Safety Concerns About Internet Banking

How safe do you feel when doing your banking online? Most people are confident in the security measures the banks have in place, but in spite of the cases of online fraud almost doubled in 2008 and experts expect this percentage to rise in the coming years. Read more

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Halifax: Avoid damage payouts with winter-proofing

With bad weather coming this autumn, homeowners are advised to ensure their homes are not at unnecessary risk from damage.

According to Halifax, there have been severe weather warnings for November, with high winds and harsh storms forecast.

Giving properties a “health check” and winter-proofing can reduce the risks posed by such extreme weather, the like of which led to 18,000 claims last year totalling in excess of £16 million.

“Winter is the time when we retreat to the warmth and safety of our homes, but before doing so there are some essential checks that need to be carried out,” said Vicky Emmott of Halifax Home Insurance.

“With home emergencies, prevention is certainly better than the cure, and many claims could be avoided if householders spent a small amount of time preparing for the coming bad weather.”

Some of the checks recommended include looking for weaknesses in the roof, checking external lights are securely fitted and trimming back low-hanging branches that could cause damage.

Tags: warmth, Pacific Northwest, severe weather warnings, halifax, Halifax Home, safety, damage payouts

Speeding youngsters

Many youngsters in Britain have risked their lives by getting into a car with a speeding driver.

Research by Co-operative Insurance (CIS) and road charity Brake has found that as many as two thirds of people aged between 15 and 25 have been a passenger in a speeding vehicle.

Of these, more than half admitted that they did not ask the driver to slow down despite being aware of the associated risks.

In total, 4,500 youngsters were asked to complete the survey and it was revealed that 65 per cent had been in a car which was driven at 40mph in a 30mph zone or at 70mph on a rural road.

The findings have led to increased calls for changes to be made to the way in which people are taught to drive.

“Now is the time for the government to take action and tackle the problem of risk-taking young drivers,” demanded Jools Townsend from Brake.

“Too many people have died due to a deadly combination of inexperience and recklessness among many young drivers. More will die if positive steps are not taken immediately to educate young people and reform the learning to drive process.

“The government has a duty to society to ensure every young person gets an education in road safety and introduce a more structured system of training and testing novices,” she added.

Young drivers are often forced to pay higher car insurance premiums than other road users as statistics show that they more likely to be involved in an accident.

Tags: time, testing, road charity brake, zone, Road traffic safety, safety, road users, half