For those with cheap car insurance who want to keep it that way and avoid being involved in a road traffic accident, having to travel from point A to point B in hazardous weather at night can be a bit of a worry.

However, a new gadget developed by technology company Intel and Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania, USA, might make wet weather a bit less stressful.

Using a camera and projector, which would be installed at the front of a car with the headlights, the team have managed to reduce the number of rain drops a driver would be able to see coming towards their vehicle’s windscreen.

The camera tracks the path of raindrops, and if it predicts that the droplets are going to fall into the motorist’s line of sight, the projector will shine a light on them which stops the headlights reflecting back off of them.

A very powerful projector will be necessary to make this useful tech work, and the issue of potentially blinding oncoming traffic will need to be solved, but Intel believes that in ten years’ time all new cars might be manufactured with a camera and projector unit to blot out nuisance raindrops.

Of course, to further reduce the risk of being involved in a crash, cheap car insurance policyholders, as well as those who have not yet been able to find a good quote, should remember that stopping distances will still be affected in wet weather.

Moreover, making sure that they have good quality, well-maintained windscreen wipers will help immensely in downpours – not to mention keeping the screen wash topped up.

For those particularly interested in keeping their motoring costs down, who would also like to improve upon their safe driving habits, low-cost insurance from us might help. Using another great piece of technology – telematics – we can help you reduce the price of your annual policy. Read more by clicking here.

It’s never pleasant smelling something bad, but when you’re stuck in a enclosed space with it, then it can feel even worse!

Car insurance policyholders stated that top of the list of worst in-car smells was wet dog. Yes, despite being a nation of animal lovers, a soggy pooch is apparently the smell road users dislike more than anything else.

The other pongs drivers detest the most after wet dog are dried spilt milk, child’s sick, teenage body odor, rotten fast food and fruit, sweaty feet, cigarette smoke, dirty nappy, and, finally, animal mess on shoes.

Reportedly women car insurance policyholders were the most likely to try and mask these undesirable niffs with an air freshener – however some men do choose to purchase an air freshener too.

Strangely, the study did not cover how well motorists did when it come to cleaning their car – which is the best way of getting rid of rotten food and animal mess smells! After all, there’s only so much you can hide with an air freshener…

The insurer also revealed that more than 50% of motorists had acquired “bad habits” since completing their tests, potentially committing actions such as speeding, tailgating, or getting into the wrong lane on roundabouts.

In addition, a selection of participants took a practical driving test in order to assess their motoring capabilities. Unfortunately, none of these individuals managed to pass – performing at least three major faults while behind the wheel.

These findings suggest that many individuals should consider improving their motoring skills – and they might be able to do this by purchasing telematics car insurance with insurethebox.

Our policies come with a device (called an in-tele-box) which monitors certain aspects of an individual’s driving skills. This information is then displayed on his or her personalised customer Portal, allowing them to improve their motoring abilities. Consequently, by following this advice and driving safely, they may see their premiums decline at renewal, as well as potentially receiving a lower-cost quote from the outset of the policy.

To see how much you could be saving with a telematics car insurance quote, please click on the get a quote button today.

It seems that one resident of North Somerset may not have purchased this form of vehicle cover when his or her Mercedes was taken from their home recently. Fortunately, police managed to find their property and catch the suspect – with the help of a German Shepherd named Troy.

According to reports, this sniffer dog covered a distance of around two miles whilst tracking the individual, covering terrain such as woods, fields, and even possibly a fence or two. Eventually, Troy’s extreme dedication paid off, locating the suspected criminal.

The stolen Mercedes was also found by police officers, abandoned in a largely wooded area called Brockley Combe. Officers then likely reunited the owner with their stolen property and Troy received praise for his outstanding tracking skills.

However, although I’m pleased that this incident appears to have been adequately resolved, the vehicle might have been located sooner if the owners had purchased telematics or black box insurance.

Still, I’m just glad that everything seems to have worked out well – I just hope Troy received an adequately sized treat for his brilliant tracking skills.

Image © warriorwoman531 via Flickr under Creative Commons Licence

Yes, you read that sentence correctly.

Those using the Burnley Tunnel in Australia could have been delayed recently after an operation to rescue a stranded kitten – believed to be a stray – involved shutting down parts of the road.

According to Australia’s 7News, the ten-week-old feline was spotted by CCTV cameras – where it appeared to be frightened and was seen calling out for help. Reportedly, the animal had also tried to dodge several cars in order to try and get itself out of its perilous situation.

After locating the animal, safety crews arrived on the scene, closed off two lanes of traffic, and eventually rescued the stranded kitten. The operation probably took longer than usual as the scared creature darted under a stationary vehicle and had to be coaxed out by team members.

The kitten &ndash now nicknamed ‘Dodge’ – will reportedly be available for adoption soon. After the coverage this animal has received, I’m sure numerous men, women, as well as young driver car insurance holders will be heading over to the shelter in order to give Dodge a loving and caring home.

Personally, I’m just happy the kitten has been rescued from its dangerous location. Although we can only speculate as to how many lives it lost during the ordeal.

Announcing its purchase on social networking site Twitter, Dubai’s police force has bought a Lamborghini Aventador – a car which is allegedly capable of travelling at 217mph and can accelerate to 63mph in less than three seconds.

Considering that many motorists in Dubai allegedly own exotic supercars, the police force may have decided to spend around £360,000 in order to keep up with those individuals who flout the rules of the road.

However, reports suggest that the Lamborghini Aventador will not be used to enforce the law. Instead, it will probably be used to impress tourists and to illustrate (in the words of the city’s deputy police director) “how classy Dubai is.”

The police force could be introducing other high-performance vehicles into its fleet though. It has been reported that the Chevrolet Camaro – an American muscle car – may soon be driven by some of the city’s officers.

I think Dubai’s police force probably received a very expensive car insurance bill recently…

One motorist might have been able to benefit from this type of car insurance after his vehicle was recently stolen within the Bristol area. Reportedly, the thieves took the man’s property when it was left unattended with the keys inside.

Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. The owner decided to post a message on Facebook offering a £1,000 reward if he was reunited with his property – and this relatively unconventional method actually paid off.

Two days after making the appeal, he received a message from a gentleman who directed him to the vehicle’s whereabouts. Even better, it was undamaged and nothing inside had been taken.

Consequently, the man who located the stolen vehicle received his £1,000 reward – and allegedly intends to use this money to partially fund a holiday to France.

Although I’m delighted with this outcome, I can’t help but feel that the situation might have been resolved sooner if he had purchased insurance through a telematics provider. Potentially, his insurer could have used the onboard data-collection device to track the vehicle’s location – assisting police in its recovery.

In addition, if he had purchased this form of vehicle cover, the man might have been able to spend the £1,000 on himself – and could have possibly saved money at renewal if he regularly displayed safe motoring habits.

But was it a good year for the country’s motorists? After polling more than 9,000 individuals last November, a provider of car insurance has reportedly claimed 75% of motorists cut back on journeys during 2012 in order to save money.

The research, published recently, suggests many road users are having a hard time affording expenses such as fuel or insurance and are instead not using their cars as often. Potentially, this means drivers might have neglected to visit parents, friends, or family members, refrained from socialising or participating in activities, and perhaps been unable to afford commuting to work.

With the cost of motoring-related charges seemingly increasing and cheaper car insurance becoming more difficult to find, these people may feel they have no choice but to pay these often expensive fees.

Fortunately, they might be able to save money by purchasing cover through insurethebox. We use telematics technology in order to analyse a policyholder’s motoring abilities. Eventually, assuming he or she drives safely, they can receive a quote which reflects these positive habits.

To demonstrate the money saving benefits, our research shows 95% of customers aged between 18 and 25 received lower cost car insurance at renewal.

If you want to find out more information regarding our telematics cover, please click here.

However, the vehicle manufacturer has been working on a new project, perhaps its most impressive design yet – baby prams.

Aston Martin has teamed up with Silver Cross, a pushchair company, in order to make a carriage which would probably suit even the fussiest infant. The design comes with various features, such as aluminium alloy wheels, an air-ride suspension, and appears to have a luxurious leather interior.

A spokesperson for Silver Cross called the carriage “the most exclusive pram in the world” and stated that it “is the ultimate in comfort for your baby and in style for the owner”.

If any parents are looking to get their hands on this item, they will probably have to act quickly. Reportedly only 800 of these pushchairs will be manufactured and each one will cost £2,000.

If mums and dads believe this fee is slightly expensive, they should look on the bright side – owners will not need to purchase a car insurance quote in order to control this Aston Martin.

However, due to the global recession and the sometimes costly prices of car insurance as well as fuel, many motorists seem to choose to refrain from driving – and instead conserve their funds.

Research, recently published by the Department for Transport, supports this theory. According to the organisation, since the financial crisis began in 2007, there has been an 18% reduction in the number of 17 to 19-year-olds taking their practical driving tests. Furthermore, the number of applications amongst those in their 20s declined by more than 10%.

Generally, the findings also suggest that fewer people have been participating in this examination over the years – most likely due to the repercussions of the economic recession.

However, although motoring is largely regarded as an expensive activity, there are many ways to cut these costs. For example, someone may be able to reduce the price of their car insurance for young drivers by purchasing cover through a provider of telematics, such as insurethebox.

These insurers use clever data collection devices to analyse a policyholder’s driving skills – and they normally take this information into account at renewal. Therefore, by proving they are safe, responsible road users, individuals may be able to eventually cut their premiums.

Search the insurethebox website today for more information about our form of this vehicle cover.