If you are thinking of buying car or van insurance online then the ABI, the British Insurers Brokers Association, has published a new guide to help you when buying motor insurance. The insurance guide has been developed in conjunction with leading insurance comparison sites and the consumer association Which?. It also covers general insurance such as home insurance as well as car insurance.

The key areas covered by the ”Good Practise Guide” are as follows;

- Policy information. Customers should being able to review all aspects of their policy before buying.

- Add-ons. It recommends that all aspects of what cover is being provided as standard should be made clear and what features are being sold as add ons.

-Excess levels. The level of any excess should be clearly displayed.

- Referrals. Customers to whom a quote cannot be provided should be directed to a possible alternative source of help.

The ABI Good Practise Guide is available @ www.abi.org.uk

Parking bump

What Car? has conducted some market research and found that only 37% of motorists would definitely confess to damaging a parked car. 18% would drive away straight away with the remaining 45% in two minds, depending on how much damage has been caused.

Steve Fowler,editor of What Car? said,”We’re shocked by the lack of honesty among some drivers. Either way it’s a criminal offence not to stop and leave your details at the scene of an accident and you could end up with points on your licence, a large fine or a maximum penalty of six months in prison!”

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If you are looking for a BMW 3 Series Tourer then have a look at our latest offer. BMW car leasing for a 3 Series SE Tourer manual starts from £295.91+ VAT per month. Combined mpg is 44.8 and CO2 emissions are 147g/km.

This BMW car leasing is based on the following terms;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over three years at 10,000 miles per annum.

- Only three months rental in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals. (38 payments in total)

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and other vehicle options can be added at an extra cost.

- The image shown may not represent the exact model.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR QUOTE

A fantastic BMW 5 Series saloon is on the site and is a great executive car for any business driver. Our BMW car leasing offer for a BMW 5 Series Diesel Business Edition 520d diesel SE 4-door saloon manual starts from only £369.83+VAT per month. Combined mpg sits at 55.4 and CO2 emissions at only 136g/km.

The BMW car leasing terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over three years at 10,000 miles per annum.

- Only three months rental in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals. (38 payments in total)

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and other vehicle options can be added at an extra cost.

- The image shown may not represent the exact model.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR QUOTE

The BMW 3 Series saloon is an ideal company car for any small to medium sized business offering a quality brand, look and feel. BMW car leasing starts from £274.95+VAT per month for a BMW 3 Series 318i ES 4-door saloon manual. This car also offers you 44.8 combined mpg and 146g/km CO2 output.

The BMW car leasing terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over three years at 10,000 miles per annum.

- Only three months rental in advance followed by 35 subsequent rentals. (38 payments in total)

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and other vehicle options can be added at an extra cost.

- The image shown may not represent the exact model.

CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR QUOTE

The BMW 1 Series is  a popular hatchback for BMW. BMW car leasing for a BMW 1 Series 116i (2.0-litre) 5-door hatchback starts from £220.69 +VAT per month and offers 46.3 combined mpg and a CO2 output of just 143g/km.

The BMW car leasing terms are based on the following;

- Non-maintained business contract hire over a three year term at 10,000 miles per annum.

- Only 3 rentals in advance followed by thirty-five subsequent rentals (38 payments in total)

- “With maintenance”, metallic paint and other vehicle options can be added at an extra cost.

- The image shown may not represent the exact model.

Audi A3 99g/km

Audi has launched a new ultra-economical, low CO2 version of the Audi A3 1.6 TDI. This frugal Audi offers you a combined mpg figure of 74.3 so it will also be kind on your pocket as well.

The performance is good too, with the turbocharged diesel engine reaching 0-62mph in only 11.4 seconds.

The new car is available in three-door only with a five-speed manual transmission and with Standard trim only. This Audi A3 vehicle specification includes 15-inch 7-arm design alloy wheels, manual air conditioning, remote central locking, electric front windows with a Chorous single CD player. Audi car leasing prices will be loaded shortly.

The team at Comparecontracthire.com, the UK’s DIRECT car leasing comparison site,wishes all customers a great Christmas.

Snowbombing 2010

Volvo Car UK has announced their partnership with Snowbombing – the world’s biggest show on snow” which will be taking place in Austria between the 5th and 10th of April at Mayrhofen.

Snowbombing week features live bands, DJ’s and combines entertainment both on and off piste.

Volvo will feature a range of their models including the sporty new C30 SportsCoupe, their sleek new C70 coupe/convertible plus the Volvo XC60 crossover complete in sports-inspired R-DESIGN.

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has provided some advice for motorists travelling over the Christmas break when visiting family and friends. With an estimated 12 million drivers preparing to take to the road in their cars and vans, the IAM is advising drivers to allow extra time for their journey and to avoid being over-cautious, which can sometimes create additional problems on the road.

IAM Chief Examiner,Peter Rodger, said,” Too many drivers lack the skills and experience to tackle snow and icy conditions. Our message to drivers is to assess the type of road you’re driving on. Going too fast is dangerous, but so too is going too slowly”.

He went onto say,”In snow you should drive slowly enough so you can stop, but also fast enough to give you the all important momentum to deal with hills so you can avoid sliding back and getting stuck. Give yourself plenty of time. And prepare your car. Listen to the travel and weather bulletins and plan your route”.

The IAM has also advised as follows.

1. Is your journey really necessary? If it is plan it and give yourself plenty of time and tell someone your intended route and how long you think it will take.
2. Clean your windscreen and windows using a demisting preparation. Make sure the washer bottle is topped up and also that it has a winter additive to stop it freezing. Check your windscreen wipers are working correctly.
3. Ensure that all lights, brake lights and indicators are working properly and that the lenses are clean.
4. Ensure your tyres are correctly inflated and are in good condition.
5. Keep your speed down and increase the safety gap between you and and the vehicle in front of you. It can take up to ten times longer to stop when the road is wet or icy.

A useful tool to use before setting off for your journey is the live Trafficmaster traffic road mapping service on Comparecontracthire.com. This covers the whole of the UK and shows you “live road” speeds so you can avoid potential hotspots.

Have a safe journey and a merry Xmas.