Say yes to cheaper van, home and car insurance

Occupational road risk management firm RoadSafe has welcomed new government plans to develop specific qualifications for at-work drivers.

Focusing on at-work drivers is seen as an important element of the new plans, with training programs set to be developed with the involvement of employers.

RoadSafe director Adrian Walsh told easier.com: "Many organisations already see the real benefits of investing in the training and career development of those who drive on business. Measures include advanced driving courses."

Mr Walsh added: "Whether driving company cars, vans or their own vehicles on business, employees who drive as part of their job undertake daily one of the most dangerous tasks they will ever be asked to undertake in their working life."

The government is keen to promote driving as a skill that should be worked on and improved throughout life, as opposed to merely a few lessons and a test.

According to the Department for Transport, a fifth of new drivers are involved in some kind of accident in the first six months of qualifying, although injury and death has fallen by a third in the past ten years.

The transport secretary Ruth Kelly has announced plans for harder driving tests, which throws doubt on the future of the Pass Plus testing scheme.

Taken by many new drivers as they pursue lower insurance premiums, statistics from uSwitch.com say that only thirteen per cent of learners opt to take the extra lessons.

Under the new government plans, new courses will be developed by the Driving Standards Agency.

The Department for Transport told timesonline.com: "We want people to go on improving their driving skills throughout their driving careers. This is about creating the right sort of education and incentivising people to do it."

Pass Plus was introduced in late 1995, but although motorists spend over £30 million a year on the package, most new drivers opt not to take it.

The government has met with insurance companies to discuss a twenty-five per cent reduction in premium costs for drivers who undertake the new tests.

More than six million people have decided to change their car insurance cover provider over the last six months, it has been reported.

According to research from MoneyExpert.com, some 14 per cent of motorists have moved companies in pursuit of a better deal in the previous half-year.

It added that £682 is the average annual amount paid for a car insurance deal in the UK, with a ten per cent increase expected in the next 12 months.

MoneyExpert.com founder Sean Gardner commented that in car insurance "loyalty does not pay".

"With over 35,000 people switching car insurance provider every hour it seems that the nation is catching on to the situation and voting with their feet," said the expert.

Meanwhile, recent research from Motorpoint found that 60 per cent of people looking to purchase a new car will be buying a vehicle more environmentally-friendly than their previous model.