Car accident insurance claims

The latest on automobile accidents and it's corresponding law

Have you had an eye test lately?

Jan 7

Posted by admin in Advice, Car accidents, Road safety | No Comments

A driver training specialist has warned that drivers should have their eyes tested on a regular basis to ensure they are continuing to drive legally. Do you have your eyes tested often?

The warning comes from Simon Elstow, head of driver training at IAM Drive & Survive, who says that eyesight changes for the worst as a person gets older and good eyesight was essential for safe driving. Therefore motorists should have regular checks to make sure. He also says that motorists who find it especially difficult to handle night vision and the glare from headlights should avoid driving in the dark if at all possible.

He gives other advice too, such as keeping headlights and mirrors clean but, his main advice is to check your eyesight. If you haven’t, don’t assume it is fine, book an appointment and get it checked out professionally.

 

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Bad Weather Continues to Grip Britain

Dec 11

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The freezing weather gripping the country may have claimed a life after news that a woman died while the ambulance, which was taking her to hospital, crashed.Bad Weather

The vehicle, from the East Midlands Ambulance Service, ended up in a ditch near Boston in Lincolnshire and the woman was declared dead at the scene. No other vehicle was involved in the accident and police are believed to be looking into the possibility that the ambulance skidded on the icy road. The accident occurred in the early hours of the morning when temperatures were near to freezing.

The accident highlights the dangers apparent to drivers at this time of year, even when driving on quiet roads with no other cars in sight. Snow and ice are forecast over the coming week and the Met Office has a yellow warning in place which alerts drivers to the risks of ice on untreated roads. The number of reported road accidents tends to rise in the winter months and the number of road accident claims increases as a result.

The Met Office also says that freezing fog is an added danger for drivers. A spokesman says motorists in some parts of the country may experience problems with their visibility, which can in turn result in hazardous driving conditions. He said that problems occur with water falling onto windscreens which turns to ice, thus making it a different hazard from ordinary fog.

Of course drivers can prepare in some way for the risks created by wintry weather in general and freezing fog in particular by making sure their wiper blades are in good working order, that they have their washer bottle fully topped up and also that they have a good strength of washer fluid.

Also, make sure that your fog lamps are on and are working properly. Be aware though that if you can see the car behind you, they are going to be able to see you and therefore your fog lights may dazzle them. If this is the case it is best to turn them off.

Other advice, suitable for all weather but especially important when there is fog around is to check your speed. Even if you are in a clear spell, there is the danger of dense fog patches, so keep the speed in mind.

Keep our eyes on the road. Again this is true at all times, but especially in the type of weather we may experience in the winter months, so don’t eat or drink and certainly don’t use your mobile/smartphone when on the move. And, of course, keep your distance. Hanging onto the rear lights of the car in front is dangerous enough at the best of times, but with snow, ice and freezing fog around, it is even more hazardous and a risk to life and limb.

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Driverless vehicles

Dec 3

Posted by admin in Car accidents, Road safety, Technology | No Comments

Are you unconvinced about the safety or otherwise of driverless cars? I am!

A survey by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) reveals that four in 10 of drivers said they would never consider buying such a car, the like of which has been designed by Google and, in trials, has so far driven 300,000 miles without an accident. The cars use radars, artificial intelligence and GPS to travel on roads without the intervention of a human.

In the future, if this technology continues it could become impossible to break the speed limit and could, through the reduction in accidents, dramatically cut driver insurance premiums. The survey showed that while many thought they were an interesting idea, there was scepticism as to whether they themselves would actually want one.

I’m not sure I would either, there is always the possibility of the technology breaking down, though I admit it’s a potentially exciting development? Are you sold on the idea? Let me know your views.

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Motor insurance industry comes in for more criticism

Nov 12

Posted by admin in Car accidents, Not at fault, Road safety | No Comments

The motor insurance industry has been referred to the Competition Commission for, among other things, adding to premiums by as much as £225m every year, with an estimated £10 going on top of every policy because of bad practices such as at-fault drivers having very little control over the way that repairs are being carried out.

The commission will have two years in which to report its findings and in particular, is looking at evidence that insurers of at-fault drivers were being taken advantage of by the insurers of the other party, inflating both the cost of the repairs and of any replacement vehicle, while often the not-at-fault driver was given another vehicle for longer than was strictly necessary.

Is the OFT only investigating what’s been obvious for years, namely that when an accident takes place, the insurer has very little control over the cost of the claim with inflated prices being paid for credit hire vehicles which have excessive hire periods. What’s your opinion? Let us know.

 

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Do we need more 20mph zones?

Oct 8

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Officials in Leeds are preparing to unveil a large expansion of the city’s 20mph zones in a bid to improve road safety. It seems that many local authorities see these zones as the future, do you agree?

Councillors in Leeds will hold discussions with highway officials as to where the new zones will be situated but one councillor, Neil Dawson, of the Morley ward, insists they will take place. Last year saw 26 fatalities on Leeds roads with 271 others seriously injured and almost 2,400 slightly injured and Mr Dawson wants to see the council come up with a plan to get 20mph zones outside all schools in the city and also onto estates where residents have requested a lower limit.

I think it’s sensible to have these zones outside of schools, all schools, but I’m not convinced they are necessary or desirable in other built-up areas. Let me know what you think.

 

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Dangers of working on busy roads

Sep 25

Posted by admin in Car accidents, Motorways, Technology | No Comments

Figures from the Highways Agency show that roadworkers, despite the protection of cones and flashing lights, are at a greater risk from careless drivers. Have you ever been in a close shave with what are known as impact protection vehicles?

The figures show that between 2005 and the present day there have been 15 fatalities and well over 100 major injuries involving roadworkers on major routes within the UK. It is a constant problem for the 1,500 traffic officers and the 2,000 traffic management operatives, many of whom work in very close proximity to vehicles going at speeds exceeding 50mph.

The Agency says it is working hard to try and bring the figures down and is trying various methods including public information campaigns, industry safety drives and new technology to bring down the number of accidents involving impact protection vehicles. The latest technology includes “talking” traffic cones, which emit a radio alert when they are dislodged, while greater use of average-speed traffic cameras have also helped with speed limit compliance.

However, Paul Mitchell, head of health and safety at the Highways Agency, said that even with that compliance rate now reaching 99% of drivers, this still means over 150 drivers every day are putting themselves and others at risk by speeding. Are you one of those 150? Let me know.

 

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20mph zones

Sep 3

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Official figures from the Department of Transport have shown a big increase in the number of road casualties in special 20mph zones. Do the figures suggest we need more of them or less?

The figures show the number of those killed or injured on roads in built-up areas with a reduced 20mph speed limit was up by almost a quarter in 2011 compared to the 2010 figures, rising to a total of 2,262. By comparison casualties on roads with a 30mph limit were up by 1%.

Despite the worrying increase, the 20mph limits retain government support. Local transport minister Norman Baker said that local authorities were in the best position to decide on where the zones should be situated. He also quoted research from the British Medical Journal which showed that children killed or seriously injured had been reduced by half while there had been a 17% reduction in casualties amongst cyclists.

Certainly these zones should be used outside all schools but should they be used more widely? What’s your view?

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Always have a breathalyser handy!

Aug 7

Posted by admin in Car accidents, Motorways, Road safety | No Comments

New laws have been introduced which will mean that all drivers on French roads must carry breathalyser kits. That is all drivers, so being from the UK is not an excuse!

Though the laws have just been introduced, foreign drivers do have a period of grace, until November, to get used to the new regulations which will result in anyone failing to produce a kit upon request having to pay a fine of €11. The new regulations apply to all vehicles apart from mopeds and are part of an effort by the French government to cut down on the number of drink-related road deaths.

Police in France have already warned UK drivers that there will be random checks carried out on those crossing the Channel. The motivation for bringing in the law is to see more drivers testing themselves to check that they are under the drink-drive limit which, in France is 50mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, lower than the UK’s limit of 80mg.

While I approve of the stricter drink-drive limits in France and elsewhere on the Continent, will it really make much difference if a driver carries a breathalyser or not? I appreciate it’s a preventative measure, so drivers can test themselves and if they are over the limit give the keys to someone else. Should it be applied to British roads too? Your point of view is always welcome on this blog.

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Testing the driverless car

Jul 24

Posted by admin in Car accidents, Road safety, Technology | No Comments

Oxford University scientists have asked the government for permission to try out a driverless car on open roads within the next few months.

The car, a BAE Wildcat military jeep, has a three-dimensional map of routes around the streets of Oxford and Woodstock and has already been tested on a private road within the university’s grounds. However, scientists now believe it is ready for further tests.

The car uses sensors and lasers to pinpoint its exact location and these can also sense the presence of other vehicles on the road, with the car, unlike those using GPS-based technology, able to take evasive action when necessary.

Professor Paul Newman, head of the research, confirmed that they hoped now to test the car in Oxford but added that a research team member would be in the car at all times in case of emergency. Actually, by law, two operators have to be in the car at all times, which can be identified by other drivers through its red licence plates.

As the story came out around April 1, I probably wasn’t alone in thinking this was an April Fool’s joke. If two operators have to be in the car by law, what is the point of having a driverless car? Also, while the car uses sensors, how much notice does the car require before changing direction or stopping? For instance, what would happen if a young child rushes into the road, would the car have a faster reaction time than a normal driver in that situation? As ever, with the new initiatives, it leaves one with more questions than answers? Will it catch on? I doubt it but tell me what you think.

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Another speed limit fight

Jul 9

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Schoolchildren in Cookridge, Leeds, have won their fight to get a new 20mph zone introduced in the area around their school. But should they have to be forced to go to the efforts they did; shouldn’t the decision have been made for them by those responsible for such things?

Pupils from the Holy Name Catholic Primary School took their fight to Leeds City Council with some pupils speaking at a council meeting to ask for help. Now, an executive board has ratified the decision which will bring a lower speed limit in addition to the junior road safety officers which the school already uses to help pupils cross busy roads and advise parents on parking issues.

The council is already intending to cut the speed limit around 16 schools in the city over this year to add to the existing 55 20mph schemes which currently exist near schools and residential areas in Leeds. It appears that the correct decision has been made but it seems a shame that the children involved had to attend a council meeting in person to put forward their case. Slowing down traffic around schools has to be a priority for all.

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