Contesting a Speeding Ticket

Nothing makes a day go from bad to worse or even from great to bad than getting a speeding ticket. You could be having the best day ever. Get pulled over and get a speeding ticket and your day is ruined. You could be having the worst day of your life. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, you get speeding tickets. Tickets suck. That’s the long and the short of it. Well, what do you do know with that ticket? Were you even speeding? Can you contest the ticket?

Of course, the easiest thing to do is to suck it up and pay the fine. If you follow the directions on the back of the ticket, swallow your pride by writing the check and mailing it in then you are done with it and you never have to think about it again. However, every driver who is issued a ticket has the right to contest that ticket in court if they truly believe it was issued to them wrongly.

The laws are different in every state regarding how speeding tickets are handled. In some states you do have the right to have your ticket reviewed by a judge; this is called "bench trial" and a judge determines your guilt or innocence. In these cases, your decision is dependant upon the judge and what kind of mood he is in. Some judges hate to reduce or dismiss speeding tickets because it is good revenue. In other states, you have the right to a "jury trial" which is when a jury hears the merits behind you receiving the ticket and determines whether or not you have to pay the fine. Few states have developed a traffic division, and you would go directly to that division to contest the speeding ticket.

Most people do not know that you also have the right to inquire about the equipment used in the issuance of your speeding ticket. You can ask when was the last time the radar gun used was reset. Speeding tickets have been dismissed because of the length of time since the guns last reset. It calls into question the accuracy with which the gun determined your own speed.

Regardless of whichever way you choose to contest the ticket, bench trial, jury trial or traffic court, you have the right to appeal your ticket if you believe that you didn’t deserve to receive the ticket or if you believe you should not have to pay it. You would appeal your conviction through the court of appeals. The action you choose to go with is completely up to you.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/contesting-a-speeding-ticket-337443.html

The Ultimate Guide To Young Driver Car Insurance

In a recent post we explored reports that many insurance providers had started refusing quotes to young drivers. While many news articles focused on the negative side of this story we preferred to look at offering a solution to the problem.

And here it is; our ultimate guide to young driver car insurance. A look at why motor insurance is so expensive for younger drivers and 14 in-depth tips to securing a cheaper premium now and in the years to come…

So why is young driver car insurance more expensive in the first place?

The main reason many young drivers face having to more from their motor insurance is down to “perceived risk”. One of the main factors insurance companies consider when calculating the cost of your premium is how likely you are to actually make a claim. The more likely an insurer thinks you are to claim on your policy the higher your premium will be.

And how exactly do they calculate risk?

Every insurance company use slightly different criteria to calculate risk and will give different weightings to those criteria. Those differences aside, all insurance providers will consider a group of key factors:

• Age
• Driving experience and record
• Claims history
• The car you drive
• Post code
• Gender

• 
  

What does this mean for younger drivers?

These factors having so much influence on the price of a car insurance quote spells bad news for younger drivers and the problem is made more frustrating by the fact many are out of your control. Let’s look at these areas in more detail and see just how much of a problem they can cause:

• Age – young drivers are just that, YOUNG, if insurance companies are going to hold that against you there’s little you can do.

• Driving experience and record – well if you’re YOUNG you won’t have much experience on the roads to help get a cheaper quote will you? Worse still, if you’ve managed to add a blemish or two to your record in this short time then your premium will be even higher.

• Claims history – again, if you’re YOUNG with LITTLE EXPERIENCE how can you have built up any no claims discount? And if you’ve already had to make a claim that will go against you as well.

• The car you drive – if you are lucky enough to be able to afford a nice new car expect to pay for that privilege with a higher premium, if you can only afford a cheap death trap expect to pay a higher premium, if you’re a motoring enthusiast who likes to modify their car, surprise, expect to pay a higher premium – anything out of the “middle of the road” norm and insurance companies will feel justified in increasing the cost of your policy.

• Post code – unsurprisingly some areas on the country are worse for accidents and thefts, usually these are big urban cities such as London, Manchester and Liverpool. More accidents and thefts equal more claims which equal higher premiums. So if things weren’t looking bad enough already, if you live in such as area the outlook just got a whole lot worse.

• Gender – and just to round things off young male drivers are persecuted a little further with the “boy racer” tag which will raise the cost of your premium no matter how competent and safe a driver you really are, talk about prejudice!

• 
  

To summarise this little section of the guide; the more of these factors you have going against you the harder it will be to find car insurance at a reasonable and affordable price.

How Can Insurance Companies Justify This?

In one word, STATISTICS!

Insurance companies love statistics and much of the research conducted goes a long way to supporting their approach of charging more to cover young drivers.

Many of these reports highlight the fact that younger drivers:

• Speed more
• Are involved in more accidents
• Injure and kill more people on the roads
• Are more likely to drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Suffer more thefts
• And as a result make more claims!

• 
  

You can read more about these figures at www.abi.org.uk

All these stats and facts result in the “perceived risk” that leads to car insurance providers dishing out higher premiums to younger drivers. And it is the worsening of this situation that has resulted in several insurers turning young drivers away.

Is There Any Good News?

It’s fair to say that having read the guide to this point the picture looks very bleak indeed. Insurance companies take a dim view of younger drivers and the statistics back them up.

However, it is important that we understand the problems in order to combat them and find a solution, and this is exactly what we are going to do.

OK, Now For The Good Stuff!

14 Great Tips To Help Younger Drivers Lower Their Car Insurance Premiums

By combining as many of these tips as possible you can significantly lower the cost of your insurance.

• Take the PASS PLUS course – I wanted to get this one out of the way first as it’s only an option within 12 months of passing your test. Choosing to take this advanced driving course can help lower your insurance costs as some companies offer a discount to drivers who have passed the course. The discounts will vary from one provider to another. In addition to cheaper motor insurance the course also reduces the risk of having a crash by improving your skills and experience on the roads, in the long-term this can help build trust with insurers and lower your premium even further. Visit the PASS PLUS site to learn more

• Avoid modifications – adding “mods” to your car is a bad idea for younger drivers and helps promote the “boy racer” tag that insurers use to bump up your premium. By resisting the temptation to “soop up” you can help prevent your quote from going any higher. If you do decide to modify your motor make sure you let your insurer know as failure to do so could mean your policy is invalid when you make a claim. This scenario could make getting future car insurance an even harder prospect.

• Improve security – any money saved on modifications could be better spent improving the security of your vehicle. Fitting an approved alarm and immobiliser system reduces the chance of theft (which makes you less of a risk) and can help lower your quote. Parking more securely at night, such as on the drive or in a garage also improves security and lowers insurance costs. Make sure your insurance company is fully aware of the efforts to which you are going.

• A smaller engine – remember when we said the car you drive affects your premium? One of the main reasons younger drivers have more accidents (and pay higher premiums) is that they aren’t experienced in controlling powerful vehicles. Opting for a 1.0 or 1.2litre engine (in a low insurance group) will result in far cheaper insurance compared to a 4litre super charged turbo! Also you will benefit from cheaper road tax and petrol costs, the savings from which can offset the cost of your insurance and make it cheaper.

• Going on your own insurance and building up no claims bonus – I won’t lie, in the short-term this could sting a little but past that point the savings are huge. Typically one year’s no claims will result in a 30% discount on your premium and by building up four or more years the discount can be between 60-70%. With this in mind going on your parents insurance to lower the cost in the short-term makes little sense. Some insurance companies allow named drivers to build up no claims bonus but usually this is not transferable to another provider.

• Look for rapid bonus schemes – when taking the plunge of going on your own insurance keep an eye out for rapid bonus schemes. These deals allow you to build up one year’s no claims bonus within 9-10 months as apposed to the traditional 12. This is great way of accessing the discounts available by having a no claims bonus more quickly.

• Look for worthwhile cash back offers – as well as rapid bonus schemes look to take advantage of cash back deals offered by insurance companies. Insurance providers operate in a highly competitive market and frequently offer these incentives to attract customers. Cash back offers between £50-£75 are not uncommon and can act as a nice little saver on the cost of your policy.

• Shop around online – with so many companies and policies available using the internet to speed up the process is a good idea. Price comparison websites such as confused.com and moneysupermarket.com compare quotes from dozens of insurance companies and a search only a takes a few minutes. The results, (while not 100% accurate) provide a quick overview of the prices available and let you find the deals that are right for you at a reasonable price. A little bonus tip here, HAGGLE! Once you have these quotes to hand try to barter with the insurers and challenge them to beat your lowest quote. We’ve already discussed how competitive the industry is and this is where you can take advantage and lower your quote even further.

• Consider specialist insurance companies – as well as getting quotes from mainstream companies don’t forget to check out those who specialise in young driver car insurance. Companies such as 4youngdrivers and Adrian Flux provide cover for many young drivers and are well placed to offer competitive quotes. Again use your influence as a potential customer to drive the price down as far as possible.

• Offer a higher voluntary excess –this is a useful tool but one that should be used with caution. By volunteering to pay a higher excess the cost of your quote will fall as there is less liability for the insurer. The important point to remember is not to set your excess at a level you could not comfortably afford to pay in the event of a claim.

• Limit your mileage – reducing your perceived risk is a major weapon in your arsenal for lowering car insurance premiums and limiting your mileage does just that. If you are on the road for a shorter amount of time you are less likely to be involved in an accident. By working out how many miles you will drive over the year and agreeing to stick to that limit it is possible to negotiate a further reduction in your premium. Be sure to leave yourself a few miles in reserve just in case.

• Pay upfront rather than monthly – in theory paying in monthly installments sounds like a good idea. In reality it can be very costly. Most insurers charge interest on monthly payments which increase the overall cost of your premium. Paying upfront may put a dent in your budget for a while but it is usually the cheaper option. Occasionally some insurers offer monthly payments that don’t incur any fees, if you can find a deal like this then great, if not it is better to bite the bullet and pay upfront.

• Insure third party only – if your car is worth relatively little you may want to consider only insurance yourself for claims made against you rather than covering damage and theft to your own vehicle. In some cases the cost of replacing a cheap vehicle may be less than taking out a comprehensive insurance policy.

• Drive safely, carefully and responsibly – I thought we’d finish with a nice easy one and this harks back to those young driver statistics we mentioned earlier. Sadly all young drivers get tarred with the same brush so by proving yourself to be a competent and trustworthy driver your premiums will fall. Avoid speeding tickets and other driving penalties and the savings happen sooner than you might think. Combine this with building up your no claims and insurers will soon be queuing up to offer you car insurance at a discounted rate.

One point that has become apparent in this guide is young drivers still face a challenge to find affordable car insurance. The trick is to make this difficult period as short as possible. Hopefully, following the tips above will help you to find the best deals, gain the trust of insurance companies and get started on the road to cheaper premiums.

How To Get Your Vehicle Ready For A Trip On The Road

If you're going on a trip and driving your vehicle, keep in mind there are some preliminary things that should be done, especially if you're driving several hundreds of miles. This will help you to escape the problems that arise if you don't get your vehicle checked out beforehand.

Take your vehicle to your mechanic to find out what may need to be done. You should start this at least a month to two months prior to your trip. This is when any major repairs should be taken care of. Having this done a month or two before time gives you a chance to correct any additional issues related to the repair(s).

Make sure your tires are inflated properly and that they have enough pressure. Your tires can blow out while you're driving if they don't have enough pressure in them. Checking the tire treads is important. This is another way your tires can experience a blowout.

The way to check this is to put a penny between the tire's grooves. On the penny, the head of Abraham Lincoln should be pointing downward. If the space above Lincoln's head is visible or you can see the words "In God We Trust", new tires are needed. Your spare tire should be inflated and the tools should be available in the event you'll need to use it.

The vehicle's manual should be in the glove compartment. You will need that in the event the vehicle experiences trouble on the road. If you don't have one, check the manufacturer's website to see if they have one in PDF format. With technology as it is, it wouldn't be surprising if they did. At least you wouldn't have to wait weeks to get a replacement.

Any minor maintenance such as oil changes can be done a week prior to your trip. You should also check your tires again for pressure and tread efficiency. If there are any abnormalities that weren't there before, take it to your mechanic for a look.

You should have a clean air filter in your vehicles. If it's not clean, it will affect your vehicle's mileage and suck up gas. This means you will have to stop for gas more often for your vehicle. You will definitely need to change the filter if it's been in the vehicle over 12,000 miles.

Remove any items from your vehicle that you won't need for the trip. This will give more room to the items that you will need or are planning to take. You should have a clean vehicle before you leave. Take an hour or two to clean and vacuum the inside.

Have a map or if you have a newer vehicle, consider getting a GPS (Global Positioning System). This will help you get to your destination without getting lost. It would be advantageous for you to fill up the tank before you leave. When you get on the road, nine times out of ten, you will pay more for gas outside of your area.

Make sure that you have packed everything you need for your trip. More importantly, make sure you have your toiletries and prescribed medicines. Check through your suitcases and garment bags. It's not good to overload your vehicle with a lot of stuff.

Doing all these things will help you have an enjoyable trip.

Young Driver Car Insurance – All Is Not Lost

You may recently have read one of the many articles published announcing that several leading motor insurance providers have taken the decision to refuse quotes to young drivers.

Leading brands such as Swiftcover, More Th>n and Esure have apparently decided that young drivers are more trouble than they’re worth.

And when you look at some of the statistics being thrown around you can see where they are coming from:

• An eighteen year old is three times as likely as his/her parents to have an accident whilst driving.

• 17-25 year olds hold just 10% of all driving licenses but cause more than 20% of car accidents.

• One in three young male drivers will write off a car in their first year of driving.

• 25% of the convictions for causing death by dangerous driving are for drivers under 20

You can read even more of these “alarming” statistics here and here.

Other car insurance companies to take this step include; Sheilas' Wheels, Marks & Spencer and AXA and with more providers likely to follow suit this isn’t a small problem than can simply be ignored.

Now why these articles and stats make for good reading the truth is there are many young drivers out there, who drive responsibly and safely, who are suffering higher car insurance premiums due to actions of the minority.

Car insurance premiums for young drivers have historically always been high and this latest development will only make it more difficult to secure a reasonably priced policy.

But as the title says, all is not lost; there are many steps young drivers can take to help lower the cost of their insurance, such as:

• Avoiding modifications

• Driving a car with a smaller engine

• Going on your own insurance and building up no claims bonus

• Taking the Pass Plus course

• Offering a higher voluntary excess

• Shopping around online

• Limiting your mileage

• Looking for rapid bonus schemes to build no claims bonus more quickly

• Paying upfront rather than monthly

• Improving security

• Looking for worthwhile cash back offers

• Considering specialist insurance companies

• Insuring Third-Party Only if the car is relatively cheap

All these options are covered in greater detail in our ultimate guide to young driver car insurance.

Car Parts: Backbone of Any Car

One of the vehicles that are hugely liked world over is cars. Perfect utility machines, they contribute handsomely and eradicate quite a few troubles from one's life. Indeed, there cannot be two thoughts about the fact that cars indeed are a multi-utility phenomenon. Not only does it eradicates one's commuting troubles but also adds handsomely to one's status symbol as well. It is extremely surprising and ironical, therefore, that people don't give as much attention to car parts or car accessory that they should be giving. No wonder then that most of the people start complaining about the bad performance of their cars almost as soon as they purchase them.

A few examples would explain the whole point pretty easily. Take the case of car mats. In spite of the fact that they provide extremely important service to the cars yet they are not taken that seriously by people. Imagine a part of the car that saves it from dust and rain and provides cushion to feet thereby making the journey comfortable is not given its rightful due. Nothing can be as baffling!

Similar is the case with spare parts. Such integral car parts but again not given as much attention as is their right. There are times on several occasions when you cannot get the proper silencer or combustion pipes etc. and have to wait for days for them to arrive to get the short coming fixed. Had a careful attention been given to these essential components then situation would not have deteriorated that much.

These points should communicate the point pretty nicely that a careful observation to car accessories or car parts while purchasing cars would go a long way in helping people combat such critical times. All that you need to do is to pay slight attention to these essential components to give that edge to your car.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/car-parts-backbone-of-any-car-326130.html

Get Your Car Insurance On eBay

From antiques to video games you can find just about anything on eBay, the world’s largest online auction site.

Now it seems we can add car insurance to the ever-growing list of services offered by the UK’s most successful online marketplace.

eBay have teamed up with insurancewide.com to offer a car insurance quote comparison service on their eBayMotors section – a site visited by more than three million of us each month and where a car is sold every two minutes.

For those who use eBayMotors the opportunity to compare car prices and car insurance in the same place should be greeting as an extremely convenient set-up.

After all, how many times have you set your heart on a car only to realise you can’t afford the insurance. Checking the costs alongside each other has the potential to make the buying process run much more smoothly.

Insurancewide.com and eBay are combining to offer a service that should be commended. If you should ever find yourself surfing for a car on eBay why not try their new insurance service too and drop us a comment to let us know your thoughts.

Top Advantages to Buying Car Insurance Online

It is very important to research all of the many car insurance companies available to make sure that you get the best rates and best coverage. Car insurance is critical to keeping you and your family protected against injuries and accidents. In fact, now you can buy car insurance online.

There are many independent websites that can assist you in choosing the right coverage at an affordable rate. By using one of these companies, you know that you will get unbiased results because they do not partner with specific companies.
There are quite of few great websites on the web that give the user a friendly visit. They offer features such as compared rates to other insurance companies that can help you make your decision based on the lowest rates. They also will allow you the feature to purchasing them online
Others, you can submit a claim online, and they have a program that can help you quickly repair the damaged vehicle. With this program, you will be driving your car again in no time. By choosing one of their mechanic shops, they can speed up the repair time.
There are so many different companies that you can use to buy car insurance online. By receiving free quotes from several of these companies, you can do some easy comparison shopping to choose the company that is right for you. Comparison shopping is critical to finding a good reliable company.

The most important thing for a driver is to be insured. By insuring yourself, you protect you, your financial health, and those family and friends that are riding with you.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cars-articles/top-advantages-to-buying-car-insurance-online-321650.html