Boston, MA (PRWEB) December 18, 2008 — Mother Nature can throw unexpected curveballs to unsuspecting teen drivers this winter. To ensure that safety is a top concern, Liberty Mutual Insurance urges parents and teen drivers to visit LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com before they hit the road this holiday season.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported over 1,100 crashes by teen drivers, age 16-19 years old, last holiday season and according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), nearly 5,000 teens drivers were involved in fatal motor accidents last year and motor vehicle crashes are still considered the leading cause of death among teenagers.

”All of us - no matter how long we’ve been driving - need to take the challenges of winter driving seriously,” said Dave Melton, director of Transportation Technical Consulting Services at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, Mass. “To avoid being caught off guard when the weather gets bad, it’s important to be prepared - even before you get in the car - to ensure a safe and happy holiday for everyone.”

Be Street Smart - Before, During and After the Trip
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, about 70 percent of fatal automobile accidents are ice or snow related and another 25 percent of winter deaths can be attributed to people being caught out in a storm.

From treacherous highways and back roads to black ice and freezing bridges, it takes a lot of care and preparation to ensure the driver is winter road-ready and that the car is safe and in good running order. With millions of drivers on the road this winter - Dave Melton and Liberty Mutual recommend the following tips to keep top of mind this holiday season. More tips from Dave Melton are available at LibertyMutualTeenDriving.com and YouTube.
• Create a winter driving safety kit
• Keep gas tank at least half full.
• Test air-conditioning, which helps clear your windshield and windows.
• Add winter wiper blades and top off washer fluid.
• Have your tires checked to ensure you have enough tread to last the winter
• Use snow tires if you live in an area that gets frequent snow.
• Check the weather report in your area and in the area of your final destination. If conditions are bad and your trip is necessary, be sure to plan extra time.
• In bad weather it’s critical to put some extra distance — at least double — between vehicles.
• Reduce speed - antilock brakes and four-wheel drive will not help you stop faster. Antilock brakes only help you maintain steering control.
• Always wear your seat belt.
Interactive Resource for Teens and Parents
Liberty Mutual created National Safety Council’s defensive driving course and sample driver’s licensing exam questions from every state.

The dual-path site also features a parents’ version, with useful tips for talking with their teens about driving. A new parent/teen safe driving contract, developed by SADD, can facilitate this discussion and enable parents and teens to customize consequences and rewards for driving behaviors that include wearing seat belts, following the speed limit, and limiting or reducing driving distractions.

About Liberty Mutual Group
”Helping people live safer, more secure lives” since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is a diversified global insurer and sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2007 direct written premium. Liberty Mutual Group ranks 94th on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2007 revenue. The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (LibertyMutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance. The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 10,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Liberty_Mutual/teen_driving/prweb1754924.htm

Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire (PRWEB) December 9, 2008 — After receiving several reports from angry customers about their insurer’s cancellation charges, (some in excess of £140), insurers who would have to be directly contacted to find out the charge — such as the RAC, Sheila’s Wheels, Sainsbury’s, Churchill, Esure, Co-op and Privilege who all used the following type of terminology to advise of an impending charge whilst refraining from disclosing the actual sum:

“Less an administration fee to take account of our costs in providing your policy. The fees are detailed in your Schedule” — indicating that people are only notified of the “cancellation tax” after the policy is taken out.

Such is not always the case:

MORE TH>N, for example, have no problems advising you that it will charge a hefty £55.00 should you wish to cancel mid-term.

Zurich levy a £50.00 charge if you cancel during the first year.

Barclays Insurance seem more reasonable with £26.50.

Swiftcover.com rank as one of the lowest with a £25.00 admin fee for cancellations. Not only was this lower than most, but all their charges were laid out in a clear and concise manner with viewable policy documents containing a complete breakdown of the percentage premium refund to be expected over the year.

Further, out of the several insurers NCD News questioned about the justification for these fees, Swiftcover.com were the only ones to officially respond. Craig Staniland, Underwriting Director for Swiftcover.com, told NCD News: “Swiftcover.com does charge £25 to customers who cancel their policies during the first 14 days. There are two reasons for this nominal fee: to cover our administration costs and to also reduce the number of people who enter into a motor insurance contract and cancel at the first opportunity once they receive their Certificate of Insurance.”

It is always worth writing to the insurance companies to ask for a breakdown of the fee prior to purchasing the policy. Any quote you receive from them will generally be valid for up to 30 days. If you have already been hit with such fees, write to your insurer asking for justification — if the fee is proved to be unjust or they offer “just because” as a reason, you should be entitled to a refund, if they refuse then threaten to take the matter further.

www.noclaimsdiscount.co.uk/news/ editor, Michael Beverley, said: “If insurers want to charge large amounts in cancellation fees then not only should they be completely clear to the consumer before purchase, but some justification should be given as to why their charge is more than double that of another insurer. Maybe if a wave of resistance can get going, insurers might start re-evaluating their ‘admin fees’ before they become as big a target as bank charges and PPI mis-selling.”

About NoClaimsDiscount.co.uk: NCD News covers insurance related news aimed at both the industry and consumers, providing a balanced look at developments that could affect it’s readership. You can find more information on the insurers covered in this article at www.noclaimsdiscount.co.uk/insurance/

Original article: http://www.noclaimsdiscount.co.uk/news/art_display.php?show=200812061

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/insurance/cancellation_charges/prweb1721024.htm