BBC’s Watchdog Highlight Concerns Over Mini Steering Pump Failures

Last night’s BBC Watchdog programme highlighted the problems some BMW Mini owners are experiencing with unexpected and potential safety issues regarding sudden loss of the steering control.

The Mini celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It continues to be a very popular car, however many people have experienced some very close calls when without warning they go to steer round a corner only to find that the steering pump has failed, leaving it virtually impossible to steer the car safely. People shared their ‘near miss’ incidents and their concern for their own and others safety.

BMW Mini sat that it is not a fault, however people are paying up to £800 to have steering pumps replaced as most cars having this problem are no longer under warranty. Minis built between 2001-2007 appear to be the most susceptible.

Repairers are having a field day, with one repairer saying he receives 2 calls a day from people asking for steering pumps to be replaced. VOSA has also become involved, but after carrying out their own tests they say the car is still safe to drive even if the steering pump does fail.

Independent motoring experts suggest that the Minis are re-called as a safety precaution. BMW Mini confirmed that all newly built Minis have a new design of steering pump fitted.

It will be interesting (?) where one would stand if a steering pump fails and as a result an accident car or van insurance claim is made. Would a no claims discount be ‘lost’ through no direct fault of the driver it was proven that the steering pump failed?

Online Car and Van Insurance Deals

It seems every time you switch on the TV a bombardment of commercials flash across the screen telling you of the great savings you can make on your car insurance.

Churchill are now offering for their prices to remain the same until next, it’s wise to read the small print at the bottom of the screen as restrictions and conditions do apply.

With all insurance companies claiming to give you the best deals it can all become very overwhelming. The insurance industry is a very competitive market place as such most reputable insurance companies will offer a ‘like-for-like quote or offer to beat any quote you have be given on a like-for-like basis.

Needless to say cheap does not always mean it is the best. Many of the cheap insurance will only provide basic cover, while you may pay a little more if you use a different company their policy may include far more. In other words by the time you have added the optional extras onto cheap insurance it doesn’t actually work out cheaper than using a slightly more expensive company which include these optional extras within their quote.

Many insurance companies will also offer a reduction if you buy online. The best thing to do if you’re looking for car or van insurance is to go online and make comparisons as to exactly what you get for your money. If you’re not sure give them a ring and tell them what you are looking for and they will offer you their best quote. You could also use a comparison website, however, not all insurance companies are listed. Alternatively use an online car or van insurance broker and let them do the searching for you.

Help Lower Your Van Insurance

The UK is now officially in recession. The credit crunch is biting hard which means that an increase in theft of people’s home contents and vehicle contents is likely to increase. Opportunist thieves will be looking to grab Sat Navs, mobiles, tools, CD players-basically anything they can lay their hands which sell fast on the black market to make easy cash.

Perceptions that it’s only drug users looking for cash to get a quick fix is still true, however, there are many people who are struggling to make ends meet who may be joining in on the smash and grab brigade-especially if people continue to make their theft easy by leaving their vehicles unlocked and their possessions in full view.

Simple steps can mean the difference between you and your van being targeted. Stickers telling would be thieves that ‘no tools or equipment left onboard overnight’ may just deter them-or at least make them think twice. Having said that there’s absolutely point having a sticker like that and then leaving your tools or equipment onboard! Being a statistic in vehicle crime is a ’label’ you can definitely do without.

Are you aware that having such a sticker-and taking your gear out of your van each night-can actually help to lower your van insurance premiums? Insurance companies welcome customers who take a positive and active approach in trying to reduce vehicle crime.

It’s certainly worth checking your policy or phoning your insurance company to see whether they do reward-by lowering the cost-those who are fed up with being targeted by opportunist thieves.

The Use of ‘Capture Cars’ is on the Increase

The use of  ‘Capture cars’ was recently given a report on the BBC’s The One Show.

The report informed viewers that many police constabularies are using ‘capture cars’ to reduce the number of cars being broken into while parked.

The police believe that ‘capture cars’ can and are reducing the number of car burglaries quite substantially. Interestingly the reporter and a ‘re-formed’ car burglar walked only a short way down a street lined with parked cars looking inside to see that Sat Navs, mobile phones and other valuable goods were left in full vision. Far too easy for burglars to smash the window and help themselves in a matter of a few minutes.

The ‘capture cars‘ are fitted with video cameras and also ‘Smart water’ which covers the burglar with a fine spray of fluid which can then be detected on clothing and skin under ultra violet style lights. The ‘Smart water’ remains in place for many weeks despite how many times it’s tried to be washed away.

The report also raised the subject of entrapment and whether capture cars were being deliberately ‘baited’ with valuables to entice people/car thieves to break into the car.

There are many different views and opinions as to the pros and cons of such tactics.
Law abiding citizens should have nothing to worry about is a view held by many people.

Whatever your opinion it is important to remember not to leave valuables on display inside a car or van when it is parked. Valuables should be taken with you or locked out of sight in a boot. It is also worth checking your car insurance or van insurance to see whether you will be able to make a claim should you become a victim of car crime.

Taking Positive Steps i the Credit Crunch

Finding cheap van insurance has never been easier, simply go on-line and let the search engines work their magic. A whole host of different insurance companies and brokers are currently offering some very competitive deals and with the credit crunch hitting many businesses now is the time to take a look at what is being offered at the most competitive rates.

There are a number of things that you can do to help reduce your insurance costs further still. Many insurance companies will offer discounts if you add a company logo to the side of your vehicle, there is no need for expensive art work and flashy designs, it is a matter of showing the insurance folk that you use your van as part of your business. A logo may also help to distinguish your van from the ‘white van man’ syndrome which is still being bandied about by many people.

Fitting immobilisers and alarms may also help cut the cost of your insurance, removing expensive tools and equipment from your van each night may become tedious, however, you can bet your bottom dollar that the night you don’t remove them the thieves will strike and you will be left high and dry with no gear to work with. Many van insurance policies will cover tools and equipment and although you may think it unnecessary to include them consider how much it would cost to replace just a few tools, let alone the time it will take trudging round the shops trying to find replacements.

Christmas Couriers

In the lead up to Christmas courier companies are cramming as many deliveries as they can in order to take advantage of the increase in Internet shopping.

Despite reports earlier in the year informing and advising courier drivers that towing a trailer means that most vans will then exceed the Gross Ton Weight making them illegal to drive on the UK roads, the number of van couriers using trailers is on the increase.

What is probably even more scary is that these courier vans are breaking the law on two other counts. Driving while towing a trailer requires the driver to have the correct driving license. It’s doubtful that many of them actually do have this. Driving without the correct type of license and being overweight will also mean that their van courier insurance will be invalid. Therefore if the parcels are lost, stolen or damaged they will not necessarily be covered.

There are estimated to already be over two million uninsured drivers on UK roads, vans towing trailers illegally will further add to the figures.

It may well be that in order to turn a profit before the end of the year these courier vans are prepared to take the risk of being caught rather than lose out on business, but at what cost if the get caught? Or are the courier van drivers blissfully unaware that they are breaking the law particularly if they are employed by a courier service which has a fleet courier van insurance and are given reassurance by their employers that ‘everything is covered‘?

Take Precautions!

If your van is your business then proper insurance is an absolute must, however, don’t be caught out by having to pay additional costs for things like windscreen replacement which are included with some van insurance policies. Shop around on-line and you may be pleasantly surprised at what is included or can be included on your van insurance policy.

Some insurance companies are offering some great cheap van insurance policies to keep you and your business on the road which include cover for audio equipment, your electronic navigation systems and fixed car phones, these are well worth looking into and giving serious consideration to, especially if your business relies on emergency call out services for your customers.

Opportunist thieves are having great fun at the petrol stations at the moment, you pop in to pay for your fuel, leave the keys in the ignition and before you realise what’s happening some rotten blighter (or words to that effect!) has jumped in and driven away your van! These types of incidents began with thieves stealing cars, but now they realise that the contents of your van may be just the type of thing that’s easy to sell on the black market.

The police may find your van torched or trashed somewhere, however, the likelihood of finding your tools or equipment are a different story. The logical thing to do is make sure you lock your van before going to pay for your fuel, the other logical thing to do is make sure you have your van and its contents covered by a good van insurance policy so that you can carry on working even if you are subjected to theft.

Van Drivers Among the Safest on UK Roads

Recent studies carried out by Tesco in the UK has rated van drivers as among the safest drivers on the UK’s roads. These ratings may be somewhat surprising to many due to the ‘White Van man‘ reputations which the majority of van drivers are saddled with.

The study revealed that fewer van insurance claims where made in comparison to other vehicle insurance policy holders. This study also indicated that the ratings would obviously be welcomed by van drivers and earn them more respect from insurance companies. Why am I not really that surprised that the increase in women van drivers has been attributed to helping the notorious ‘bad’ van driving become a thing of the past?

Credit Crunch

Perhaps the credit crunch will help us all to see a decline in reckless driving from van drivers, as companies will simply not be able to afford financially to have vans, their drivers and goods damaged by stupidity and incompetent driving.

Fully comprehensive van insurance may provide courtesy vans to help transport goods and cover the cost of damaged goods, but will it help to re-build reputation after clients have been let down? I somehow doubt it, it may be worth remembering that clients can be very fickle, let them down once and they’ll be looking for someone else within hours! It’s a ‘dog eat dog’ world out there, so making sure you have competent drivers and fully comprehensive van insurance is an absolute must if you or your company are going to be ‘top dog’!

Van Insurance Commercial

Ford have a rather ingenious TV advertising campaign running across our screens at the moment which uses football to show us all the versatility and practicality of using one of their vans rather than a car for all manner of purposes.

The use of these clever advertising tactics will undoubtedly increase their van sales as small and large companies’ attention is caught by the power of advertising. Vans are becoming increasingly popular choices with many people who travel nationally and Internationally in the pursuit of a sport such as climbing, jet skiing or motor cross. A van is the ideal choice to transport people and expensive sports gear simply due to the amount of load capacity and comfort for the driver and passengers. Non- commercial van insurance is available via a range of different routes, with a variety of different insurance policies covering the van, its contents and people.

Comprehensive van insurance is a real must these days, despite having stickers telling would be thieves that tools are not kept on-board overnight, an opportunist will still break in just to check! This practice of theft is ever increasingly due to some folk not removing tools and goods and relying on a sticker as deterrent!

I believe this to be very fool hardy indeed and like most things in life because some can’t be bothered the thieves think no one will! Even if there is nothing inside to steal the rear doors will still need damage repair or replacement. The majority of van insurance does cover this type of insurance claim, however, err on the side of caution and check that your or the company’s van insurance actually does before you become just another statistic on the van contents theft list.

Why Purchase Van Insurance?

To get a driving license is no more an issue now, you just have to clear the theory and the practical tests and you can drive – simple! However, there are people who are very aggressive while driving. Well, I think they are very aggressive drivers, and they are thoughtless people to boot.

The ‘white van man‘ is a very specific example of such aggressive drivers. I personally believe that these ‘white van men’ can never learn from their accidents, and I also believe that aggression is in their nature.

They love to see their lives at risk, however, if they are driving your van then you obviously do not want to take the risk with your asset, i myself used to be like this but a few scrapes changed my driving theory! .

So, the only way out of this situation is to buy van insurance that will increase the security and safety of your van. Even if you have not hired a ‘white van man’ to drive your van, still you know there is always a risk while your vehicle is on the road. So, why don’t you free your mind from worry and obtain affordable van insurance? Get comparing quotes, and purchase the most affordable van insurance from insurance brokers, or from online companies.