Tag Archives: Women’s car insurance

Confused.com reveals that barking mad Brits leave homes unprotected

New research from home insurance expert, Confused.com has revealed that UK homes are woefully unprotected against intruders with more than three in five (61%) having absolutely no security systems set up.

Latest statistics from The Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in the past year (2011-12), the UK has been subjected to 677,000 burglaries, yet Brits are still failing to protect their homes against unwanted intruders.

With so many attacks on homes in just 12 months, it’s unsurprising that more than a third (38%) of Brits rarely or never feel safe in their own homes. Despite this, a worrying two fifths (42%) don’t have basic security systems such as motion sensors in place, while a third (33%) don’t even have security lights set up.

ONS figures reveal that flats in urban areas that have been lived in for less than a year are the most likely to be targeted by intruders and burglars. Houses with an annual income of less than £10,000 are also among the most tempting targets for pesky prowlers.

While Brits are woefully unprotected against unwanted visitors, they do believe that deterrents would help allay their fears. A quarter (25%) of UK homeowners believe that guard dogs make for the best intruder deterrents, and in fact nearly two thirds (61%) of dog owners admit to leaving their dogs at home while they’re away on short breaks to ward off would-be burglars. With almost nine in ten (88%) Brits admitting that just seeing an unchained dog on a property would be enough to stop them from entering, it’s undeniable that having a dog at home is an effective deterrent of burglars.

However, an ‘attack’ from a guard dog doesn’t need to be physical to be effective. Nearly a fifth (19%) of respondents admitted that the bark is the most unnerving thing about a dog. A Labrador’s bark is seen as the third scariest (7%), just behind Pit Bulls (9%), while German Shepherds (45%) are the clear winner. German Shepherds have a history of being effective guard dogs. Their size intimidates intruders, and the Guinness World Record holder for the World’s Loudest Bark is held by a German Shepherd as well.

World Record holder, Daz, of Clacton-on-Sea can bark at up to 108 decibels and has been instrumental in keeping his house safe.

With his in mind, Confused.com has launched a free-to-download audio recording of Daz which homeowners can leave playing in their home while they’re out and about. Daz barks intermittently on a reel to create the illusion that the house is occupied and to scare off would-be-intruders so that people across the country can go about their business, safe in the knowledge they’ve got a more secure home. The Doggie Deterrent audio file can be downloaded here – www.confused.com/home-insurance/dogs-prevent-burglaries-for-barking-mad-brits.

Gareth Kloet, Head of home insurance at Confused.com, said: “There are plenty of simple steps you can take to reduce the risk of your home being burgled. Drawing the curtains at night when you’re out; installing security lights and fitting an alarm that’s working are just a few. What’s really stood out in this research is the positive impact having a dog at home has on home security; it helps deter intruders while reassuring the homeowner as well.”

Via EPR Network
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Diamond Reveals Britain’s Speediest Drivers

Diamond has revealed that drivers named Juliet and Rupert are the most likely to have been caught breaking the speed limit, according to new research.

The women’s car insurance specialist looked at over three million motorists to identify the first names of drivers most likely to have points for speeding*. The top five women’s first names are Juliet, Susannah, Justine, Deirdre and Alexis, while for men the speediest five names are Rupert, Julian, Piers, Giles and Justin.

The research also revealed the occupations of the motorists most likely to have a motoring conviction for driving over the speed limit. Surgeons and chartered surveyors top the list of professions most likely to have been clocked speeding, followed by area sales managers, commercial chairmen and chiropractors.

Diamond managing director, Sian Lewis said: “Our research does indicate that people with certain names and occupations are more likely to have a speeding conviction than others. It was most surprising to see surgeons and other well-qualified professions top the list of occupations most likely to have a speeding conviction.

“Many people would also consider the names Juliet, Alexis, Rupert and Piers as traditionally middle-class names so it’s also interesting to see them feature highly as well.”

Diamond also looked at the first names and occupations of drivers least likely to have speeding convictions. At the other end of the scale, women named Paige, Molly, Shannon, Bethany and Lily are least likely to have points on their licence and for men it’s Connor, Terrence, Jake, Jordan and Joshua.

In terms of occupations, school students, au pairs, college students, typists and dinner ladies are the least likely to be caught speeding.

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Revolutionises Car Insurance By Launching Quickquote Mobile Service

Confused.com the leading price comparison site is revolutionising the car-insurance price-comparison quote process by launching a new mobile phone service called QuickQuote.

This simple mobile quote service is available for UK based customers and cannot be found on any other price comparison site. Customers of Confused.com can get a motor car insurance quote and save money just by simply having a mobile phone.

Confused.com have worked with Process Flows a well-established SMS vendor to create the first mobile phone service that changes the way a car insurance quote can be returned. It’s the quickest way of getting a cheap quote when the renewal is due, or if people are just interested to see how much it would cost them to get insured on their dream car.

QuickQuote is an innovative way of allowing customers to get quick and easy car insurance quotes through their mobile phone. To use this simple service, the customer must have used Confused.com before. They simply text the number plate to 66800 and Confused.com will text back with the cheapest quote in seconds. Customers can get a quote for any car just by simply texting 66800 and it only costs £1 per text.

Once the quote is received via their mobile phone, the customer can also access it via their Confused.com account and will be shown the range of car insurance quotes which are available through Confused.com. Currently 130 insurers are available on their panel, offering the biggest car insurance comparison service in the UK.

The advantage of QuickQuote is that the customer’s details can be reused on subsequent occasions, saving customers the time and effort required to re-enter this information every single time they are looking to retrieve a quote on a vehicle.

Jeanette Fennell, Product Manager at business solution provider, ProcessFlows, developer behind the SMS technology driving the QuickQuote service said: “ProcessFlows was recommended to Confused.com. Our SMS technology is designed to meet the needs of large organisations who want to leverage the popularity of text to market and engage with an extensive audience in real-time. Confused.com continues to lead with innovative ideas that make shopping for car insurance quicker. I am sure this latest campaign will be very popular with consumers. Our technical director is already reviewing his car insurance after texting to QuickQuote.”

Mike Hoban, Marketing Director at Confused.com continues: “Confused.com revolutionised the search for car insurance 10 years ago through the launch of Confused.com. To follow on this success QuickQuote has been created to provide a quick and easy car insurance process which we have developed with Process Flows to help customers find cheaper car insurance and save them money. Conducting a car insurance quote can be a laborious task for motorists when it comes to buying or renewing their insurance. However with QuickQuote this will all change.

“With QuickQuote drivers can shop around and get the best quotes and hopefully save a hefty packet on the cost of car insurance in the process. For new car hunters it allows them to find out the kind of car insurance premiums that they could expect on a particular type of vehicle at any place or time; even on the vehicle forecourt, helping to make the big decision a little bit easier.”

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Reveals That First-Time Drivers Prefer Smaller Cars

Confused.com has announced that, according to its recent survey, first-time buyers are becoming more savvy to the cost of cars; looking at the full cost of motoring rather than just the cost of buying a car.

Cars are one of the biggest expenses that people make in their life time, with 76% of respondents to the Confused.com survey stating this. However, people are having to compromise on the cars they drive. Big engines and car modifications no longer the new driver’s prerogative, due to the cost of insurance and overall rising cost of motoring.

According to Confused.com’s research, motor car insurance is viewed as a ‘huge expense’ by 66% of people. This is because the cost of an average comprehensive policy is £1,869 for women aged 17-20 compared with £3,635 for men.

Confused.com’s research showed almost 70% of people chose their first car with an engine size of 1.3 litres or less, with 15% of under 24s citing insurance cost as the main reason for choosing a care with a smaller engine.

To keep costs down, new drivers are opting for the Ford Fiesta, which was voted the most popular first car, followed by the Mini One, in the poll of 2,000 drivers (selected from a list of 52 different makes and models).

For a 17-year-old male to insure a Ford Fiesta Encore 1.3 litre engine, the insurance premium would cost on average £5,372.96. This compares with the cost for a first-time buyer purchasing a Volkswagen Golf GTI 2 litre engine, which would cost£12,144.75 for insurance cover. This is more than double the cost of insurance for a Ford Fiesta, the first-time buyers’ car of choice.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com, said: “Car insurance is a huge purchase for young drivers. However, our research tells us that these drivers are adapting to pressures and opting for smaller, cheaper cars, in order to minimise their insurance premiums.

“Buying your first car is a really exciting purchase. For the first-time buyer, cost is an important factor with 50% saying that price affects their purchase, and 35% of first-time buyers paying £500 or less for their first car.”

To help young drivers, Confused.com advises them to first decide how much they can afford to pay for their first car; not just the sum to buy the car itself but also the running costs – insurance, MOT, vehicle excise duty, petrol, repairs and servicing. Confused.com encourages first-time car buyers to shop around on a price comparison site and add an experienced named driver onto their insurance.

Via EPR Network
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Diamond Reveals Women Risking Lives With Daily In-Car Make-Up Routine

Diamond has revealed that more than three and half million female drivers could be putting themselves and other road users at risk by using their morning drive to apply make-up and do other routine tasks, a new poll has revealed.

Women’s car insurance specialist, Diamond quizzed more than 2,000 female motorists on their driving habits and discovered a quarter (23%) of women admit to applying make-up whilst driving, with 16% of those having crashed or had a near miss as a result.

And it’s not just applying make-up; women are using their drive to work to complete routine morning tasks that are equally as dangerous. Almost half (47%) have checked text messages, nearly a third (30%) have brushed their hair behind the wheel, while a similar number have eaten breakfast (34%) and drunk hot drinks (32%). As well, almost a fifth (18%) have checked their emails on a smart phone and nearly one in ten (9%) have read the newspaper.

Diamond managing director, Elwyn Gedrych said: “It’s shocking that quite so many women admit to doing these tasks while driving. We all have busy lives but applying your make-up, or checking emails when you’re driving is dangerous as it means your full attention is not on the road ahead.

“Even if you’re lucky enough to arrive at your destination safely, you could be charged with careless driving if spotted by the police.”

Although the majority (60%) of the women who admitted to applying their make-up behind the wheel, did it when stopped in traffic or at traffic lights, shockingly one in ten (12%) admitted to applying make-up while the car is moving and 7% take their hands off the wheel completely to do it.

In fact, despite four-fifths (84%) of women who apply make-up whilst driving admitting they think it’s dangerous, more than two-thirds (41%) have done it with passengers in the car, and almost a third (30%) when children have been travelling with them.

When asked why they take such risks, six out of ten (64%) women said they’re applying make-up behind the wheel because it saves them time, while one in ten (10%) said it was because they couldn’t be bothered to do before they left home.

Elwyn Gedrych continued: “It’s really not worth trying to save a few minutes in the morning by doing your make-up, or anything other than driving, when you’re behind the wheel.

“And so women never have to do their make-up in their car again, we’ve teamed up with celebrity make-up artist, Caroline Frazer to give women all the tools they need for a quicker, more efficient make-up routine before they leave the house.”

The video can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvxEc-JnQBw.

Via EPR Network
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Diamond Reveals Nation’s Children Sick Of Car Journeys

Diamond has released the results of a new study that reveals one in four British children suffer from travel sickness. The research also suggests the affliction could run in the family.

The study of 2,000 parents by the women’s car insurance specialist has shown even those whose children aren’t regularly travel sick prepare for the worst with two fifths taking the precaution of keeping sick bags in the car just in case.

And for the parents of children who do get car sick, three quarters have to stop and pull over for their child to be ill, travelling an average of just 35 miles before halting the journey. The research also found two fifths of unlucky parents have been left cleaning up after their child was ill in the car mid journey, while a similar number avoid long car journeys altogether because of the stress of their children possibly getting sick.

Interestingly, the research suggests parents who suffered from travel sickness as a child themselves are five times more likely to have a child who also gets ill in the car, compared to parents who did not get sick as a child:

– 41% of parents who suffered from travel sickness as a child have a child who also suffers.
– 8% of parents who did not suffer from travel sickness as a child have a child who suffers.

Although many children will grow out of being car sick, the findings reveal this isn’t always the case. Three in five parents who said they suffered from travel sickness as a child, still experience symptoms as an adult.

Diamond’s managing director, Harriet Neale said: “Car journeys with children can be difficult at the best of times, but when you throw in travel sickness, they become even more stressful for parents and children alike.

“Our study certainly suggests travel sickness runs in the family so many parents will empathise with their children and hopefully know a few remedies to make car journeys that little bit easier.”

The study found that many respondents found opening the windows and getting air circulating around the car as the best way to alleviate the symptoms of travel sickness, with three quarters saying it works. Almost half of parents said travel sickness pills or avoiding looking down will stop their children feeling sick, while acupressure wristbands, chewing gum and closing eyes are the least likely to work.

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Reveals Slow Drivers Are The Biggest Frustration For UK Drivers

Confused.com has released new research which reveals that dawdling drivers are the top cause of irritation for UK drivers. The survey by the car insurance experts shows that over half (60%) of motorists experience an increase in stress levels and a heightened irritability when faced with a vehicle driving slower than the rest of the traffic.

In reaction to these slow drivers, almost half (45%) of motorists risk overtaking, thus increasing the chances of an accident. Research from the Department for Transport also reveals that 143 accidents a year are caused directly by slow drivers or “Sunday drivers” as they are known.

With little to prevent drivers from travelling too slowly, half of British motorists are supporting the idea to introduce the first ever ‘slow speed camera’ to the roads of the UK. The slow speed camera will specifically catch slow motorists, penalising them with a fine for driving slower than the minimum designated speed limit. This has come as a reaction to the fact that although minimum speed limits are enforced on some UK motorways, there are few preventative measures that are used widely.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance at Confused.com said: “Slow drivers need to be taken as seriously as motorists caught speeding. Findings confirm they are a constant source of anxiety on UK roads and responsible for a large amount of accidents each year.”

Kloet continued: “We support the introduction of a programme of measures to eliminate this hazard as our research has highlighted that excessively slow driving is a real problem – the government introduced speed cameras and now even a super speed camera so should also consider the same rigour to combat slow driving as it could make a difference and help reduce motorists putting themselves or others at risk.”

The Confused.com car insurance survey’s additional findings also uncovered other solutions for limiting slow drivers. Suggestions included imposing a minimum speed limit on ALL British roads (37%) the introduction of a slow lane (26%), dedicated times for slow drivers to be on the road (15%) and even a warning badge system to be displayed by offending motorists (5%).

Peter Rodger, Chief Examiner from The Institute of Advanced of Motorists (IAM) supports the need for change on Britain’s roads. He said: “All forms of inconsiderate driving need to be tackled. Drivers who are unnecessarily excessively slow lead others to make rash moves.”

For more information on car insurance, interested parties can visit confused.com/car-insurance.

Via EPR Network
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Diamond Reveals The Most Popular Hairdresser’s Car

Diamond has revealed that the Mini One is the most popular car among British hairdressers.

The term ‘hairdresser’s car’ has long been used to describe sporty little run-arounds popular with nation’s style conscious hair stylists. Women’s car insurance specialist Diamond decided to find out what hairdressers really drive and can reveal that the most popular, and therefore ultimate ‘hairdresser’s car’, is the Mini One.

Diamond looked at data from over 18,000 hairdressers to create a definitive list of the most popular cars amongst Britain’s hairdressers*. The Mini One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by a hairdresser than everyone else. The next most popular for hairdressers are the Vauxhall Tigra and Volkswagen Beetle, which are both more than three times as popular with hairdressers than the rest of the UK. Rounding out the top five are the Ford Ka and Mini Cooper.

Commenting on the findings, Diamond managing director, Elwyn Gedrych said: “It’s not surprising that the Mini One is so popular amongst hairdressers, as it’s stylish, modern and looks great. In fact, with two Mini models in the top 5, that certainly cements its place as the ultimate ‘hairdresser’s car’.”

Diamond also wanted to see if hairdressers like to show off their perfectly coiffered locks in a convertible car. It found that they’re happy to have the wind through their hair as they’re 33% more likely than non-hairdressers to drive one.

Via EPR Network
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