Spring

We’ve all heard of April showers. The reality is though, that spring in the UK can bring heavy downpours at short notice leading to flash flooding. Surface water is a real danger to drivers with a risk of skidding increased. So make sure your car’s tyres are in good shape and your windscreen wipers are in good working order. A British spring may also see gusty weather. This can blow items or even pedestrians into the road! So you need to stay extra alert. Just as important is being aware of strong or sudden cross winds which can blow your vehicle off course into another lane – leading to collision.

Summer

While we all like a bit of sun, it can lead to drivers becoming hot and bothered. A frustrated driver can very easily become a reckless driver prepared to take extra risks. Stay cool and stay calm, even if others don’t. The hotter weather can affect your car and its engine too. So make sure your oil, water and tyres are all in good order. The last thing you want is to find yourself on the end of personal injury claim thanks to mechanical and not driver error. Lastly, the summer sun. If it does decide to appear you need to take care not to be blinded. Use your sun shield as soon as dazzling sunlight becomes an issue.

Autumn

With autumn, it’s time to look out for the dangers of falling leaves, mists and fog. All of these can lead to diminished visibility when driving – which is one of the prime causes of accidents and claims dealt with by personal injury solicitors. So, again, make sure your windscreen wipers and wiper fluid are all up to scratch. Greasy surfaces due to falling leaves combined with wetter days can also have a major effect on your traction. As before, it’s a question of having good reliable tyres on your car and knowing how to take evasive action if you do skid. A course in defensive driving is not a bad idea and could actually lower your insurance.

Winter

Finally, probably the most hazardous season for drivers. Certainly in the UK, with rural and northern areas like Scotland particularly badly affected by bad weather. And it goes without saying that the chief problems are snow and ice. Black ice is a killer. Full stop. Hard to see and impossible to react to in time, it’s one of the major causes of accidents and personal injury claims on the road. Similarly heavy snowfalls and slushy conditions can lead to the roads becoming excessively slippery. So drive confidently, but carefully – watching out for what other drivers are doing. You need to think ahead so much more. Visibility is the other main problem. From blizzard conditions to frost build up you need to be sure you keep your windscreen clear at all times.

When Craig Davidson in not crunching the numbers in the office on his injury claims calculator he is helping people stay safe on the open road.

Park the Limo Next to the Tent?

Other options are camping or caravanning but the divas in my crew just won’t have it. Especially in the city! I’ve found the answer and they take the form of apartments. The serviced variety offers a convenient and flexible alternative to hotels for business travellers, actors or families on extended visits throughout the UK.  The industry originally developed in the US and has gradually established itself in Britain.  During the 1990s and early part of this century a growth in the ‘apartment living’ trend saw the development of numerous quality apartment blocks around the country – and this has contributed in the growth and demand for short and medium term lets. 

Accommodating Accommodation

The cost of accommodation for those working away from home has always been an issue.  The traditional options in the UK included run down boarding houses, at worst, and hotels at best.  With the growth in the serviced apartment sector the choice and quality of accommodation available has grown rapidly.  For companies and organisations that regularly require staff to work for longer periods away from home, this type of accommodation can offer a significant saving.  So what are the key advantages over the more traditional – pokey – room of one’s own?

Home From Home Advantages 

• Cost has to be the first consideration.  Hotel accommodation in the UK has, in most cases, kept pace with consumer demand for quality rooms and service.  However the cost has also kept pace with this rise in standards.  For those individuals or companies requiring medium or long term places to stay hotels can be the expensive option – more so in the case of the best, boutique quality premises.  For medium or longer stays, apartments compare very favourably indeed.
• The hidden costs of hotel accommodation tend to mount up – especially over a period of time.  Additional charges for internet use, for TV access and for meals, do not come cheap in many hotels.  Parking may or may not be included, but for longer periods there may be charge.  Apartments offer these services as a standard part of the package – with the exception of meals.  Some do have restaurant facilities on the premises while many will have leisure facilities as part of the package.  When it comes to meals with apartment rentals there is always the DIY option, which can be very cost effective indeed.
• Privacy, security and comfort are also part of the deal in this type of property.  The space offered by an apartment rental when compared to a hotel room is excellent.  While it may not be ‘home’ it’s at least a home from home – again compared to the cost of a room in a hotel you certainly get much more for your money.  Having a place to call your own can make all the difference when working away from home for long periods.  This is beneficial to not only individuals, but to their employers too.  Stress can be a factor for people who have to work away from home and the privacy and security an apartment can offer makes a subtle but important difference. 

Discounted Flexibility

Many serviced apartments will include a range of services including maid and laundry services.  They are in some respects a hybrid between hotel and private rented accommodation – offering the best of both worlds.  The flexibility of terms usually means that you can rent for just a couple of days or several months – and longer stays often attract excellent discounts.

Travel in style now, as you can afford to get that crew of yes-men/women and have your entourage follow you round – wherever that may be. (Without you tripping over them, while they sleep on the floor.)

Northampton apartments offer ideal accommodation for business travellers needing flexible, private, serviced accommodation.  Offering the best that hotels have to offer and the best that private rented accommodation can provide they offer flexible solutions for long or short stays.

The type of caravan that you have bought will determine the type of insurance that you need.  If you have a touring caravan and will be towing it from your home to a park, then you are going to need cover for when it is on the road.  Your towing gear will need to be covered and if your caravan is considered to have a twin axle, then you will probably need a separate insurance policy for this.

With a static caravan, you will need to get insurance for the caravan but you won’t need to have cover for towing obviously.  This is because the caravan sits permanently in a caravan park and does not need to be moved.  Caravans need to be covered for things like flooding, high winds, vandalism and fires.  With a towing caravan, there is a risk of overturning if it has not been connected properly to the car.  It is better to choose a policy that will provide full cover should anything happen to your caravan.  Policies like this are usually only available for caravans that are less than five years old.  However, some insurance companies will provide this full cover for caravans that are up to fifteen years old

If you take your caravan to other countries such as France or Spain for example, then you will need to think about getting overseas cover for your caravan.  This is something that is essential if you tend to holiday abroad with your caravan.  If you want to get a cheaper quote for your caravan insurance, then there are a number of things that you can do to ensure that the caravan is more secure.  Buying hitch locks or wheel clamps will give added security.  You could also consider an alarm on the caravan because this would entitle you to further discounts on your insurance policy.

Public liability insurance is something that a lot of people these days are choosing to buy for their caravan.  This something that those with touring caravans should think about because it means that you will be covered in the event that someone else is injured in an accident with your caravan.  This will give you added peace of mind when taking your caravan out on the road.

As a freelance writer and internet marketer, Musa enjoys writing about many different topics. His current project involves writing about caravans and motorhomes.

So are the sites that offer free listings actually worth bothering with? Also often known as Free Classified Ad sites, Classified advertising is referred to as such because it is generally classified into groups such as: Cars, Insurance, Travel etc.

Classified adverts have moved on nowadays. Traditionally (before the use of the internet) they were found in the free papers and in the back of local publications, and tended to be basic text only and a telephone number to contact for more info.

Nowadays, with the help of the internet, listings often include photos, email addresses, links to videos, all contact info etc.

So paying for your caravan to be listed seems outdated as the more well known sites that offer paid advertising don’t command as much of the on-line market as they used to, as there is more competition and so many sites offering free listings.

So just how do on-line listing sites make money if they are not charging a fee? Many sites have teamed up with insurers who place their advert on the sites page, in the hope that you will click on the advert, get a quote and maybe purchase the insurance.

So the sites make money from you clicking on their adverts to the advertisers, enabling the site to cover their running costs etc and remain free.