Online Finance Blog

An ever increasing number of people are currently driving without car insurance on UK roads. As financial pressure grows on UK household’s people aren’t shopping around for the best car insurance deals; they’re simply not buying any.

The implication of this growing trend is very worrying for the car insurance industry and injury compensation companies alike.

The penalties for driving without insurance include:

• £200 fine
• Your vehicle being seized
• Six penalty points added to your license

With the methods of catching uninsured drivers increasing, and more and more of them being caught (up to 500 a day, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau also known as the MIB), it’s becoming harder to get away with not having insurance.

There is even a database that shows which parts of the country contain the highest number of uninsured vehicles (Greater London - 13%, Merseyside - 12%, Greater Manchester - 10%, West Yorkshire - 7%, and the West Midlands - 7% are the top five, if you’re interested) so police know where to concentrate their efforts.

The MIB has begun a campaign to point out the risks faced by driving uninsured. It’s not just when people get caught that they run into problems. Anybody involved in an accident whilst they’re uninsured risks being taken to court over road traffic accident claims, and if you don’t have an insurer to pay compensation, you’re going to be paying out of your own pocket.

With the number of No Win No Fee companies around, having to pay compensation on a injury claims is a real possibility and one that could result in enormous financial difficulties for all those involved.

When all of this is considered, skipping insurance to save money suddenly doesn’t seem like such a good idea.

When looking for a new job, it’s important to know what it is you want. This doesn’t cover just the industry and pay grade (though of course you don’t want to be looking for accountancy jobs when you’re interested in software engineering), but what you expect from your workplace. What might seem like the best job in the world could turn into a daily trip to hell if you don’t like the people you work with.

Some aspects that you might want to consider are things such as the size of the company. Whereas a larger company may offer more benefits, and possibly higher pay, you may find that you’re a small cog in the machine, often ignored or overlooked. If you are comfortable with that, or if you believe you possess the tenacity to make yourself heard, then that’s fine. If not, you might want to consider working in a smaller company, where it will be easier to get to know everybody and make yourself heard, but you may have more responsibilities and a larger workload, coupled with fewer benefits.

Once you have decided what you want from your workplace, do some research on any companies you apply to. This can involve talking to friends and family, or looking online for past and current employee stories. If you find something on a major news site, be very sure to check if its positive or negative.

Remember to make the most of your interviews. Ask probing questions, and pay attention to how people treat each other. If you have a chance to get to know the current employees then make the most of it. These are some of the best opportunities you’ll have, as only you know what you’re really looking for.

Though it may seem a little daunting to try and base your opinion on what could be a single interview, you’re not alone in your search. Websites such as bestcompanies.co.uk can help you discover if your potential employer has a good track record, and they operate in multiple sectors, from finance jobs to careers in creative design. Not every company is listed in these sites, but if yours is, it’s a very good sign.

Hopefully, these tips will ensure you don’t end up working for a nightmare company. It’s another item in a long list of factors that you have to bear in mind when looking for jobs, but it is an important one.