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letters
Page 26
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Do you want to comment on any of the stories in Commercial Motor? Does someone in the industry deserve a pat on the back—or a public dressing down? Or is there simply something you want to say to our readers? Don't keep it to yourself —drop us a line at CM Letters, Rm H203, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 SAS. Alternatively, you can fax your letter to us on 0181 652 8969, e-mail it to David.Hanisorbp.co.uk—or simply phone them in on our 241ir letters hotline: 0181 652 3689, Letters may be edited for length and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.
Premium rises
Tn response to your article by Karen 1.Miles under the heading "Insurance set to rise" (CM 5-11 September), would like to inform you of the following facts.
Karen Miles states that insurance premiums are set to rise by 10% this year after three years of stable rates. I have been an owner-operator for more than 20 years and have an insurance policy with Norwich Union with a 60% no-claims discount.
In June this year my premium increased from £1,511 to £1,857—an increase of some 23%.
I have made no claims against the policy, operate the same vehicle, and yet after several attempts can find no satisfactory explanation as to why this increase is so severe. This is yet another instance of the owner-operator suffering while large operators enjoy discounts. We have to pay the price for their bad claims record.
RD Newbury, Ipswich.
7 Norwich Union replies: Premiums have increased sigmficantIv for LGVs. Between .filnuary 1993 and January 1996 increases of almost one third have been seen, with a further 4% this year The increasing cost of thirdparty bodily injury claims has been the major reason. In the 12 months up to April there was a _vear-on-year increase in these costs of 9%. The trend is for goods vehicle premiums to escalate as costs rise—somewhere in the region of 10% over the next year