Insurance4CarHire have today released a survey that found:
- 63% of people in the UK are planning or considering a driving holiday this year
- Despite the current economic climate, 80% of us are still going on holiday in 2012
- Over a third attracted to driving while on holiday, as it gives us freedom to get around
- 44% like to get off the beaten track whilst on holiday.
Most of the holidays I’ve been on have been self (or parent) drive. As kids we spent each of our summer holidays in South West Scotland. M25, M40, M42, M6. The scenery is fairly monotonous that far but improves as you skirt around the Lake District and from then on it just gets better.
Unfortunately, 20 years ago fitting two booster seats and a full size car seat in the back of a small car was just as difficult as it is today. We would have jumped at the chance for our parents to rent a car that could actually fit us all with a little space provided. Now I’m older wiser I understand some of the difficulties my parents may have faced in doing so.
Insurance4carhire, the car hire excess insurance specialist, also reveals that 77% of Brits had never taken out car hire excess insurance; with just under half (47%) aware of what car hire excess protection is. The revelation means that many Brits are leaving themselves exposed to potentially high excess charges in the event of an accident.
Motoring expert and Fifth Gear presenter, Vicki Butler-Henderson, comments: “Driving is one of the best ways to take in the scenery through some of the most beautiful routes around the world. However, it is important to plan ahead – from selecting the right vehicle for the terrain, to reading up on the local road laws and signs to researching routes. While we don’t plan for mishaps, it is equally importantly to ensure you have sufficient insurance and excess cover as a small prang, could end up costing as much as the holiday.”
Gary Webb, Business Director at Insurance4CarHire comments: “Hiring a car gives a great deal of freedom to explore but it is important to know what you are signing up for. We don’t like hearing horror stories from holidaymakers who have taken policies that exclude damage to windows, tyres, the undercarriage and roof – which can potentially cost the driver thousands of pounds in liability claims. Excess cover protects against just that – providing a safety net and peace of mind so that you can concentrate on discovering the hidden gems you might have otherwise missed.”
Insurance4CarHire offers a range of competitive excess protection policies in addition to innovative solutions such as Just Text HELP, a multilingual emergency assistance tool. In the event of an accident abroad, customers can simply text the words HELP and the country e.g. HELP Spain and a multilingual assistant will call back and speak the language for you, anytime of the day or year.
