Motoring

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It’s no secret that the cost of motor insurance is rising all the time. A huge contributing factor to this is the large number of insurance scams that take place on the roads each and every year. Usually known as “crash for cash” schemes – these types of scams are designed to make quick and easy money at the expense of another party’s insurance provider.

The way insurance providers respond to these scams is by raising the price of insurance. As unfair as this is, it’s the only way that insurers can respond to an ever-growing problem.

These types of insurance scams not only affective individuals but also countless businesses that rely on the use of vehicles. Fraudsters usually aren’t picky with which type of vehicles they target so the raising insurance rates are causing a big problem across the board.

Something that’s not always discussed however, is that often insurance scams are carried out by employees within the company. This is particularly troublesome for business owners and many are now taking steps in order to combat this problem.

Ways around the problem

Below are some ways that business owners are tackling the problem of rising insurance rates due to crash for cash schemes.

  • Fleet insurance – Getting a fleet policy doesn’t directly tackle the problem of insurance scams but it does provide a way for businesses with multiple vehicles to save money on insurance. Fleet policies are typically cheaper than insuring separately so it’s definitely worth looking into. For haulage and courier delivery fleets its recommended to take out specialist courier insurance cover in addition
  • Background checks – A lot of companies are now carrying out extensive background checks on anyone who applies to work with them. This includes their insurance history and previous claims. This is one of the better ways to weed out any potential fraudsters.
  • Dash cams – There are also a growing number of businesses installing dash cams in their vehicles. Dash cams provide invaluable video evidence that can often prove who is at fault for a collision. An increasing number of insurance providers are now accepting dash cam footage in order to settle claims.

Getting fleet insurance at a competitive rate

If you do decide to get a fleet insurance policy for your business, then you’ll want to take any steps possible to keep the cost to a minimum. Below are some excellent ways to do this.

  • Make your company vehicles secure – Making your vehicles secure will go a long way to reducing the amount you’ll pay for a company fleet insurance policy. Installing alarms, immobilisers and tracking devices is always recommended.
  • Hire experienced drivers – One of the biggest factors that insurance providers take into account when calculating the cost of a policy is the age and driving history of any named drivers. For this reason, you want to make sure that any drivers you hire are experienced and have a clean licence.
  • Shop around – You should make sure that you get quotes from more than one insurance provider so you can compare them and pick the one that offers the best value for money.

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When you need to order a taxi, whether it’s to get to the airport, or to get home after an evening out – you no longer need to stand on the street corner or even call the taxi firm.

There are now several apps on the market that make ordering a taxi extremely quick and convenient. While the market is still relatively young, there are already some fantastic taxi apps available to try out. Below are five of the best.

Uber

Uber is easily the most well-known and widely available taxi app on the market and is available in some 48 countries. It’s incredibly easy to use – you simply book a taxi through the app when you need one. There’s no pre-booking option but this isn’t what Uber advertises itself as.

Another thing that makes Uber extremely convenient is that it lets you know what the journey will cost beforehand and you simply through the app – meaning you don’t have to worry about having the right amount of cash to pay the driver.

Also if you happen to leave something in the taxi then you can also message the driver to let them know.

Gett

Gett is an app for booking black cabs that’s available in 32 cities across the world. It allows you to request a taxi and then track where it is in real time. Like Uber – Gett enables you to pay for your journey through the app itself.

Gett only works with TfL regulated black cabs and meets up with every driver that signs up for their service to provide training to ensure passenger safety.

You can get credit to use with the service by recommending it to friends. You get £10 credit for every friend recommended who uses the service. It’s currently available in several major UK cities including London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Hailo

Hailo is another excellent option for booking taxis. It works in a very similar way to Uber in that you simply select a pickup location and driver and then the taxi is sent to you immediately.

There is the ability to track the route of your taxi when it’s on the way but you’ll be informed when it arrives by the app anyhow.

Hailo is available in selected cities in the UK and nationwide in Ireland and Singapore. It’s also available in Spain’s two busiest cities – Madrid and Barcelona.

CabWise

CabWise is somewhat different to the apps above in that it doesn’t allow to book taxis through the app. Instead it simply lets you know of the nearest licensed minicab office.

This might sound like quite a basic thing but it’s actually an extremely useful way to ensure that the minicab that you’re getting in is from a licensed office and the driver is licensed and insured.

Kabbee

Kabbee provides a very similar similar to CabWise except it comes with the bonus of sorting the local minicab offices based on criteria such as fare rates, ratings, types of vehicles and punctuality. This makes it an excellent way to save money and pick the right service when you’re in an area you’re not familiar with.

Kabbee is currently only available in London.

If you considering working as a driver you will need to ensure that the correct uber driver insurance or private hire insurance cover is taken out. When carrying passenger for reward, normal car insurance isnt suitable (thank you to cleangreencars.co.uk for info).

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  • 17million UK drivers admit to road rage tendencies

Britain’s roads are rife with bad, and often dangerous, driving habits, that’s according to a study by business driving expert, The Fuelcard Company, which has identified the top ten driving faux pas being committed on the nation’s roads.

The study questioned 1,000 drivers across the UK and discovered that more than half of Brits (52%) have picked up some potentially dangerous driving habits, with the following found to be the most common:

  1. Going too fast (64%)
  2. Texting while driving (60%)
  3. Using the phone or hands-free (57%)
  4. Eating at the wheel (54%)
  5. Driving too close to other vehicles (52%)
  6. Throwing rubbish out of the window (51%)
  7. Going too slow (50%)
  8. Smoking behind the wheel (48%)
  9. Hogging the middle lane (47%)
  10. Checking phone notifications (46%)

Interestingly, more than a third of drivers claim to only practise these bad habits when they are in their car alone. However, despite confessing to exhibiting some of these bad behaviours, more than one-in-four (27%) of UK drivers claim to be the best driver they know and 37% say they are a better driver than their partner.

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The report also asked drivers about road rage with 38% admitting they felt they suffered from it, the DVLA currently lists 45.5 million drivers in Great Britain equating to 17million drivers suffering from road rage. Almost a third of the drivers said they had seen a vehicle being cut up, more than a fifth (20.2%) stated they had seen someone get out of a car to threaten another driver and worse still 7% had actually witnessed a car ‘ram’ another vehicle.

Other bad practices identified in the study include driving without shoes (13%), singing while driving (31%) and shockingly, committing sexual acts (8%). Ranging from the seemingly innocent to the downright dangerous, many of the behaviours uncovered are actually illegal too.

Richard Brown, Commercial Director at The Fuelcard Company said: “Driving is something us Brits do every single day and it’s certainly something which becomes second nature to us. Learning to drive and passing your test may seem like a lifetime ago, especially if you’re clocking a lot of hours behind the wheel during the working day, but picking up nasty habits could potentially have serious consequences. Whether you’re driving for personal or business reasons, bad habits can take a driver’s attention off the road meaning they can miss potential hazards.

“Some of the habits we identified seem relatively innocent, but we’d urge people to pay attention next time they’re behind the wheel to see exactly how many of these habits they’re guilty of without even realising it – they may be surprised. We’ve conducted this study to stress the importance of paying proper attention when you’re driving, to ultimately make sure our roads are a safe place to be.”

As part of this driver awareness campaign, The Fuelcard Company has also created a fun interactive online calculator which generates an individual’s driving statistics since they got their license and identifies their driving persona. Try it out here: www.fuelcards.co.uk/what-type-of-driver

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Designed in collaboration with leading automotive manufacturers

BRACKNELL, UK. 13th September 2016 Designed by Panasonic Global Design Solutions following close consultation with leading industry manufacturers, Panasonic has launched its next generation in-line testing solution for the automotive industry at Automechanika in Frankfurt, Germany. The Panasonic Automotive Mobile Test Solution (AMTS) combines the technology requested by the automotive industry for efficient vehicle production and initialisation with enterprise features for seamless integration into a corporate IT environment.

 AMTS device

Designed with user and processes in mind
The device has been developed with both ease of use and automotive production processes at the forefront of the design. The AMTS, based on the market-leading fully rugged Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 tablet, incorporates a 7 inch capacitive multi-touchscreen display, an NFC contactless card reader, integrated high power infrared, and a 2D barcode reader which are situated within the specially designed handle of the AMTS which aids mobility in the production environment.

The solution is designed to be positioned on the steering wheel or the dashboard of the vehicle being tested due to its interchangeable, protective mounting insert. The AMTS also includes four programmable hot keys for one-touch access to important applications and functionality.

Specialised connectivity
The AMTS is built with the connectivity requirements of the automotive manufacturers in mind with dual rugged connectors that allow USB communication plus protected ODB in-vehicle charging from a VCI device. This means that the solution is ergonomic for both left and right hand drive vehicles.

The power for testing applications
To meet the processing and efficiency requirements for automotive testing, the Panasonic AMTS is powered by the Intel® Core™ m5-6Y57 vPro processor (1.1GHz up to 2.8 GHz with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and a 4MB Intel cache) and Intel® HD graphics. It comes with the latest Windows 10 Pro operating system, which can be downgraded to Windows 7 Professional. For storage there is a 128GB Solid State Drive with 256GB optional.

For communications, the AMTS is equipped with Bluetooth™ v4.1+EDR Class 1 and an Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260 WLAN capability with optional 4G mobile broadband (Gobi 5000, compatible to 3G) connectivity.

A decade of design history
“Panasonic has near a decade of experience collaborating with some of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to create rugged mobile devices designed for the industry’s requirements,” said Robert Blowers, Head of R&D and General Manager at Panasonic Computer Products Europe. “As a result of our relationship and collaborative approach with these manufacturers, The Automotive Mobile Test Solution is the next generation of mobile device to help deliver ever more efficient and cost effective vehicle production for our customers.”

The Panasonic AMTS will be available from October 2016 and is priced from £3,490.

For further information visit: www.toughbook.eu

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#Discovery

  • New Land Rover Discovery shows its unrivalled capability on Guinness World Record-breaking LEGO structure
  • Show-stopping reveal features Land Rover customers Bear Grylls, Sir Ben Ainslie and Zara Phillips MBE
  • Full-size seven-seat versatility demonstrated by Sir Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR sailing team, the British challenger for the 35th America’s Cup
  • London’s Tower Bridge made from 5,805,846 LEGO bricks, beating previous record by 470,646 pieces
  • For full details on the New Land Rover Discovery visit www.media.landrover.com

Solihull, UK, 28 September 2016: Land Rover has revealed the New Discovery seven-seat SUV by breaking a Guinness World Record for the largest LEGO structure ever built.

Long-term Land Rover Discovery owners Bear Grylls, Sir Ben Ainslie and Zara Phillips took part in the dynamic live reveal of Land Rover’s most versatile model around a 13-metre high LEGO version of London’s Tower Bridge.

Land Rover unveils the New Discovery at launch event at Packington Hall, Solihull UK, alongside world record breaking LEGO structure of London's Tower Bridge

The New Discovery embodies Land Rover’s drive to go Above and Beyond, combining British desirability with an unstoppable spirit of adventure. It is highly desirable with unrivalled capability and technology like no other.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Chief Design Officer, said: “New Discovery redefines the large SUV. Land Rover’s design and engineering teams have revolutionised the Discovery DNA to create a highly desirable, extremely versatile and hugely capable premium SUV.”

Everyday ingenuity has been at the heart of the Discovery for the last 27 years, with more than 1.2 million customers to date. The new Discovery is for the digital age. Ingenious technology keeps your family safe, connected and confident on all surfaces, all terrains and in all weathers to ensure your destination is reached.

The fifth-generation model benefits from Land Rover’s strong, safe and light full-size SUV architecture, delivering comfort and adaptability like no other.

The reveal set was made from 5,805,846 individual LEGO bricks, breaking the previous Guinness World Record by 470,646 pieces. Laid end to end, the bricks would stretch for almost 200 miles, or from Tower Bridge in London to Paris.

Led by the UK’s only LEGO Certified Professional, Duncan Titmarsh, it took five months for expert LEGO Master Builders in the UK to construct the incredible Tower Bridge structure. It was erected in the grounds of Packington Hall, Warwickshire, UK – close to Land Rover’s Solihull plant, where New Discovery will be produced.

As part of the dramatic reveal sequence, British adventurer Bear Grylls appeared in typically exciting fashion by abseiling from the top of the huge Tower Bridge installation, through the open drawbridge and onto the stage beside the New Discovery.

The finale was Land Rover BAR Team Principal Sir Ben Ainslie driving his sailing team through 900mm-deep water under the bridge – demonstrating the unrivalled capability and versatility of Land Rover’s new SUV. Sir Ben towed a LEGO replica of the Land Rover BAR boat, a 186,500-brick meticulous model of the boat that will challenge for next year’s America’s Cup.

The model of Tower Bridge was flanked by two LEGO ‘Discovery Zones’ celebrating 27 years of Land Rover Discovery heritage. An Equestrian Zone, hosted by accomplished rider Zara Phillips, featured a typically British picnic scene made entirely from LEGO bricks. The Bear Grylls Adventure Zone included a LEGO fire and boulders to represent a scene from a typical mountain exploration.

New Discovery represents the next step in Land Rover’s journey of transformation from cogs to code and is designed, engineered and manufactured with the help of some of the 1,300 talented young engineers currently on the … Read more

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October 7, 2016 – Teknosell has secured a major contract with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania to expand training of their global salesforce in connection with the Next Generation Scania Truck Range, which was officially launched on Tuesday, August 23rd.

Teknosell is a professional coaching and training organisation, founded in Sweden, specializing in sales, customer service and product launch training programs using a newly developed method. With Scania having invested 20 billion SEK in the Next Generation Scania Truck Range, the biggest launch in the truck manufacturer’s 125-year history, Teknosell’s CEO Kristian Rosvall looks forward to expanding the cooperation.

“We have been coaching Scania’s sales force across the globe for the past year to prepare them for the big launch. By preparing every individual salesperson in this way, Scania is truly breaking new ground in how new products and services are launched to the global market. With the extension of the program that now becomes official, we will continue coaching Scania´s staff after the actual launch and expand the scope to cover 26 languages in 69 markets.”

Traditional product and sales training typically involves group and in-class sessions, which are costly and logistically challenging when it comes to large-scale businesses such as Scania. To overcome these challenges, Teknosell coaches staff using an innovative and unique training solution developed in close collaboration with Scania over the last several years.

“We knew that we had to employ an individual approach to bring up the skills of sales staff to a desired level and prepare them to sell something completely new. It was a challenge to design a training program that would reach out to each participant while being scalable on a global level. Today we are able to simultaneously train thousands of participants in different languages all over the world. We can do all this while giving individual feedback on a weekly basis, carefully pacing our programs and maintaining management commitment. This way we manage to gradually align staff training objectives with the company’s vision, in a very down-to-earth way.” said Kristian Rosvall.

”For a global enterprise, it is certainly a challenge to coordinate training to ensure that a large target group of employees receive uniform training. Teknosell accomplishes this through coaching our salesforce in local languages which is a prerequisite for results. Their method enables us to reach thousands of sales representatives around the world on a weekly basis and to measure results and progress on an individual level. This is something we value”, said Eric Ljunggren, Sales Development Manager at Scania.

The method has been validated through cooperation with Scania in a gradually increasing number of markets over several years, and feedback from markets has been encouraging. In Spain, one of the markets running the program for the longest time, 94% of surveyed sales managers were positive towards the program in an evaluation after completing 18 months.

“We believe that our method is simply a smarter way of training people in large corporations. For years I have seen that managers are fed up with one-off training events that do nothing to change every day behaviour of their staff. Scania saw the need of a more efficient way of training their sales and service organization, and I think our international cooperation with them is a great example of how our method can help global businesses achieve their goals.”

According to Rosvall, expansion and establishing a strategic position in the global market are two main objectives for Teknosell in the near future.

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If you have a conviction, whether it's for a motoring offence or something else, then you might think it's impossible to get work and find affordable insurance. This isn't necessarily true however.

It's certainly true that some employers and insurers might choose not to deal with you at all if you have a conviction but there are still options out there.

Below are some of the important things to be aware of.

Do I need to declare my conviction to employers?

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One of the most important things to be aware of when you have a conviction is whether you need to declare it or not. Whether you need to declare your conviction to employers will depend on whether it's spent or unspent.

For more serious convictions that carry a prison sentence of 2 and a half years or longer then the conviction will remain unspent indefinitely. For convictions that come with a fine or community service then they'll be spent after 5 years. For prison sentences of 6 months or less, the conviction will be spent after 7 years. For convictions with a 6 months to 2 and a half years prison sentence, they'll be spent after 10 years.

If you'd like to find out more about your particular conviction then here's a full list of motoring convictions along with their codes. 

Working as a freelance van driver

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The alternative to finding employment as a van driver is to set up as a freelancer. The good thing about working freelance is that you won't have the issue of having to declare your conviction to employers. However it's important to note that you'll still need to declare any unspent convictions to insurance providers. The same rules mentioned above apply.

Getting insurance at an affordable price

If you're looking for convicted driver's insurance then the best way to go about it is by going to a specialist provider. Many mainstream insurance providers don't deal with drivers who have a conviction; or if they do they only offer policies at drastically increased prices. The reason for this is simply because convicted drivers are statistically more likely to make a claim.

The good news is that there are specialist providers of van insurance for convicted drivers who deal with each person on a case-by-case basis. Although the price you can expect to pay for your van insurance will still be higher than it would if you didn't have a conviction, you will find that specialist providers offer much more reasonable prices that most people can afford.… Read more