep your hands in 9 and 3 o’clock position: Most individuals take the lazy route to handle their car. They place the hand at 12 o’clock at the top of the steering or both hands at the bottom of it. But this is the wrong thing to do. Keeping your hands in 9 and 3 o’clock position will give you much more control of the car in case you want to take a quick manoeuvre.
• Get your seat closer to the steering: Shift your seat toward the steering so that you hand can rest on the wheel. This will ensure that your hand doesn’t get much fatigued and you can easily manoeuvre your car.
• Keep your car’s limit in mind: Whether it’s a vintage car or a sports one, a driver should always know what his/her car is capable of. To avoid accidents, one must always know what limits the engine, tires or brakes have. If you don’t know the limits, you can easily over stretch the car and end up in an accident.
• Maintain your vehicle: Needless to say; you have to maintain your car in the proper condition in order to work properly. Service the car frequently and use only high-quality motor oil sot that the car doesn’t break down in the middle of the road.
• Avoid practising at night: If you are new to driving, avoid doing it at night. At night, due to decreased field of vision, you will have to employ a far more defensive approach in your car. Also, never go down a dark road with malfunctioning head and tail lights.

These are just a few tips which should help you avoid accidents. But make sure you cater to these guidelines; it’s no use memorising these rules unless you follow it on the road.

Traditionally buying a new business or personal vehicle is expensive. Contract hire and lease packages had made affording a new vehicle easier than ever. The no-nonsense simplicity of the package as well as the sheer flexibility means that it is quickly becoming one of the nations favorite ways of funding a vehicle purchase.

This attraction is now not only limited to the business world, instead growing numbers of the public all keen to take advantage of the low commitment and low initial outlay that the package offers.

So is contract hire gap insurance honestly worth buying? Will it actually work and do you really need it?

The Financial Conduct Authority are keen to promote a transparent finance and insurance market. A financial market in which the public can have confidence in, safe in the knowledge that financial services will do as they expect during the life time of their policy and offer real benefits.

So will contract hire gap insurance be able to stand the test of time and live up to the expectations of the market?

Many contract hire owners are now blissfully unaware that if their vehicle was written off or declared a total loss that they could be left not only with no vehicle but also with a shortfall to settle.

We also know that some contract hire providers make the concept of the policy almost impossible to understand. So what are the benefits of a policy?

Simply put if you have a vehicle on a contract hire package you are legally responsible for any financial shortfall between your insurance companies settlement on the day of loss and the amount outstanding on your finance agreement.

Please remember that for your contract hire company their primary concern is simply to get their money back. They actually do not mind if you make your monthly payments and then hand them back a physical asset at the end of the agreement. Or perhaps buy yourself out of the contract? For them it will and always has been about protecting their investment. The only time this can change is if your vehicle is written off.

At this time any differences between their expected residual value and the real market value are now your responsibility as well as any outstanding finance.

This means that unless you have a contract hire gap insurance in place you could be left with no car, having to find another deposit rental as well as clearing any outstanding rentals.

So is contract hire gap insurance a gimmick?

Insurance has and always will be about risk and what happens should a specific event happen. For the vast majority of contract hire owners we think that it is a safe and prudent choice. That is to say that you find a policy which can cover you and your circumstances. Also making sure that the price is fair and reasonable. In that case it is in our opinion a complete no- brainer.

There are a number of reasons why someone might want to purchase tire shredder equipment. For instance, if you are running a junk yard or something similar, you will find that tire shredding machines can help you to save a whole lot of money in regards to disposing of or recycling the hundreds of tires that will necessarily pass through your gates. If you are running any kind of junk yard and you do not have any tire shredder equipment, then you are behind the curve in regards to what you can do at your junk yard, and you could end up having more expenses than you need.

Tire shredders are absolutely essential to running an efficient junk yard, and they are also necessary if you are looking to protect the environment by recycling all of the tire rubber that you receive in your yard. Not only that, but there is also a whole lot of money to be made in recycled rubber, so it is very important that you utilize this kind of equipment while running your junk yard. You will generate a whole lot more revenue when you have this equipment, so it will also help you to generate more profit for your business.

Of course, if you have never purchased tire shredder equipment before, you might not necessarily know what to look for. This is why it is extremely important to research the different manufacturers of tire shredders in order to make certain that you are receiving a reliable unit that will last you a long time. You also want to make sure that you are getting a unit that is big enough to fit your needs, but not too big for the amount of tires that you will need to shred on a daily basis.

You will also want to investigate the prices of these different tire shredders in order to make sure that you are getting a good market price. If you do not research pricing, you have no reason to complain if you paid too much for your specific tire shredder equipment. There are many companies out there that sell tire shredders, so researching each one of them, the products they offer, and the prices of the products will help you to be certain that you are getting the best price for the piece of equipment that you decide to purchase.

Overall, if you do not have a tire shredder at your particular junk yard, you are missing out on a great opportunity to give yourself more space and generate more revenue. I highly suggest being a smart business owner in this regard and being certain that you are getting the most possible profit for your investment by purchasing the best, but least expensive, piece of equipment. If you take all of these steps, you will be able to maximize your revenue while keeping your expenses down, and that is the mark of a very good business owner in this field.