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Couriers: What happens if I drive without van insurance?

November 13, 2009 By

Driving without insurance is a very dangerous thing to do if you become a courier. Quite simply you are deemed a ‘professional’ driver and you will have no excuse (not that there are any) for driving with your vehicle uninsured.

If you are caught, and the chances are pretty high that you will be, then you can be fined, banned, points on your license, van crushed or sent to prison – sometimes a combination of these is issued.

Lets look at each part, and it’s impact upon the courier and their business.

Fined: You are out of pocket financially by several hundred pound and it would have been cheaper to get the insurance, you will probably continue your business and this time have van insurance. You have had a lucky escape. Really. You have.

Banned: If you are an owner driver -  you are toast, seriously you cannot drive legally, you cannot operate you business as it requires you to drive. If you have not had an accident, then ok, you will need a new career. If you have had an accident and have been found driving your van without insurance then you will be in serious trouble. The victim can claim against you for damages, and you could lose your house.

Points on the drivers license: Your van insurance is now twice the price it could have been, as you have points. It costs you more financially and you are stuck for upto 4 years with the points on your license.

Van Crushed: No van, no job if you are an owner driver. If you have several vans, you have lost a big chunk of your business. If you have just one van, you have lost it all.

Sent to prison: Loss of liberty, can’t run your business. Business will probably fold. Harder to start up when released as you have a criminal conviction. Harder and more expensive to get insurance for any vans that you get.

In this article we just talk about the impact of the courier, we have yet to write about the corporate manslaughter ramifications if someone was killed whilst driving without insurance.

Shop around, get quotes but most importantly, don’t drive without your van insurance.

Sarah
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Fuel saving driving, part three

October 12, 2009 By

The third part in our series of blogs on driving greener to save more fuel.

Go…. When Driving -

Traffic lights can have several additional lig...
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* Drive smoothly – pulling away fast can use 60 percent more fuel.

* Slow down. Drive at the speed limit. Driving at 70mph can use up to 30 percent more petrol than driving at 50mph.

* Think ahead to avoid sharp braking – it just throws away energy and money.

* Avoid using the air conditioning, open the air vents instead! Air con uses 15 percent more fuel than the air vents. All on board electronics are also using extra fuel, the rear screen heater for example adds 5 percent to the fuel consumption. Switch them off if you don’t need them.

* Change gear between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm – this can save up to 30 percent of fuel. Listen to your engine.

* It’s better to switch your engine off when in stationary traffic. You use more fuel with the engine idling for 60 seconds than if you switched off and restarted 60 seconds later.

* Did you know….. traffic lights are programmed to change according to the speed limit. If you are stopped at one red light but then drive on at the correct speed you will usually find that by the time you reach the next few sets of lights, they will be turning green for you. Try it and see.

* Careful motorway driving will improve safety and traffic flow. The concertina effect caused by one motorist breaking sharply often results in traffic slowing to a near stop due to the delayed reaction of drivers behind. If we drive pro-actively, and try to observe the car three or four ahead. Then we can give ourselves some distance from the car in front. We can anticipate and judge the necessary speed. When you see a car up ahead start to brake, simply remove your foot off the accelerator. By the time you get close to the car in front the chances are that they will have accelerated and moved further on.

Driving greener and safer saves you fuel, and the welcome side effect is you are helping to save the planet in ways other drivers cannot be bothered with.

Sarah

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I am not insured, and I have had an accident

February 17, 2009 By

Unfortunately many people discover after they have been involved in a road traffic accident that for some reason their insurance is invalid, so what can be done?

A car crash in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Image via Wikipedia

The Motor Insurers Bureau

The MIB as it is usually known is the organisation that pays the victims of uninsured motorists so whatever happens, if it turns out that you were not insured and were to blame, the person who was injured or whose property was damaged should not be adversely affected by your lack of insurance (unless he or she is also uninsured).

The MIB is primarily funded by a percentage of the motor insurance we all pay.

However, once they have settled the claim(s) made against you, they will look to recover from you all the expenditure they have paid out. They may however agree to payment by installments.

If the vehicle was insured..

..but you were not covered to drive it, then the insurers of the vehicle will have to make payment in the same way as the MIB and similarly will look to you to repay their expenditure.


What if the accident was not your fault?

If the other driver was to blame, then the fact that you turned out to be uninsured is irrelevant to your claim and you can recover your losses just as you would if the insurance had been valid. The only exception is if the other driver is also uninsured.

If you were partially to blame

..then you can recover your percentage of damages but they may well be swallowed up by the amount payable to the other party.

For example, where there has been a head-on collision with no witnesses or other information to available to prove who was to blame, the matter may be settled on a 50/50 basis.

If your claim is worth £3000.00, your 50% would be worth £1500.00 but if the other driver’s claim was worth £2000.00, he would be entitled to £1000.00 plus legal costs at say £1500.00 with the result that you would owe £2500.00, £1500.00 of which would be recouped immediately from the monies otherwise payable to you, leaving a balance of £1000.00 still payable from your own resources.

Do not ignore correspondence

Insurers and personal injury lawyers have access to the Motor Insurers Database so it will soon be discovered if you have no insurance or if your insurance is defective. By co-operating with the Motor Insurer’s Bureau or the actual insurers of the vehicle, this should keep costs to a minimum. Send any letters you receive form solicitors or insurers without delay to the MIB or the insurers involved and provide as much information as possible. If you do not, they may have no option but to pay the claim against you in full even if in fact you not wholly at fault.

THIS ARTICLE IS NOT INTENDED TO COVER ANY MATTER RELATING TO POLICE PROSECUTION ARISING OUT OF A LACK OF INSURANCE

Chris Lodge
Kaslers Solicitors
If you need After Accident Assistance following a Road Accident in the UK, we can help – <a href=”mailto:cml@kaslers.co.uk?subject=”Ref: Kevin Arrow”>Email direct with as much info as you can by clicking here</a>

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Winter driving tips – snow and floods

February 9, 2009 By

The best preparation you can give your vehicle for driving in the winter is a full service.

Some people don’t bother with this, and if you are a courier company like us you will be servicing your vehicles every 6-8 weeks anyway. It’s so easy to forget the things like anti freeze when you do it yourself, but that can make a big difference when the temperatures drop!

New York's {{w|Finger Lakes}} A late fall snow...
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If you do a lot of driving in the winter here are some things you should be prepared for.

1. You can get stuck in snow or mud very easily.

First try and gently ‘unstick’ the vehicle with a gentle back and forth motion. If this doesn’t work a shovelful of grit / dirt /salt under the tyres may help add some traction. If that doesn’t work, try the rubber floor mats underneath the tyres (the mats that are in your foot wells fit perfectly).

2. When driving through water or ‘fording’ flooded country lanes check your brakes after. Don’t forget to check the ‘cat’ as well.

Make sure that your brakes are working correctly by testing them slowly when you have exited the water. Do not drive through water that comes above the halfway point of your wheels. When driving through the flooded section drive slowly in first or second gear and DO NOT drive fast enough to create a wave! If your vehicle has a ‘cat’ check them after as well, the ‘cat’ (catalytic converter) operates at high temperatures and this means when it comes into contact with ice cold water, it could crack. That’s a very expensive item to get replaced.

3. Take Extra care when driving up hills that have snow on them

Leave plenty of space for the person in front before you start your journey up hill. This isn’t the time to be driving fast and tailgating people. If you find you are starting to slip, some drivers find it helpful to zigzag across the road (this is where the plenty of space is useful).

Remember, just because you drove through a snowfall or a storm once or twice a year, it doesn’t make you infallible. Driving conditions can turn the safest of drivers into a wreck, literally.

Drive safely

Kevin

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Corporate Manslaughter – what it means to a courier

January 8, 2009 By

There have been many discussions about the Corporate Manslaughter Legislation and the effect it will have on the way courier businesses operate.  Most of those discussions are based on a best guess scenario and assumptions.

I will not be making guesses at an eventual outcome, but I can give you guidance on the processes involved should a collision occur and then I will give you some guidance on what steps you can take to prevent your courier business falling foul of the Corporate Manslaughter Legislation.  The investigation is a defined process and will follow structured path of evidence gathering with witness and suspect interviews.  As a business you are in the suspect category from the outset.

Take the following example of a road collision.  It is a typical collision that happens on the roads in the UK on a daily basis.  Vehicle One is owned by the company concerned.

Circumstances of the crash:

  • Vehicle One: SUV – 6 months old – 32,000 miles – Never Been Serviced
  • Vehicle Two: Supermini – 3 years old – 36,00 miles – Full Service History
  • Time of Collision: 0840 hrs
  • Weather Conditions: Wet

Injuries:

  • Occupant Vehicle One: Driver: Male 47 yrs: Bruising, Minor Lacerations and Whiplash
  • Occupant Vehicle Two: Driver: Female 28 yrs: Declared Dead at the Scene
  • Occupant Vehicle Two: Passenger: Male 3 yrs: Severe Head Injuries

Vehicles:

  • Vehicle One: Found to Have Two Defective Tyres
  • Vehicle Two: No Defects Found

There is also some additional information that you need to consider.

  • The driver of the SUV was previously driving a 5 door executive car.
  • The drivers licence was checked upon joining the organisation 18 months previously.
  • The driver did not have the vehicle handed to him in a documented manner, nor were the driving characteristics of the SUV explained to him.
  • The vehicle is owned by the company.
  • Maintenance is organised by the individual drivers
  • The driver had 9 points on his licence for speeding.
  • The driver did send in mileage reports every month, detailing business and private miles

The next step in the process will be covered in the blog www.yourroadrisk.co.uk and will describe the way the Police and Health & Safety Executive will deal with your business.

If you are worried in the meantime, please get in contact with us.

Nigel Grainger

Senior Consultant

Fleet Risk Consultants

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