Nov 09
adminArticles Accidents, Aggressive Manner, Car Insurance, Cars, Female Drivers, Insura, Insurance, Insurance Companies, Insurance Industry, Insurance Rates, Male Counterparts, Male Drivers, Men And Women, Men Women, Premiums, Quite Some Time, Relative Percentage, Risk, Vehicle Insurance, Wheel
If you have been dealing with vehicle insurance for quite some time now and asked your friends about their rates you’ve probably observed that different groups of customers may have different rates even if they drive identical cars. That’s due to the fact that insurance companies use both age and gender as one of the main factors when calculating rates for each client. And if age is something that changes gradually, gender is a factor that you cannot change (without the help of a professional surgeon) and will have to live with it. What’s the problem, you might ask?
Well, some people find it unfair that female drivers usually have lower premiums that their male counterparts even when driving identical cars, living in the same area, having same credit ratings and driving records. And despite the fact that it may look quite discriminatory there’s a set of reasons for this to take place in the insurance industry.
First of all, female drivers tend to file far less claims then men. Some of you might state that there are less women behind the wheel than men and that’s why the number is lower. But even if taken in relative percentage, women tend to get in less accidents then men. This is largely explained by a less aggressive manner of driving most women employ, which leads to less exposure to risk that can lead to an accident. Men, on the other hand, tend to take far more risks when behind the wheel and this often leads to insurance claims.
Moreover, the character of claims filed by female drivers is often different from those filed by men. Women rarely get involved in serious accidents with severe damage or injuries. The majority of claims are rather minor and do not lead to serious expenses. Whereas men usually get in more serious accidents that involve higher costs. That is also explained by the risk-taking nature of male drivers and cautious driving style most women employ.
So when a woman purchases car insurance her rates are usually lower because the insurance companies regard female drivers as a lower risk as compared to male driver of the same age. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that all women are better drivers and never get involved in an accident. They do, but the majority of women simply file less claims. It’s the same as with teen drivers. There are teens that drive cars very well and never take risks but they still have to pay higher premiums because the majority of younger drivers get involved in accidents far more often than other age groups.
Of course, making your Сar Insurance more affordable by changing this factor alone is impossible. However, there are other factors you can affects such as your credit rating or driving record. The car you drive also has a serious weight in rate calculations. So if you feel like your insurance policy is a bit too expensive because you’re a male driver there are ways to make the policy even cheaper than for female drivers.
May 29
adminVehicle Check Accidents, Batteries, Car Of The Future, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Cars Cars, Cold Weather, Collisions, Conventional Cars, Dependence On Fossil Fuels, Electric Cars, Environmentally, Friendly, Fuel Costs, Greener Cars, High Speeds, High Voltage, Hybrid Vehicle, Mileage, Objective Manner, Renewable Sources, Spare Parts, Traditional Gasoline, Vehicle
(If you are seriously in the market for a green, environmentally friendly vehicles, check out the reasons you really want one.)
There are many advantages and disadvantages to buying an environmentally friendly vehicle. What are the real reasons that you want to buy one? Hopefully it is not because you just want to be ‘in fashion’, but because you are genuinely concerned about the environment.
Let us look as the disadvantages first
This is not to discourage you, but just to put the facts in an objective manner.
• A hybrid vehicle costs more.
• Your choice is restricted since all vehicles are not available in environmentally friendly versions.
• The batteries, which cost a lot, may not last a long time.
• It will give less mileage when compared to a traditional gasoline powered car.
• It will give a limited speed.
• It will run for a maximum of a certain number of hours.
• Charging stations for electric cars are still not easily available.
• Spare parts may not be easily available.
• Servicing may be difficult.
• In very cold weather, you may not be able to run the car on batteries, but have to rely more on gasoline.
• High voltage used in these cars may be dangerous in case of accidents.
• Because of their light weight when compared to conventional cars, they can easily lose traction and spin out of control at high speeds or in collisions.
Advantages of greener cars
• They are more environmentally friendly.
• They reduce the levels on carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.
• They reduce dependence on fossil fuels from non-renewable sources.
• You will pay less road tax.
• Fuel costs are cheaper.
• Some states have separate lanes for environmentally friendly cars.
• Cars are more fuel efficient.
• Charging stations are coming up and the more cars on the road, the sooner there will be more facilities for them.
• As it is the car of the future, it is going to get better and more technologically advanced.
• Seeing the demand, more manufactures are making eco-friendly cars, so there is a lot more choice than before.
• When you use a green car, you are doing your bit for the environment.
• Apart from personal vehicles, trucks, buses and taxis are also going green.
Popular hybrids
Most families own more than one car.
If even one is a hybrid, it is going to have a positive effect on the environment. Among popular hybrids are the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight, Volkswagen Polo Bluemotion, Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Lexus CT, Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus ECOneti, Seat Ibiza, Citroen C3 and Skoda Fabia Estate.Even Porsche and Ferrari are developing hybrid cars.
Among these are top brands, testifying to the popularity of green cars. For city and urban driving, green, environmentally friendly cars are a good bet. If you can use solar chargers, solar panels, try and conserve water and electricity, you can certainly buy a green car and reduce your carbon footprint.
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1718746&page=1
http://www.cardab.com/08/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-hybrid-cars/
http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2010/04/whats-driving-the-electric-hybrid-green-car-auto-market.html
Mar 13
adminArticles Accident Victims, Accidents, Actuaries, City Streets, Female Drivers, Ford Contour, Gender Equality, Insurance Industry, Last Detail, Local Newspapers, Many Men, New Moon, Pack Rats, Police Report, Premium Rate, Premiums, Red Ford, Safety Record, Sincerity, Statistical Evidence
Whenever you ask a talking head paid by the insurance industry, “How do you calculate the premium rate?” the answer is always the same. There’s a big smile of sincerity and that reassuring voice says, “We look at the driver. It’s all about who you are and what you drive.” And that, of course, is how it should be. Actuaries are paid to estimate the risk of accidents and, as they keep telling us, the statistics never lie. These actuaries are like pack rats. They collect every last detail of every accident that gets reported. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a police report, a claim to the insurers from a hospital for treating accident victims, or reports in local newspapers. They have information about accidents going back to the time we were switching over from real horses to horse-powered engines. So ask how many men aged 33 have had an accident at 2 a.m. while driving a red Ford Contour in the rain with a new moon and, with the click of a mouse, you will have the answer by return. It’s the detail that’s so impressive. More importantly it shows exactly how many claims are made by male as opposed to female drivers, and what the average value of the claims is.
All around the world, the statistical evidence shows women making fewer claims and, when they are involved in accidents, the amount claimed tends to be lower.
The reason for this is that, in general, women drive within the law. They do not try to beat the lights or drive too fast on city streets so, if there is an accident, they are traveling more slowly and the impact is less damaging both to the vehicles and the people inside. Not surprisingly, this excellent safety record has been rewarded by lower premiums. Where the risk is lower, drivers pay less. Except, in Europe, this will change next year.
The European Court for Human Rights has just ruled that men and women must pay the same premiums. At the end of 2012, there must be a new system in place to calculate premiums without relying on gender as a key factor. So what’s going on? Well, ask yourself, is it fair to charge someone more to insure their vehicle just because they are male. No one asks to be born male or female so why penalize all those who have the bad luck to be born male? Keeping this real, men don’t crash because their sexual apparatus gets caught in the steering wheel. People get into accidents because they drive badly. There’s no point in forcing people to pay more because of something they are powerless to control. There’s every reason to base auto insurance quotes on actual driving records because, if the record is bad and the premium rate is high, it gives those drivers an incentive to improve their driving. Calculating premiums should be very personal, looking at how well each individual drives. Grouping everyone together on the basis of their gender for issuing auto insurance quotes is arbitrary and unfair (at least, in Europe).
Sep 17
adminVehicle Check Accidents, Automobile, Collisions, Creation, Debris, features, Glass Bits, Mankind, Mode Of Transportation, Modern Cars, Personal Transportation, Precursor, Purp, Safety, Seatbelt, Seatbelts, Sensors, Shards, Stable Windows, Understanding, Vehicle, Vehicle Safety, Windshield
The creation of the automobile has opened up so many different opportunities for mankind and has been the precursor for a great deal of other methods of personal transportation. However, the machine itself can often be dangerous to travel in because of its size, the materials that make it up, the speeds at which individuals travel on the roads, and accidents that can occur with other drivers.
Because the automobile is not always safe, there have been a number of features created to protect those that choose to use the car as a mode of transportation. Understanding their purposes and why they have been invented may help individuals to realize their importance.
One of the most important safety features of a vehicle is the seatbelt. When a driver is involved in a collision with another vehicle, the force that is caused can be extremely powerful.
Depending upon the speed at which the two were traveling, one or all of those contained in the cars may be seriously injured and even catapulted from the inside. Seatbelts, when worn and functioning properly can prevent this from happening.
When one is efficiently strapped in, sensors in the automobile cause the seatbelt to lock up when there has been an accident or when the breaks have been slammed. This means that even when collisions are sudden, the seatbelt will lock into place and keep the driver or rider stable.
Windows themselves are designed to help keep those inside safe. Quite frequently, passengers are saved because of the protection of the windshield or other windows.
They prevent debris from flying up and into the vehicle and can be very useful during accidents. Most windows in modern cars have been designed to be shatterproof, so that if something happens to hit them and break them they do not spread glass bits in the air or on the ground.
This type of material has been used to prevent cuts and injuries from stray shards. Mirrors on vehicles look quite similar to the windows, but have a different purpose altogether.
They are utilized to maintain constant visibility. It can be extremely difficult to see what is going on in one’s surroundings when they are driving.
Mirrors allow the person in the driver’s seat to see behind them and to the sides. The use of these objects is absolutely vital, and must be done properly.
Those that do not frequently check their mirrors are far more likely to be involved in an accident or cause a collision. They must be checked before changing lanes, as well as when backing up and frequently throughout drives.
An object that is not usually included within automobiles but must be purchased and used if one has small children is a car seat. Normal seatbelts are designed to fit those around seven years old and higher.
Even then, the belts do not always fit perfectly; they are more suitable for adult use. They definitely can protect the majority of ages of individuals that ride in the car with you, but will be mostly useless by themselves when it comes to babies, toddlers, and very small children.
Most car seats call for the help of a regular seatbelt to strap it in. The seat offers more protection and safety for younger passengers.
It is illegal to drive without your child in one of these apparatuses after a certain age. Though each state’s laws regarding them may be different, they are always necessary.
These are not an item that you should skimp on; make sure that you have a good quality car seat that fits securely into the vehicle and offers the utmost safety and protection for your child. It is probably best to simply leave it in the automobile when you are using it so that you will not forget it or have to lug it back and forth.
Vehicles’ safety features are constantly developing as transportation becomes more and more tuned to human travel and protection needs. Air bags used to only be stored in the front area of automobiles, but are now being placed inside so that they completely cover and protect passengers, no matter where they sit.
These react to collisions and will open on impact. There are many other systems and features yet to be created that will offer a greater amount of safety and protection to those that choose to use cars and trucks as transportation.
Aug 29
adminInsurance Accidents, Hard Earned Money, Insurance Compensation
Inadequate insurance is the most useless thing in the world. If you do not have adequate insurance, you might as well not have it at all because insufficient insurance does not serve any purpose. This is particularly true in case of automobile insurance. If you have to dig into your savings despite having third party protection, you would have wasted your hard earned money for no reason whatsoever.
This is the reason why you should make smart use of online insurance quotes to find the cheapest deal that provides maximum coverage. Does your automobile insurance policy cover your funeral expenses? Obviously not. Well, many persons find this to be a morbid topic but one should be practical and pragmatic when discussing risks and possibility of complications.
If you or your family member die in an accident, who is going to pay for the funeral expenses? Many persons opt for more than adequate life insurance to pay for this expense. However, what if bulk of your life insurance compensation is diverted towards providing compensation to third parties?
The issue of funeral expenses simply happens to be an example that indicates how important adequate insurance is. You may survive the accident but may end up with significant changes in your lifestyle. You may lose a limb because of the accident and may have to live life as a disabled person. In such a scenario, your working pattern, living pattern and even the design of your home will undergo changes. It is not possible for any individual to plan for these issues properly.
Your automobile insurance policy will not cover any of these expenses. However, it certainly will cover the compensation that you have to pay to the other party for the loss suffered. In such a scenario, having adequate insurance will help you manage all these expenses without any difficulty.
Once you start analyzing the various costs of accidents and the implications of severe life threatening risks, you will never try to cut corners and reduce the coverage amount to lower the premium. Instead, it makes sense to use the online and offline resources available.
Online insurance quotes happened to be the best option because you can secure a lot of information without even getting out of your house. You just have to enter the details and wait for the cost of the policy estimated by different insurance companies to appear on your screen.
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