Do car insurers take into account severe weather?

[GrahamG]

With the AA car insurance claims department receiving '60% more calls than usual' last Monday - shouldn't they be charging a higher excess or something similar for driving whilst a severe weather warning is in place?

Seriously, the number of idiots who insist on driving during what can only be described as treacherous conditions is just unbelievable. In Bristol, and area where people are unaccustomed to snow and ice, I've seen dozens of dented/smashed up cars and street furniture. I get the horrible feeling that everyone will be hit with a rise in next years renewal premium in response to increased claims. That will of course include the people with the sense to leave their cars alone the whole time.

Do they already do this? If I was an insurer I'd want to see a high minimum excess payment for driving in these conditions.

*Please note, this is in relation to domestic policies, it's not exactly sensible to apply it to businesses/organisations with critical journeys to make.

 

[gbb]

I guess not Graham...never heard of it. The risk is spread over the year i'd guess. You're right tho...the idiots behaviour at this time of year beggars belief. Thankfully, it (i hope) is a minority.

 

[John the Monkey]

I'd guesstimate that 3 out of 5 cars I saw on Crewe Road last Thursday (early morning, so not gritted as yet) drove exactly the same way as I see them driving on bone dry, non icy roads. (I.e. accelerating hard to reach the back of a queue, tailgating the vehicle in front &c). People simply don't modify their driving, same as they don't when it's raining, when visibility is poor &c &c.

Tom Vanderbilt (author of "Traffic") makes the point that a lot of drivers are "opportunistic, short term planners" - I'd guess because they've been conditioned to think of driving as a "safe" activity.

 

[tyred]

I'd guesstimate that 3 out of 5 cars I saw on Crewe Road last Thursday (early morning, so not gritted as yet) drove exactly the same way as I see them driving on bone dry, non icy roads. (I.e. accelerating hard to reach the back of a queue, tailgating the vehicle in front &c). People simply don't modify their driving, same as they don't when it's raining, when visibility is poor &c &c.

I've noticed this too and most of the roads around where I live are never gritted. There is the other problem that most people don't appear to have a clue about how to drive on ice and snow.

 

[John the Monkey]

IThere is the other problem that most people don't appear to have a clue about how to drive on ice and snow.

...and invariably come down on the side of "do pretty much what I do most of the time and it will probably be ok" as opposed to "slow down and be much more careful".

 

[Blue]

With the AA car insurance claims department receiving '60% more calls than usual' last Monday - shouldn't they be charging a higher excess or something similar for driving whilst a severe weather warning is in place.

The current standard £100 excess on private car policies bears no meaningful relationship whatsoever to risk.

An excess is designed to serve two purposes, Firstly, remove small claims from the system and, thereby, keep expenses and subsequently premiums as low as possible. Secondly, encourage care on the part of the motorist by making them share the costs every time they claim.

When the £100 excess was first introduced I was earning £65 per month. A lot of damage could be fixed for £100, so claims were kept out of the insurance system, and I took a lot of care whilst driving rather than forfeit 6 weeks pay!! Marketing/competition pressures have ensured that excesses have not kept pace with inflation so they are now almost meaningless. A typical excess would have to be about £1,000 to have the same impact as the original £100 figure. Who would buy a policy with a £1,000 excess? Which insurer would risk market share by having a standard £1,000 excess??

People drive negligently all year round and the results of that behaviour are what insurance is for.

Insurers, like all businesses, do sometimes react to the demands and needs of their customers.

 

[Black Sheep]

I presume that it will be added onto the driver's risk for next year the same as with any other incident that is deemed to be the drivers fault,

the insurance will just see it as the driver having taken the risk

 

[Blue]

I presume that it will be added onto the driver's risk for next year the same as with any other incident that is deemed to be the drivers fault,

2 years NCD lost, unless same is 'protected'.

the insurance will just see it as the driver having taken the risk

Quite so, a risk like any other.

 

[summerdays]

What got me about the people driving was that they didn't take into account the conditions... all nicely done up in their metal wrapper... course it won't have any problem on the hills around Bristol.

Then people would ask me why I was cycling and how dangerous it was... I pointed out that the danger was from the sliding cars mainly... that I was much more atuned to the road surface than they were... you just get off when its too icy - a car can't do that.

 

[GrahamG]

I presume that it will be added onto the driver's risk for next year the same as with any other incident that is deemed to be the drivers fault,

the insurance will just see it as the driver having taken the risk

It just hope that the risk assigned to the driver is proportionate. Mind you, if I'm that upset by it then I should think about selling the car and not worrying about insurance premiums, all £250 a year of it

 

[Mr Pig]

I don't think the size of the excess would make any difference to driving, I don't think you would think about it. Kids pay a fortune for insurance but still drive like idiots.

Get older, don't crash into stuff and your insurance will be reasonable enough so I'm not bothered. We're £260 for the two of us for a group 14 car which isn't too bad. That's protected no claims etc.

 

[asterix]

My comp. van insurance went up from £150 last year to £234 this year. No changes, no cheaper quotes I could find. Car stayed much the same at £192 comp.

Why?
(They said: 'it's the market'! but I think I am paying for someone else's accidents/thefts whatever)

 

[GrahamG]

After all that - I came out of band practise last night and lost control of the car on the hill outside my flat. Mind you, it's easy to regain control at 5-10 mph! Still embarrassing mind.

 

[fossyant]

There were folk bombing in and out of our estate this morning - they should have noticed something up when a fully kitted cyclist was walking.... the pavements were grippier than the road - I was sliding on foot across the road, and that's with MTB race shoes on.....

 

[John Ponting]

Perhaps they thought you had a puncture and were walking to Halfords ?