27/02/2006 - PostOffice Car Insurance Only 24% of people understand ‘new’ car registration plates four and a half years since launch Research* from Post Office® Car Insurance shows that only 24% of UK adults understand car registration plates. Meaning 33 million people remain confused about the ‘new’ format, with many admitting they have no idea what they mean. The next new car registration plates, a combination of letters and numbers that identify where each vehicle is registered and when, will be introduced on 1st March 2006. The numbers zero and six will indicate the newly registered cars. A quarter of people questioned believed that the two letters at the beginning of the number plate referred to the area in which the driver lived. A few people actually thought that they were the driver’s own initials or the make of the vehicle! More men than women understood what the car registration plates meant with eight out of ten (81%) women confused by the new format. Commenting on the research, Phil Ashkuri Head of Post Office® Car Insurance, said: "It’s been four and a half years since the current number plate format was introduced and still only a quarter of people actually understand what the letters and numbers on registration plates mean.

Pay as you drive
By reflecting the time of day in the cost, this innovative test product not only makes insurance premiums more affordable, but it deters younger motorists from driving at night when the conditions are less safe. Robert Ledger, programme director for the ‘Pay As You Drive’™ insurance scheme, said:. The premiums will be calculated in a similar way to mobile phone tariffs. This information is then transmitted securely to Norwich Union via a mobile phone network. car insurance and uk Read more...

Industry Leading Step
car insurance and uk One in 20 motorists are uninsured and research has shown uninsured motorists are much more dangerous than law-abiding insured drivers. Emma Holyer, Motor Spokesperson for Direct Line commented:. In addition, Direct Line supports the Durham Police in its unique scheme to cut uninsured driving. However Direct Line are not prepared to leave its law abiding customers high and dry just because of a few untrustworthy motorists. Read more...

DANGER ON ROADS
Phil Loney, managing director of Lloyds TSB Insurance said:. Don’t forget the battery. Flat batteries are one of the most common causes of breakdown and the risks in winter are especially high. Ensure that all exterior lights - including fog, brake and number plate lights - are working properly. car insurance and uk Read more...

Its network is larger than all of the UK’s banks and building societies put together. Around 94 per cent of the UK population lives within a mile of a Post Office® branch and 28 million customers visit every week. The Post Office® offers over 170 products and services including travel and financial services (including personal loans, car, home and travel insurance and a new "two in one" credit card), banking services, bill payments, HomePhone (its home telephone service), gift vouchers and cards, lottery products, licence applications, phonecards and mobile phone top-ups, and postal services. It is the largest supplier of foreign currency in the UK and is a leading provider of travel insurance. The Post Office® is also the biggest cash handler in the country with more than £92 billion passing through its hands each year. 17p in every £1 in circulation goes through a Post Office® branch and around 400 million household bills are paid at Post Office® branches each year. In the year ending March 2005, the Post Office®’s total turnover was £1,287 million. Post Office Ltd is a separate limited company within the Royal Mail Group. Post Office Car Insurance -