Roadtripping Britons Urged To Take Precautions

2008-06-25 Word Count: 602 Category: Personal Finance

UK motorists thinking about driving their cars abroad should exercise caution before driving off.
As was advised by Sainsbury's Car Insurance which reports that unless drivers take steps to make sure that they have adequate insurance cover before leaving to go on a foreign driving holiday then they could be faced with costly repair bills. According to the firm, just under a fifth (17 per cent) of holidaymakers are planning on taking their car overseas during the next 12 months. Overall, France was shown as being the most likely destination for a foreign driving holiday, with some 4.58 million motorists planning to take their vehicles to the European country over the next 12 months. Meanwhile, 1.89 million are set to hit the road in Ireland, with 1.7 million going on a trip to Germany. Spain, Italy and Belgium were also considered to be sought-after locations for motorists.
Also, it would appear that people are looking towards a comprehensive journey, with about 50 per cent of all those going abroad predicting they will drive for more than 1,000 miles while away, meanwhile 19 per cent are predicting to drive between 501 and 1,000 miles.
However, as a precursor to setting out to hit the road for Paris, Rome, Berlin or any other Destination in europe, Sainsbury's Car Insurance not only advised motorists to get fully comprehensive car insurance but also to get in contact with their provider to advise them of their intentions to go away before they leave. It would appear that although many insurers provide cover for driving on the continent, policyholders need to let their insurer know of their intentions. If this is not done, Sainsbury's reported drivers would likely see their cover reduced to only incorporate third party, fire and theft.
For those people who fail to ensure that they have adequate insurance cover whilst on their holiday abroad it may be possible they have to dip into their own pockets in order to meet the cost of vehicle repairs following a breakdown, accident or theft. This could easily impact on their ability to manage loans, credit cards and mortgage repayments upon their return to britain.
To minimise the likelihood of getting into difficulties whilst on holiday, the company urged drivers to plan their route carefully and to make themselves aware of the motoring legislation for the countries that they will be driving through. Additionally, checking tyre pressure and brake fluid levels before departing was also recommended.
Car insurance manager for Sainsbury's, Joanne Mallon, reported: "When going on holiday, most people will remember to take travel insurance but we are concerned that some motorists are overlooking the need to ensure that their car journey is fully covered. Having an accident anywhere is bad enough but when abroad it can be compounded by a lack of local knowledge; to then find that the other party's damage is covered, but not your own, is surely a blow worth avoiding."
Those who are looking for an effective way to finance a holiday may well find that obtaining a personal loan is a good course of action. And for those looking to buy a car to take to the road for an adventure holiday abroad, a cheap loan may not only help with purchasing a vehicle but also help fund an adequate comprehensive insurance policy. Getting a loan for the means of getting a car could also be recommended, as a recent Experian study showed 20 per cent of males would go overdrawn in order to get a set of wheels.

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Mark Dawson writes for the the Loan Arrangers where you can compare loans (www.loan-arrangers.co.uk/) and apply online for cheap home loans (www.loan-arrangers.co.uk/home-loans/), and the best rate secured loans (www.loan-arrangers.co.uk/secured-loans/).